It Went Evil With His House.
We must beware of our inherited tendencies and rely on faith in Jesus Christ to overcome them and be preserved unto God's heavenly kingdom.
F.B. Meyer reflects on the tragic fate of Ephraim's sons, who faced disaster due to their inherited impulses and tendencies, symbolized by the men of Gath. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and curbing these inherited passions, as they can lead to irremediable sorrow if allowed to take root in our lives. Meyer warns that yielding to such impulses opens the door to spiritual destruction, but he also offers hope, stating that faith in Jesus and walking in the Spirit can protect us from these dangers. The sermon serves as a reminder to be vigilant against the negative influences we inherit and to rely on God's strength for victory.
Text
It went evil with his house. 1 Chron. vii. 23.
IT is an old‑world tale, and those tears have long since been wiped away. What led to the death of so many of the stalwart sons of Ephraim is not quite clear; but apparently they made a raid from the hill‑fastnesses on the men of Gath to lift their cattle, and were repelled with great disaster. At any rate, they were slain by men of Gath, that were born in the land. They were part of the early nations of Canaan that should have been destroyed. This suggests a significant train of thought. We must beware of the tendencies and impulses which were born in us, which we have inherited.
They are strong in all of us. Parents transmit to an awful extent their own passions. What a reason this is for carefully curbing them! I have known the children of drunkards, grown to middle‑life, who have confessed that they have never spent a day without the conscious craving for alcohol. These are the men of Gath, born in the land, who will slay us unless we are on our guard.
There will be irremediable sorrow if we yield to them. Many days of mourning will not avail to wipe out the sad and bitter memory of the disaster, when once they have wreaked their wild will on us. If permitted within, they will, like traitors, open the door to Satan without.
But faith is the victory. He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God; he in whom Jesus lives by the Holy Spirit; he who knows the Stronger than the strong man armed, shall be kept from falling, and preserved unto God's heavenly kingdom. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh."
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Inherited Tendencies
- The Consequences of Yielding
- The Power of Faith
- The Men of Gath: Born in the Land
- The Strength of Inherited Passions
- Irremediable Sorrow
- Opening the Door to Satan
- Victory through Jesus Christ
- Walking in the Spirit
Key Quotes
“He that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God; he in whom Jesus lives by the Holy Spirit; he who knows the Stronger than the strong man armed, shall be kept from falling, and preserved unto God's heavenly kingdom.” — F.B. Meyer
“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must carefully curb our inherited tendencies to avoid the consequences of yielding to them.
- Faith in Jesus Christ gives us the victory over our inherited tendencies and preserves us unto God's heavenly kingdom.
- Walking in the Spirit is the key to overcoming the flesh and its lusts.