Spurgeon: July PM
* 07/17/PM
"Let not one of them escape."
--1 Kings 18:40
When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his
prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in
the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled
Israelites to take the priests of Baal, and sternly cried, "Let
not one of them escape." He took them all down to the brook
Kishon, and slew them there. So must it be with our sins--they
are all doomed, not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must
die. Spare it not for its much crying. Strike, though it be as
dear as an Isaac. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid
upon His own Son. With stern unflinching purpose must you
condemn to death that sin which was once the idol of your heart.
Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your
power. You have grace to overcome sin given you in the covenant
of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade
against inward lusts, because Christ Jesus has promised to be
with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness,
set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There
is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin, and
recovery from its power and guilt, as the immediate presence of
God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half so well as he did
when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred
himself, and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the
Christian is oft becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to
consume the dross. Let us fly to our God, He is a consuming
fire; He will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the
goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy, and to a holy
revenge against those iniquities which are hateful in His sight.
Go forth to battle with Amalek in His strength, and utterly
destroy the accursed crew: let not one of them escape.