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Sinning Because God is Merciful
by ef. B. Rowell Pastor Emeritus, Central Baptist Church Victoria, British Columbia
P resuming on God's Mercy is a theme to challenge Christians everywhere. Satan uses a subtle dis guise as he cloaks himself in the attribute of God's mercy, whence he parades God's mercy while he seeks to silence every suggestion concerning God’s justice. Does the Bible sound forth God’s mercy? Can a man not reckon on such a sure word as this, “ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, AND HE WILL HAVE MERCY UPON HIM; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:6, 7)1 Again, “ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity. . . He retaineth not his anger for ever, BECAUSE HE DELIGHTETH IN MERCY” (Micah 7:18)? Satan in the Arena for Conquest Satan does not seek to turn men away from these astonishing assur ances, but he meets men with his subtle whisperings, such as, “ The more a man sins, the more God is able to exhibit His mercy. Does the S c rip tu re not say ‘where sin abounded, grace did much more abound’?” (Rom. 5:20). Satan’s de vice is to lure men into his net, and so he seeks to treat sin lightly; 30
When Conscience Does Not Smite
and while he beguiles men into sinning, he whispers, “ God is mer ciful.” He is a master at giving a twist to Scripture, or misquoting it, so he uses the same argument that the Apostle Paul met with and answered. “ Grace abounding” runs through Scripture, but Satan lies in wait to catch the unwary with the suggestion “ If God is so merci ful to forgive, sin cannot be such an awful offense,” so he resorts to Scripture again, “ Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?” (Rom. 6:1). God's Safeguard for His Own God does indeed delight in mer cy, and to safeguard His own, His warnings run through Scripture. No matter what may be the excuse for sinning, God’s Word stresses that it is always fearful to be left to the sin chosen. Many a man has cried, “ 0 Lord, leave me not to my own sinful heart!” What cause for deep alarm if God were to leave us to our own evil choice. If God did not re sist us in our sins, our case would be hopeless. Men who know their own hearts are profoundly aware of their own innate tendencies to sin. We are told that Bernard, called "Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,” of the Middle Ages, when he heard of someone's falling into notorious sin, would say “ He fell today, so may I tomorrow."
When God has so left you that your conscience does not smite, be ware! This could be a proof of His indignation. Through His prophet Hosea, God spoke regarding Eph raim, “ Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone” (4:17). He could not be counselled or guided. Thom as Brooks stated this, “ He falls with open eyes, let him fall at his own peril.” This is a terrible word but it speaks volumes to our hearts, “ So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lusts, and they walked in their own counsels” (Psa. 81:12). It would be better to be given up to affliction, or given up to reproach, or given up to temptation as was Job, than to be given up to our own hearts’ lusts. The Lord Jesus warned, “ Even so ye also outward ly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity” (Matt. 23:28). Augustine, the great theologian of the fourth century, was conscious of the battle within his own heart, and ventured to plead wth God, “ Deliver me, 0 Lord, from that evil man, myself." A Necessary Safeguard Man must be warned that our God is righteous, and that He is as just as He is merciful. He is “ too wise to err, too good to be unkind,” but not too good to be just. THE KING’S BUSINESS
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