The Ohio Independent Baptist, October 1960

Th Holines Of God And The Blood Of Christ 11)' 1 t. 1~. 'T,. k.(' l (·l1n111 , (J1,1rc·l1 ( ~c>11. 11lta11l (;c 11c rnl s~c)C' itll1 <> 11 c>f l{c~g,d tll l3<ll)li s l c:l1t1rcl1cls (rf'l1i!', s lrtll ()ll n111) ,1rccl itl 'T' l1 \ E1111)ir' la t Baptist S0111 c:' 111()11tl1s ago. v (> l)C'- ]ic.' \ <)t1r r<..' t1cl 'rs ,, ill 11jO)' it , i.111 tl1 1nor " 110,, r tl1at l)r . KC' tc.' l1,1m lirts rc\sig11ecl as 111 l )('ttlt'l'()t1c>111, 4.2~l rt11 cl II l l)r \\' S 1:... ~}) \\ l' l c.~t1cl: ··o,,r :c>cl i, cl ('()11- Slllll lllg f1rl " J-1 ir<..' 111 tl1 criptltr · 1s c.1 l t ) 11 tt . 'cl s\·111l)c>lict1l},, a11cl • • t~ 111 c·~1ll~ tc> sig1 if1 tl1 l1oli11e s of l(>cl. :-\ gt1 i11 ,111cl ,1gc.1.i11 i11 tl1 crip- t,1rcs (.,.ocl i · re, ,11ecl a. xpr · i11g rl i.. l1c)l111 . .. i11 tl1 for111 of literal fire. ""' 0 111 ti111es tl1i expr io11 of l1oli11 ·s i. i11 co11de11111c1tio11 of i11 . t otl1er ti111 it i · i11 co1r1111 e11datio11 of rig/1teot1 11e ·. 11 tl1 011e l1:1ncl Goel 1nr,11ife t Hi disJJleasi,re ,,,ith i11 b)' tl1e ti of lit r t1l fire. 011 tl1e other l1a11cl H e 111a11ife t Hi pl a t1r \\rith ricrl1teot1 ·1 b,· tl1e u e of lit ral b ~ fir DisJ lea i,re 1vitl1 odorri a11d Go rr10 rrali For i11 ta11ce in the ca e of odom a11d Gor11orrah \\' are t old tl1at th \\ ickedne of th citie had i11cr a ed o that th c1y of it h ad reacl1ecl 1.1nto H e,1,,e1 , i111d od a1 not1ncecl tl1at H e ,\,as comi11g do\) n t o d e troy. \ \ "}1e11 I--Ie clicl . it \\ 1 a: in the for1n of literal fire. Disµ leas11re witl1 1 adalJ a11d Abilizt Agai11 i11 the ca e of 1 adab c111d Abiht1 ( L e, ,. 10 ) ,,, read th<1t \\'h e11 tl1e t,,,o 1ne11 offerecl stra11ge fire before tl1e Lorcl , fire ca111e ot1t fro1n the pre e11ce of the Lord and clevot1red tl1e1n. H ere agai1 , God' l1oli11ess ,~.,as expre i11g it cli pleast1re i11 tl1e for1n of literal fir . Pleasi1re tcitl1 tlie Positio11 of tlie Pro7Jl1et 011 tl1e other h and , ,ve fi11d in- ta11c·e t1cl1 tis Elijal1 011 1-1ott1 t ar- 1nel, \\ l1ere Cc)c1 expr sses Hj d eligl1t i11 tl1e fo1m of fire. 011 Mot1n t ar– mel God's h oli11e ] aped forth i11 the for1n of lite ral fire and co11st1med Elijah' offering i11 comme11clatio1 ,111cl \ ·i11clic,1tion of the righteot1s po i– tio11 of the proph e t. Pleasi,re On tl1e Day of Pe11tecost 011 the Day of P e11tecost Gocl's holi11es \\ a manifes ted in t ongues s C1111rcl1 ,<>11stdta11t 1 is ,,,ork till goes 0 11. Eclitor ) <>f lit r ,11 fir resti11g l1po11 , . r)' bc- 1 j ~, er . Tl1t1s ,,·e t11at fir i a } 1nbol <>f od' h oli11 s acti11g i11 ither 011 clir ctio11 or tl1 otl1 r. It either con– cle11111 or co11imends. It cat1 e ither 7Jerisli i11g or J i1rg i11g. Tl1e Difference Between Pleasitre and Displeasi,re Th qtte tion immecliately ari es, \~ 7 11a t m ake the clifference? \i b y sh o 1ld the holine of God cond emn i11 one instance and commend in an– otl1er ? The ans,ver i , the presence or czb er1 ce of sacrificial blood. In tl1e case of odom a11d Gomorrah there , va no l)lood, tlierefore condemna– tion. 111 tl1e case of adab and Abil1t1 