ORIGIN AND EXTINCTION OF SIN.
By H. A. St. John
1. All sin originated in Lucifer. In Lucifer, an exalted angel, was sin first found; self-caused, self-cherished, self-developed, and self-disseminated, until many angels were thereby infected. 2. All sin originated in heaven. The one place above all others where such an evil thing could have no cause to exist, and where it could not long survive. It was cast out, by casting out everything inseparably connected therewith. 3. All sin originated in selfishness. He in whom sin originated said, I will be equal with God, I will be above the stars, etc. Thus we see it was I, great big I, a conceived and cherished purpose to exalt himself at the expense, discredit, or discomfort of another, that constituted the root and origin of sin. All sin extinguished with selfishness. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation from sin and its cause, selfishness, to all that believe. Divine love has provided the remedy. Effectual, infallible, and glorious as is this balm for every wound that selfishness has made, none are compelled to accept it. But many have, and many more yet will receive this Gospel by faith, and all such will be forever freed from sin and selfishness. All sin extinguished in the earth. Selfishness and sin being transferred to the earth by the casting out of Satan and all the angels that sinned, will be extinguished from the physical world when God shall rain brimstone and fire from heaven and burn up all the works of selfish and sinful men and angels. All sin extinguished with Satan. Jesus was manifested to destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil. Root and branch will all sin be destroyed when the heavens and earth shall burn as an oven. We may safely conclude that the last flickering flame of the lake of fire will expire on that spot when Lucifer, the originator of sin, expires. So we may say that selfishness and sin will be extinguished, finally and eternally, in the very same one in whom it began. Then God will have a clean universe. The slimy path of the old serpent will have been wiped out forever. The valleys and hills of holiness long hidden will be uncovered, and again echo with the footfall of the glorious Creator and Redeemer. Divine and infinite love, as a consuming fire, will have gained an everlasting victory over its deadly6enemies, selfishness and sin, and then, as before, self-renouncing love will be universally respected and obeyed as the law of life for the universe.