Overcoming Sin by Louise M. Stormont

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 10, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 24.

Overcoming Sin.

By Louise M. Stormont

THERE is no one who reads the Bible who has not a desire to "enter in thru the gates into the city" of God in the eternal world. There is but one thing which will keep anyone from doing so, and that is unforgiven sin. Those who enter there are "they that do His commandments." Sin, which is "the transgression of the law" of God, unless repented of and forsaken will forever close those pearly gates against the sinner.

One sin which will turn many away from that heavenly city is the indulgence of appetite. Both gluttony and drunkenness are condemned, and we are plainly told that drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:10.

"Thou shalt not kill," is the command transgressed when we eat or drink that which injures the body, whether it be the taking of enough poison to kill in an hour, or indulging in smaller doses often repeated as in the case of the "moderate drinker." The latter finds in time that appetite has become his master, for "his servants ye are to whom ye obey." Rom. 6:16.

Many, when they realize this, and that unless this sin is overcome they can not be saved, give up in despair and make no further effort. But there is still hope. "Jesus Christ came into the world to save"—the righteous? No, thank God, He came "to save sinners."

When here upon earth, He was "tempted in all points like as we are" and His great heart of love "is touched with the feeling of our infirmities." Heb. 3:15. The record says that He was "without sin," so that altho tempted in every way by His subtle and implacable enemy, He never once yielded to him.

Now, how did He succeed in withstanding the temptations of Satan? We find an example in Matt. 4:3, 4, in which He overcame on this very point—appetite. After a fast of forty days, He was assailed by Satan with the temptation to prove that He was the Son of God by turning the stones lying about Him in that wilderness retreat into bread.

He was "an hungered." O, how He must have longed for bread! We who every day have such abundance of food can not understand the power of this temptation. "All things were made by Him," and He could instantly have provided for His need; but He was not a servant of Satan and would not obey him. His answer was, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."

So we find that when tempted to sin, Jesus remembered what "is written" which met that temptation; it strengthened Him to do right, and with it He silenced the tempter on that point. The word of God is "the sword of the Spirit," and was the weapon which Jesus used in conquering sin.

And, tempted one, this is the sword that we are given to use constantly in our warfare against the enemy of our souls. "The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." Heb. 4:12. Christ, who is the Captain of our salvation, overcame him with this sword, and if we "hide His word" in our hearts that we "sin not," the Holy Spirit will bring to our "remembrance whatsoever He has said," just when we need it, and enable us to escape by the way which He always makes for the tempted. 1 Cor. 10:13.

There are wonderful promises in this book of God to the overcomer:

"Him That Overcometh"

"Will I give to eat of the Tree of Life."
"Shall not be hurt of the second death."
"Will I give to eat of the hidden manna."
"I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written."
"Will I give power over the nations."
"I will give him the morning star."
"Shall be clothed in white raiment."
"I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but
"I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."
"Will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and
"He shall go no more out."
"I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, . . . and My new name."
"Will I grant to sit with Me in My throne." Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 28; 2:5, 12, 21.

O, brother, sister, is it not well worth the battle against sin, in whatever form it assails us, when we may look forward to such complete victory and eternal joys? Then shall we join the heavenly throng in praise to God because "in all these things we are more than conquerors thru Him that loved us." Rom. 8:37.

LOUISE M. STORMONT.