The Ohio Independent Baptist, July 1964

0 cannot By Rev. Robert L. Sumner h 11 /1ere/<'Jl'C l)t1, ·i<I /ltc , ,c•tl 1/1e L.<Jr<I I, t < I' C (11 / 1 I I c. <·()I I t.: I <' t.: (1 / i (')II : (111 < / , (., ·id st1id. Blc.,,e<I flt 1!1c>11. L <>r<I ,< d l/ Js,(lt I <>ttr f<1tl1<·1. /<>I' <, ,·er (llld < l <.'I .. 7~,,,11t. () Lc>rtl. is tl,e ~reat11e . <111,l tire. /J<JH er. t111cl tl1e ~lc>rv. a11d tllf' , i t,Jr., ·. ,111cl 1/1e 111c11e t,·: fc>r all 1!1t1t ,, i11 1/1e l1,}<1,·e11 c111d i11 tl1e ear t/1 ,., tl1111e; 1/1i11e i,· tl1t? k111gdo11 1. 0 l(>rtl. a11,l tl1c,11 art e , c,lted a l1 ec1d al>c>, ·e al I. "Bc>t/1 r1c·/1e · c111cl /1011 01,r co111e of 1 /1ee. a11cl 1 /1011 reig11e ·r o ,·er all; a11d i11 tl1111e /1a11d it i to r11ake great. a11d to J!1,·e tre11gtl1 1111to all. '\ Ol\' tl1erefore. OLtr God, 1,ve tha11k tlzee . a11d prai ·e t/1)' gloriot,s 11a111e" ( I Chron. 29: l 0-13). One time a group of egroe were di cu ing the almighty power and O'.tereignt)· of Jehovah. They talked abou t H i power in creation, Hi power in u taining the univer e, Hi po\\er in redemption Hi daily care and provi ion. Hi power over Satan and H i power in the pre ervation of the aint . A they waxed warmer and \\. armer on the ubject of the Lord' power and program, one of them in– tending to put the climax upon the whole di cu ion, enthu ia tica,lly houted: "Is tl1ere any thing tlzat God canno t do?'' Then, to the profound amazement of all the re t one of the brethren replied ...Ye , there is omething that even God cannot do!' Shocked to the very depths of their oul over hi apparent bla phemy, they replied almo t in uni on 'What do you mean? What i there that God cannot do?' And with the erene smile of Heaven upon hi old black face, that dear colored brother truthfully and cripturally responded ' 'God cannot see ID)' in when they are under the blood of Je us Ohri t!' ' He }Vas riglzt! That i omething that even God, a powerful a H e i , ca nnot do. F 1r t John I : 7 tate : "The blood of Je u Chri t his Son cleanseth us from all sin... I aiah 43: 25 tell u , ··1. even I. am he that blotteth out th}' trans gr es ion for mine own sake, and will not remember thy ins.,, And God sa}' of believer in H ebrews 10: l "'7. ..their si n and iniquities will I remember no more.' ' However , it re– mained for D a" 1d to reveal, in Psalm JULY. 1964 Page 4 0 it I () ~ : I I , I .., : ' · i; ) r t1 , t 11 e h cavc 11 1 ~ high. ,th()\'e the ear th , ~t) grea t 1\ hi~ 111crc\ lO\\ ,trd then, that fear him . ... \ far a. the ca l t~ fr n1 the we t, \() far hath he ren1oved Ltr tran gre - i 11s fr n1 LJ <i. ' ' , ' od cannot sec the ·in of the 1ntli idt1al who ha', rece ived the Lord Jc u · hri t a " hi per ·o nal Savior. the ,hymn writer, . B. Vandall ha wri tten: "Tl1 e)' are 1111</erneat/1 tl1e blood. on tl1e c·ro of Ca/var)', A far re111oved aJ <lark11e ·s is fro1Tz daw11; In tl1e sea of God' forget/ ulness, tl1at' · goocl enoug/1 for 1ne, Praise God , l1'l)' sins are gone." However, being unable to ee in th at i under the blood i not God' only limitation . Contrary to public opinion there are everal thing im– po ible with God even though , as our text tells u , He ha greatne power , glory, victory and maje ty, and in Hi ' ' hand i power and might. ' What H e cannot do i ummed up in the little choru th a t our young people from coa t to coa t were inging a few year ago: "God can do any thing, any thing, an) 1 thing, God c·an do any thing but fail . He c·an save, H e c·an keep , He can c·leanse, and H e will. God can do any thing but fail. He's the Alpha and 0111ega, t/1e beginnitzg and the end, He's the fairest of ten thousa11d to 11L}' soul, God can do any thing, any thing, an} 1 thing, l ~ ~ • I •• f Rev. R. L. Sumner , ,,ti c·,111 rl,J ,111J1 t/1i11g b11t /ctil.'' 13 t1t to lie speci fi c f<Jf' 011c tl1ing I. It Is Impossible For God To Sin! What is sin? "f he Ar11cri ca n lntlian · ca ll c,I it un1iss ing the 111ark ." When ,1 nc c1 f t ~, c n, w ou Iti shoot I h is arrow ,tl ~on, e ,n1all anin1al anti miss. he wotd(J c ry out, " I have si nnetl!'' H e n1cant that he had 1ni~~ctl the 111 ark. Thi s i~ an c ccllcnt tlefinition of sin - n11 ,5ing the mark - hL1t CJod never m1\se5 the mark : H e 11ever sins! Wh a t i ') to? Fir',t John 3 :4 says "Who ocver comm itteth ',JO trans– gre eth a l o the law.'' in 1~ any tr an gre ion of the law; it i\ any lawle ne . But i never gui lty of Jawle ne in any form. Wha t i in? J ame 4: 17 tell u , UTherefore to him that knoweth to do good and doe th not, to him it is in." Sin, then , i rebellion. But God never rebel again t right · H e never fails to do what He know to be good . What i sin ? Fir t John 5: 17 reveal that "all unrighteou ne is in. " In other word anything and everything w,hich cannot be labeled "righteou - ne ' i in. You may call them any thing you de ire - mi take short– coming , fai lure , error etc. but if they are not righteou ne , they are sin! But God never fall hort ; He never make a mi take; He i never guilty of an error ; He never mani– fests any hortcoming or failure whatsoever. God know no unright– eou ne : He i sinless. God canno t sin! H abakkuk l: 13 states of the Lord: ' 'Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and can t not look on iniquity." He i much too pure to ble evil; He i too holy, too r ighteou to look wit·h favor upon iniquity. So J ame l: 13 tell u , Let no man ay when he i tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither temp– teth he any man. " God cannot even be tempted with evil! A b(Jttl 1!1e autlzor: R ev. R obert L. s·u,1111er is pastor of Ten1ple Baptist C lit,rc·lz Portsn10 ,1th , Ol1io, wl1ere t/1e Annual M eeting of t/1e Ol1io Assoc·iatio,1 of R egular Baptist Churc·hes is to be lz eld Oc·t. 19-22. Pastor Lt111ner is editor of the Baptist Bible Broadcaster publisl1ed 111onthly b)' the Te111ple Baptist Churc/1. T/1is article is fro11z the April issue. Th e R ev . Mr. s·u,11ner writes a }Veekly article for The S}vorcl of tl1e L ord c·al/ed "J11 c·ident~ a11d lll£1!) – trc1tions" and o fIler articles. THE OHIO INDEPENDENT BAPTIST