The fool has said in his heart,
"there is no God."
They are corrupt, they have done
abominable works,
there is none who does good.
The LORD looks down from heaven
upon the children of men,
to see if there are any who understand,
who seek God.
They have together become corrupt,
there is none who does good,
no, not one.
Psalm 14:1-3
Overheard the other day where two students who have become involved with a "church" that teaches what I would call at the very least, falsehood. Their discussion over their homework was, free will. Eavesdropping, I heard that man could choose for himself, not only those temporal things of life but could choose for himself to believe in God. In fact they were attempting to use this free will so that they could know what the other person was thinking or going through so they could better approach them with some revelation from God. David the king of Israel wrote the above Psalm, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is clearly outlined for all to read; men do not do what is good; they are corrupt. "There is none who does good;" David writes. The word "fool" is singular denoting that each one does not do good, then he uses the plural; "none" indicating that all people are corrupt. If that is not enough, then allow a second witness to this fact. Paul's letter to the Romans: "What then? Are we better than they? (Who are the they? It is the Jews that Paul speaks of here, and to those unrighteous, those who do not believe), Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside;they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one" (Romans 3:9-12).
Men think little of the grace that they had received and turned away from God. This turning away from God, the truth of God, even within the Church, is even to found with those who have claimed Christianity as their faith and religion. To deny the Providence of God is a form of atheism. One may not be a true absolute atheist, yet be a practical atheist. You may object, cavil all you want, I must also think hard upon this fact; if anyone denies the Providence of God, then in effect they have denied the Being of God. How? They strip Him of that wisdom, the goodness, tenderness, mercy, justice, righteousness, which are the glory of the Deity. It is to deny that God sent His Son, to become incarnate so that the goodness, and mercy of God would be the propitiation for men' foolishness. When a person in some form denies the Providence of God they seek after sinful pleasures, in effect they are declaring that there is no God. Or, they attempt to prove their sanctification by overdoing those things that are pleasurable to the senses. When we allow our foolishness to lead us in ways that are unScriptural then we lose that which would check our senses, our lusts. We seek that which would give us an enjoyment, just for enjoyment' sake. There is little difference between the dissenting from one and the disowning the other. If we habitually seek after any form of sordid lust, how can we scarcely say and seriously believe that there is a God, but in our works we would deny Him. To deny God is to deny His Son, His Only Begotten Son. That is only to become a grand fool.
It is natural, as our nature is corrupt, it is totally depraved, we will not choose God, and will will not accept His Son, unless we make His Son to be what we want Him to be; this eliminates what God has had written about Him and what we are to Him, and what we are in Him. Men have defiled themselves to the point that all that God could do in regards to His justice is to destroy that which had created and to keep His Law. Men had lost that original goodness, they were not under any compunction to sin, they truly had free will, no sin was in their body, their soul; they had direct and complete communication with God. It was their sin, that they lost an apprehension of God. It is not a loss of the knowledge that there is a God, but this new corrupt nature will not admit of the true God; therefore they find other ways to make for themselves another god(s). It is with men exactly as Paul mentions: "who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever, Amen" (Romans 1:25). Men have transferred their worship to things they have created and have transferred the honor which is due to God, and to His Son, our Savior, to material objects, even to a form of worship that cannot be found in the Scriptures. Other men have taught and are teaching falsehood, a meaning for life that is not what is taught by the Scriptures. In this sense they become lawless, they neither know God nor His Word.
But, God did not and does not hide Himself from man, He is in sight of man, we can know that there is a God who created all things and that He exists. He leads us to His Word, from that leading to His Son. When those that God has chosen hears the word, for how can they hear without a preacher (Romans 10:14)? God has unfolded this knowledge in many forms and in many ways; we are without excuse. We need to stop this self-seeking and live for God and for His Wisdom, His Word, our Savior: "who 'will render to each one according to his deeds' (Psalm 62:12), eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek" (Romans 2:6-9).
Good news! God knows the limitation of man. God sent His Son, Incarnate, who paid the debt of sin, and abolished the Law of Death. Because of what God has done for His children and as one of His children; live for Him, let your life be a witness for Him, do not allow yourselves to follow after those foolish teachings that lead men to do and act according to their senses and not according to His Word. All that is done when we do not live for God is, in some large sense, denying Him, and to deny Him is to deny His Son. Paul gives this admonishment: "You who make your boast in the Law, do you dishonor God through breaking the Law? For 'the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you" (Romans 2:23-24). Does this not cause us who call ourselves "Christian" to examine our lives?
Blessed are those whose
lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom
the LORD shall not impute sin. (Psalm 32:1-2)
Romans 4:7-8
Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen
Richard L. Crumb
No comments:
Post a Comment