"How much sin is there in the wood or stone of this house?" Robert asked Peter next.
"None, I suppose," he replied.
"Well, then," asked Robert, "how much sin will there be in this old body when it is dead?"
"I suppose there will be none," Peter replied in a tone that registered defeat.
"Well, then, will you make death the salvation from sin? You say that as long as we are in what you call the 'old sinful flesh" we must commit sin, and yet you admit, as you must, that there will be no sin in the body when it is dead. Where, then, does sin reside? Jesus answers this question once for all in Matthew 15:19, 20: 'For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.' It is the heart that sins; 'the soul that sinneth, it shall die,' says the prophet Ezekiel in Ezek. 18:4. The body will die and return to dust from whence it came, but these immortal souls of ours will live on eternally. It is the soul that sins. When in our intentions we purpose to sin, we are guilty of sin before God. He that searches the heart, who looks not as man looks, who sees the secret motive, he knows when the will consents to do evil. Not a theft was ever committed, except that there was a will to steal; not an act of dishonesty, except that there was a will to deceive; not a lie was ever uttered, except there was a will to lie. It is our souls that must be saved. 'Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls' (1 Peter 1:9).
"Our text says, 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' I wish to publicly thank God for this peace in my soul. Jesus saves me from my sins. I know that the verse, 1 John 1:8, is a stumbling-block to many, yet it is simple when understood. John was stating fundamental propositions. He began by saying that, 'if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' Then, as if turning back to state the basis, or antecedent of his remarks, he said, 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' In other words, there was sin to be cleansed from the hearts of sinners, and to declare there was no sin to be cleansed from, was only to deceive themselves. The same arrangement follows in verses 9 and 10, where the truth is first stated that 'if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' and then John stated the basis or antecedent of forgiveness, which is the fact that all have sinned."
"Yes, yes, you can explain all you wish, young man, but you cannot get around those other texts I quoted. 'He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth is not in him.' That's Bible, I tell you," said Peter with vigor.
"Where is that in the Bible?" demanded Robert.
"It is there somewhere. I will find it soon," said Peter as he started thumbing his Bible. The congregation waited in expectancy.
"I will give you five dollars if you will find that in the Bible," said Robert.