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eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. The sins which man
is disposed to look upon as small may be the very ones which God
accounts as great crimes. The drunkard is despised and is told that
his sin will exclude him from heaven, while pride, selfishness, and
covetousness go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially
offensive to God. He “resisteth the proud,” and Paul tells us that
covetousness is idolatry. Those who are familiar with the denunciations
against idolatry in the word of God will at once see how grave an
offense this sin is.
God speaks through His prophet: “Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the
Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon. For My thoughts, are not your thoughts neither are
your ways, My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts
than your thoughts.” We need clear discernment, that we may measure
sin by the Lord’s standard and not by our own. Let us take for our rule,
not human opinions, but the divine word.
We are on the great battlefield of life, and let it never be forgotten
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that we are individually responsible for the issue of the struggle; that
though Noah, Job, and Daniel were in the land, yet should they deliver
neither son nor daughter by their righteousness. You, my brother, have
not thought of this. But you have justified your own course because
you thought that your brethren did not do right. Sometimes you have
acted like a petted, spoiled child and have talked unbelief and doubt to
spite others; but will it pay? Is there anything in your family, in the
church, or in the world to justify your indifference to the claims of
God? Will any of your excuses avail when you stand face to face with
the Judge of all the earth? How foolish and sinful will your selfish,
avaricious course then appear. How unaccountable it will seem to
you that you could let worldly opinions and worldly gain eclipse the
reward to be given to the faithful,—an eternity of bliss in the Paradise
of God.
When you were in great physical suffering and there was no hope
for you in human skill, the Lord pitied you and mercifully removed
disease from you. Satan has sought to afflict and ruin you, and even
to take your life; but your Saviour has shielded you again and again,
lest you should be cut down when your heart was filled with a satanic