I am ready to beg for mercy now; and I rejoice to hear that our God has a father's heart.". All the people feel that this is righteous. The culprit takes his seat on the criminal's bench. (Isaiah 17:9). What a position is this for the sinner! There is nothing more that we can do. Now, therefore, God's heart of mercy is opened wide and no fear of evil consequences from gratuitous pardons disturbs the exercise of mercy. The universe look on and see the facts in the case; and with one voice that rings through the vast arch of heaven, they cry, "Just and righteous art thou in all thy ways, thou most Holy Lord God!". where are the Christian parents that pray as for a sentenced and soon-to-be-executed son! Leam that you need conversion, or a new heart. God will not pass over it. Their son is sentenced to die, and he sends to see if his father and mother can come and see him before be dies. I was recently in a debate with a friend over Jeremiah 17:9: ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?’ I applied it to the ongoing sin-blindness in the heart of the Christian. As they are talking over these things and searching from time to time all the newspapers they can find, to get, if they can, some clew to their son's history, all at once the door-bell rings; a messenger comes in and hands a letter; the old father takes it, breaks the seal -- reads a word and suddenly falls back in his seat, the letter drops from his hand; oh, he can't read it! She will not steal! God's people have felt a deep and agonizing interest in you and are ready now to cry, How can we give them up? There are three thoughts I want to bring to you. . We will show him the pardon and tell him how the governor feels. Skip to main content ... UCG.org / Sermons / The Way of the Wicked. The dreadful hour arrives, and its last moment -- the drop falls; he trembles a minute under the grasp of Death, and all is still forever! Yet when my heart condemns me, my God is able to save me! He always assumes that by nature they have the same disposition. Because your heart is fully set within you to do evil rather than good. Gone to California. 3:12-13 ”Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God, But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” My friend said I was taking a passage about unbelieving hearts and misapplying it to the Christian heart. The selfish heart forms alike the basis of each system. (KJV) A. This teaches us that one of the sure signs of disbelief is NOT seeking God. Let's look at who God sees as wicked and see if we see any wicked way in us. Was that a sin? How long since you heard from him? These are volunteers to the corrupt heart, which it arms in its service, and by which it accomplishes its wicked purposes, when enticing to outward acts of sin. "The heart is desperately wicked" - past cure by human medicine. Do you hear that gentle rap at your door? Many would think it a very small sin; but it was real rebellion against God, and He could not do otherwise than visit it with His terrific frown! Only think of a state of moral hardihood that can abuse God's richest mercies -- that can coolly say -- God is so good that I will abuse Him all I can; God loves me so much that I shall venture on without fear to insult Him and pervert His long-suffering to the utmost hardening of my soul in sin and rebellion. Ah, young man! I said that selfishness often assumes a religious type. John 7:39: “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive.”, 1 Timothy 1:5: “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart.”, 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come.” That’s the root problem of the idolatry and the sin. You may see this exemplified in the view which some take of the imputation of Christ's righteousness, which they suppose to be reckoned to them while they are living in sin. The governor lives near, they rush to his house; but sad for them, they find him stem and inexorable. Here are some verses that describe what happens: Ezekiel 36:26 describes the new covenant like this: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. So her daughters. Those are other gods. I want you to know the three main considerations we need to have in connection with these words of my text. Perhaps some of you think otherwise; you don't believe in such depravity. I know it is sometimes said that sinners love sin for its own sake, out of a pure love of sin as sin, simply because it is disobedience to God, with a natural relish, as wolves love flesh; but this is not true -- certainly not in many cases; but the simple truth is, men do not set their hearts upon the sin for its own sake, but upon sinning for the sake of the good they hope to get from it. We must recognize that our hearts will not maintain a set course on their own. Are there no sufficient reasons apparent to your mind why you should give up your heart to God? I don't believe I shall be sentenced -- (the man is condemned already!) They go home doubly saddened -- that he should both deserve to die for his original crimes, and also for his yet greater crime of refusing the offered pardon. So of the man who tells lies. Shall Jesus behold and weep over you, and say, "O that thou hadst known, even thou in this thy day -- but now it is hidden from thine eyes?" The Way of the Wicked. Heaven, earth, and hell may all combine to pour upon you their reasons for fearing and loving God, and yet you can not! You know it is naturally a dangerous thing to bestow mercy -- there is so much danger lest it should weaken the energy of law and encourage men to trample it down in hope of impunity. "God is angry with the wicked every day" --Psalm 7:11. The Conduct Of The Heart “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Heb. And how can He excuse Himself for any failure in sustaining it? Man does not see what the LORD sees, for man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart" (1 Sam. Our God is holier than to look upon iniquity! 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