Man was created in the image of God, very good. And thus entirely pure, surrounded by creatures most gentle and loveable, he must have been quite happy. But alas, the bliss of Eden was soon spoiled. Man did not long remain pure. Uninfluenced by God's foreknowledge or decrees, man by his own free act of disobedience soon fell from this pure state and became dead in sin.

Now with impure mind, his soul and body depraved, man was ashamed to meet his God. No longer could he hold sweet converse with his Maker, nor behold the purity and brightness of God's glory, So, because of his sin, man was sent forth from delightful Eden vastly in debt to God, yet entirely unable to pay.  Thus though utterly helpless the sinner is under lasting obligations to love and fear God and obey His righteous law. But this he cannot do. This debt though most just, man can never pay. On the contrary he hates God and delights in sin, which is most debasing and ruinous to body and soul. Man goes astray as soon as born, speaking lies. The whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint, and he is full of wounds, bruises, and putrefying sores "from the sole of his feet even to the crown." There is no soundness in him. Thus, death preys upon the helpless victim. As a result of sin man begins to die or decay in body, the moment he begins to live. By indulging sinful appetites, he thinks to find sweet joys, but instead he finds disappointment. His body is subjected to painful disease and his mind and conscience is defiled. He is dead in sin. Now before he may dwell with God, the sinner must be renewed in mind, changed in heart and conduct, he must be born again. In this renewing work of the Holy Spirit, God takes away the hard and stony heart and gives a heart of-flesh, or a tender, loving forgiving heart. Jesus gives the rebel sinner life, from his death and sins, and He gives the precious fruits, faith and repentance. The man's sins were laid upon Jesus and caused His suffering; and now in return, the righteousness of Jesus is imputed to the sinner. This, my friends, is the only way of salvation. My only hope of heaven is, that my sins were imputed to Christ, and His obedience is imputed to me. For "by the obedience of one (Christ) many shall be made righteous." Thus cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus and clothed with His imputed righteousness, I shall be "freely justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

This change wrought upon the sinner in regeneration is great and marvelous. This wonderful change is wrought in the heart by the unaided work of God's Spirit, in a way "past finding out," This new birth or change of heart is called the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost," and is known by the fruits-love and obedience. The man is changed from the love of sin to the love of holiness. Before this change the man loves sin, afterwards he loves God and hates sin. "The love which is given unto us." "Old things are passed away and behold all things are become new" then let us love and obey our Lord forever more.

"Praise the Lord, O! my soul, and all that is within me, bless and praise His holy name."

Burleson, Tex.        M.D. DENMAN.