WHO is it speaks of these? It is God, my reader. He speaks of them in His Word, both of the paths and the end of those who forget God. If you will turn to Job 8:1313So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: (Job 8:13), you will find they are spoken of with the hypocrite; and in Psalms 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17), with the wicked. But I think I hear you say, as you read the heading of this paper, “I am not one of these; I have always regularly attended church, or chapel.”
Yes, dear reader, you may say this, and much more of yourself; but whoever you are, high or low, rich or poor, this is your state by nature, ―as a child of Adam you are one of those who forget God. I make this statement on the authority of God’s Word; for is it not written, “There is none that seeketh after God;” and again, “There is no fear of God before their eyes”? (Rom. 3:11, 1811There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (Romans 3:11)
18There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3:18).) What is this but forgetting God? You have sin in you by nature. It is not only what you have done, or what you have not done, but what you are. You were born in sin, ―born a child of Adam, with a forfeited life. One verse of Scripture speaks alike both of you and me. “Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psa. 51:55Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. (Psalm 51:5)). Hence we get the Lord saying in John 3. “Ye must be born again;” and also, that “the Son of man must be lifted up.” Yes, the death of the Son of God―the cross of Christ―puts away not only my sins, but my sin also from God’s sight. The believer in Christ has died with Christ, and is risen with Christ, and is joined to the Lord by one spirit where He is (1 Cor. 6:1717But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)). “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature;” or, as more rightly rendered, “there is a new creation.”
I will now narrate to you two illustrations showing how helpless the sinner by nature is to think of God. He must be born of God before he can know God. Still we must never overlook the fact that man is a responsible being. For though “all we like sheep have gone astray” (have gone astray from the birth); “we have turned everyone to his own way,” yet God has given to man a conscience, and He speaks in living power both to the conscience and heart of man through His written Word, which tells us not only that we are enemies to God, and ungodly, but refusers of a Saviour who died in our stead, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God.
Mrs. J―, in speaking to a Christian who visited her, said, “I used to be an attender at chapel, but felt no interest in what I heard; I counted the small panes in the windows to pass away the time. I was doing this as usual one day, when the preacher suddenly paused in his discourse, and said, ‘The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God’ (Psa. 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17)). The Spirit of God used this scripture to awaken me to a sense of my real condition before God, and from that time I knew no rest until I found it in Christ.”
Truly she had forgotten God, but He had not forgotten her; for His own blessed Word tells us, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:1010Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)). It was not God that needed to be reconciled to her, or to you or me, dear reader. Oh, no! It was she and we who had forgotten Him, and sinned against Him, and that needed reconciliation. We read, “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Rom. 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10); Col. 1:2121And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (Colossians 1:21)).
Mrs. J― asked her visitor to go upstairs to see her daughter, who was ill in bed. She was a most self-satisfied person, and had too good an opinion of herself to have admitted she was one of those who forgot God, yet this was nevertheless true of her. A few words soon made all this evident. There was no cordial welcome for the Lord’s servant. The subject upon his heart to speak of, was the Lord’s coming and the first resurrection. She very soon stopped him, by refusing to believe what he said, saying, “I am as well acquainted with the Bible as you are.” He turned to several scriptures to prove what God’s Word says, and finished with reading Revelation 20 and then left.
But God has said of His Word, “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” (Jer. 23:2929Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29).) The scriptures read in this young woman’s hearing began their work, she could not get away from them. She now sought them out, and read them herself. Yes, it was all just there as it had been pointed out. But oh! to think the Lord might come at any moment, and to be unsaved! There was no longer any smothering of the reality that she was not one of those “in Christ.” In deep earnestness she cried unto the Lord to save her. It is written, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:1313For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)). She called, and He delighted to answer. Now her eyes were off herself, and her expectation from the Lord, who opened her eyes to see “that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:4, 54But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:4‑5)). Forgiveness of sins, and peace with God, through the blood of Christ, were now known and rejoiced in. Health again was restored, and employment found. The desire of her heart now, was to live to show forth the praises of Him who had called her out of darkness into His marvelous light.
The one who had spoken to her of the Lord’s coming was some years after preaching in the town where she lived, an she was present. He took for his subject 1 Corinthians 15 and Revelation 20. She afterward went up to him, and said, “I have so often thought of that time when I was so rude to you, and told you I knew my Bible as well as you.” She now not only believed the Word, but was herself ready and waiting to meet the Lord.
Dear reader, are you indifferent about your soul’s salvation like Mrs. J―? or well satisfied with yourself, and your own thoughts of divine things, like her daughter? You may go the round of religious duties, but until you are reconciled to God you cannot have right thoughts of Him. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:1414But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)). The outward profession of belonging to Christ will not do for God. Dear reader, we may deceive one another, we may and do deceive ourselves, but we can never deceive God! The inmost and deepest recesses of your heart are all manifest to Him. He knows everything about you, even to your “downsitting and uprising” (Psa. 139:22Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. (Psalm 139:2)). And as to the thoughts of man, and the ways of man. God says they are not His thoughts or His ways. They are as widely different as the heavens are higher than the earth (Isa. 55:8, 98For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8‑9)).
O Christless professor, there is a day coming when your hope will be like the hypocrite’s spoken of in Job 8:1313So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: (Job 8:13), a hope that perisheth! “When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and be shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are. Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you I know you not whence ye are: depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:25-2725When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. (Luke 13:25‑27)).
But oh, careless and Christless one, the door of mercy still stands wide open, and He who will by-and-by say “Depart,” is now saying “Come.” Oh, refuse Him not. He is outside of that which professes His name, but is characterized by self-sufficiency and self-satisfaction. He is outside of all this, and saying, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:2020Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20)). Dear reader, let me entreat you now to “hear His voice,” whilst He still pleads with you in grace, and then it shall be yours, even now, to know what it is to have Him sup with you, and you with Him.
L.