Preacher Compares Sin To Leprosy

Fresno, California, 1907

Christ Cured Physical Leprosy, Surely He Can Cure Leprosy of Soul, Says Rev. Perkins

The revival services at the Christian church gain in power. The audiences are large and the interest keen. Tonight J. R. Perkins, the pastor, will preach on "The Sympathy of Jesus." One made the confession after the sermon last night. The services will begin at 7:30 as usual.

Last evening Rev. Perkins preached on "The Leprosy of Sin." He said: "Just as leprosy removes the afflicted from the society of his fellows so sin removes the soul from God. In many places in the Bible when the inspired penmen would impress the people with the deadliness of sin they would use the word 'leprosy.' It was the strongest figure known to them to portray sin in all its vivid and terrible forms.

"Leprosy has ever been looked upon as an incurable disease. Well might it be written over the gate of every leper colony what Dante says is written above the portal of hell, 'Through me you pass into the city of eternal woe: all hope abandon ye who enter here.' And well might such inscription be written upon the souls of sinful men were it not for pardon and peace in Christ. He alone can remove the leper stain of guilt and He is willing as well as able. Believest thou this?

"No reconciliation was possible to the leper. He left his home and with the wanderlust in his soul he sought peace and found it not till death came as a fond, sweet relief. And you, my unconverted brother, cannot be reconciled to God until your moral leprosy is removed. Thank God it can be removed. Listen to the message from the Bible: 'But now in Christ Jesus ye who were one time afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For He is our Peace, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us, that He might reconcile us to God.' There is power in the blood of Christ, power in His death because there was power in His life, and there is power in His word.

"Remember that it takes a great salvation to save great sinners as we are. Man lost in sin is lost so completely that self-recovery is impossible without the divine touch of healing. It requires a God to save a man. Divinity plus humanity mean pardon and perfect peace. Divinity is ever ready; but humanity halts between two opinions. Jesus cured physical leprosy, surely He can cure the leprosy of the soul. In perfect trust and faith the ten lepers of Galilee stood before Him and were made whole. Will not the ten and more unconverted in this house tonight stand before Jesus and be cleansed from all sin? Just as you are. Don't try to go the way alone. Failure is certain. Be ye reconciled tonight. Be ye born anew, from above. The stain is too deep for so-called morality to remove it. Too deep for all remedies save the oil of His salvation. Sin has broken your life. Here is a broken vase. We pick up the pieces and paste them together, but the broken pieces show. So will the broken pieces in your life show till your life is placed in the hot crucible of His love and molded anew by the Divine Potter."

—Fresno Morning Republican, Fresno, Nov. 26, 1907, p. 7.