there \va no blood therefore co1 clemnatio11. In the case of Elijah tl1ere ,va the blood of the whol bt1rnt offering the refore comme11da– tio11. God's Fire on God' Altar P e rhaps one of the most o 1t t and– i11g illl1 h·atior1 of the principles \Ve are tryi11g t o make clear i found i11 Isa it1l1 6:1- . The propl1et is tand– j11g i11 th t e1nple area at the hot1r c f the ev ning acrific , wh n h e sees the Lord. H e at once f a ll t o l1is f,1ce ancl crie , " I am a man of l111clea11 lip ." \ 1 h er t1po11 a seraph take a coal off the altar, clra,v it acros · I aiah's lips a11d sa 1 1 s, "ThiI1e i11ic1t1ity is t ak 11 a,vay tl1y si11 i pt1rged. " It i i11teresting t o note tha t thi coal came from the brazen altar. In L evitic us 9: 24 ,ve read that the fire on this altar \ vas kii1dled di– r ectly from Goel. 111 other , vords, again Goel' h oli11ess expres d itself i11 the ki11dlil1g of the fire on the brazen altar , vh er<i i11 , vas to be clealt ,vith. In L e iticu s 6: 12-13 ,ve r ead tha t thi fire was n ever to go ot1t. Therefore, the fir e on the altar, in ever y sense of tl1e \vord, wa God's fire . It \ as for failure to r ecognize this that aclab and Abihu got into trot1ble when they thought they could prodt1ce b etter fire. It \Va the hour of tl1 \'e11i11g sacrifice thereforr tl1 coals 011 th braz 11 altar a l the 1no1ne11t '"'ere coals of od's fire, but coal \vl1icl1 l1acl b e11 to11clied by the dripp i11 gs of .~acrifi cu1l blood. The r es 1lt , vas that ,vhen Gocl's fire, God's holi11ess tot1ch ed the lips of Isaiah it r esl1ltecl in purgi11g a11d cleansing~ bt1t h ad tl1is coal bee11 taken from the altar ,vh ere there had b een no sacrificial blood applied, Isaiah would have b ee11 utterly consumed. Our God i a con urning fire . H e con– st1mes either the sin or the sinner. The pre e11ce or absence of sacrifical blood d e ter1nines , vhich it shall be. The Holi11 ess of God Overtakes Adan The holiness of God is racing to– ward every poor, lo t sinner today. Sooner or later it will overtake him, a11d the fate of odom and Gomorrah, adab and Abihu, ,vill result unless that poor los t sinner pleads the blood of Jest1s Chri t a his sh elter , where– t1pon the holines of God ,vill be turned i11to a clea1 ing, pt1rging agent, and h e, like I aiah, will h ear "Thine iniqt1ity is taken away, tl1y in is d " pt1rge . A1an,s in Calls for God's Fire Behold the i11 of n1anl Behold the fire of od! F or tl1e e n,,o to come t ogether , ithout sacrificial blood to i11terve11e n1ea11s H ell. For tl1ese t,, 1 0 to com together , vith the presence of sacrificial blood 1nea11 Heave11. "H e to re ct1e me from d anger inter-· p osed Hi preciou blood.' ' ''Behold tli e Fire, "\Vliere Is Th e Blood?'' 011 11ot111t 1oriah I saac made a stateme11t a11d asked a qt1estion. His stateme11t \vas: ' Beh old the fire.'· Hi question was : ' 'Where is the 1 b ?" am . end the call to H eaven abo,,e. "\Vhere i the lamb?' A k the Angels. a k Gab1iel, ask the eraphim, " \ h ere is the lain b ?" And for fot1r thousa11d year the h eaven ,vere ilent. Tl1en· one day the las t of the Old T esta·