Still Too Bad For God?

In a similar-titled article I recently introduced this question, but now I must take it further. There are some pressing issues you may have, and perhaps not everyone who read my first article will be satisfied that their deep concerns were adequately covered. So here are some further issues which I hope will help you.

1. WORSE THAN WHAT?

Yes, I understand that many people may say, 'Hey, thanks for being concerned, but you haven't got a clue about some of the things I've done!' Well, yes, I have to agree and an article like this has limitations. Also, I am only dealing in general terms and you may have given yourself to corruption and plunged into it to excess and got others to do the same and now you think you have passed the point of no return. And then, your conscience may have become so dulled you now have little sense of moral right and wrong. Maybe though you still resent lies being told you or your legally held property stolen! When people object to such things, 'they show that the work of the law [of God] is written on their hearts' (Romans 2:15). This doesn't excuse you, but it may explain why you still disapprove, even your own behaviour.

We must also emphasise what we mean by 'sin' - God's word reveals that 'sin is lawlessness' (1 John 3:4). That is anything that breaks or is contrary to God's perfect standard, as summarised in the Ten Commandments. By nature we are all transgressors, 'all have sinned' (Romans 3:23) - we have all broken the law of God and cannot repair that breach by our own efforts.

2. MERCY FOR ME

King David is a well-known biblical example of someone who let lust take over his mind and let it run full course. He committed adultery and followed this by arranging the murder of the woman's husband who was away on active military service when his wife became pregnant. This was serious moral failure, for which after a while David was rebuked by Nathan the prophet. David was conscience stricken and sought God's mercy, and God graciously forgave him. See how David expressed his plea: 'Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! (Psalm 51:1-2). Did you or I ever pray like that - maybe it's time to do so today? You feel your sins are great? Then seek the living God who is great in mercy!

If anyone has committed a criminal act - whatever the colour of your collar, you ought to confess this both to God and to the appropriate civil authorities. And if you owe restitution or compensation to offended parties, to individuals or to an employer, or, say an apartment store - then settle the matter, and offer serious apologies, whether they are going to be accepted or not.

And be sure you don't think this is a first step to earning God's forgiveness, which is never earned but always undeserved. God is never in debt to anyone - we ought to make restitution for wrongdoing as part of our repentance, but never as moral leverage, upon which God might be more inclined to forgive us.

3. HOPE FOR THE FALLEN

Some Christians have fallen away from their earlier professed faith and have got into serious trouble. Now, after reflection, they know they would like to come back to faith, but feel so hard-hearted, so insensitive to the things that once concerned them, they are discouraged and feel hopeless. Many sins have a cultural notoriety, but it is not necessarily public disapproval that makes them any worse to God. Draw a line between the sinful behaviour and the sin-darkened heart as the polluted source that led to that behaviour. We are in urgent need of having our sensitivity to sin's seriousness brought home to us.

I mention this because there are large numbers of very pleasant and cultured religious people who will be cast into outer darkness for all eternity, in spite of all their church attendance and support for religious institutions, if they never repent of their sin of unbelief in Christ and earnestly seek God's mercy and grace as a wholly undeserved gift! They have never sought to be reconciled to God and justified by his grace on the basis of Christ's finished work upon the cross! Never - instead, they thought that climbing up the ladder of good works was the way to heaven - how appalling to have thought that they were good enough to bypass the sin-bearing sacrifice of the Son of God - Oh no, they weren't sinners like the rest of humanity! But there is mercy and grace even for the worst, blind religious pride, for God's forgiveness is not according to the limits we set for it, but 'according to the riches of his grace' (Ephesians 1:7).

So, knock on that door and ask to receive his overflowing and undeserved favour, and don't give up, and you may find there is plenty, way more than you ever dreamed, even enough for you! And then live a transformed life by faith in Christ, your Lord and Saviour.

4. NO GRADES - ALL HAVE SINNED

There are no two grades of 'sinners' - the notorious and the cultured - not at all, even though some may be more conspicuous than others, because it is God himself who knows the heart - 'for you, you only know the hearts of all' (1 Kings 8:39).

The point of this is to explain that some actions are more serious from society's point of view. If you engage in drunken driving and kill someone, you are both a sinner and guilty of a criminal act, and you will have to face the consequences. God will forgive you through Christ's death and shed blood, if you repent and turn to him in penitence and simple trust, but you will pay society's price in the way society specifies - that is pretty obvious.

5. RELIGIOUS SIN NO EXCEPTION

Whereas, if you have been a religious person for many years, perhaps a clergyman, pastor or office holder, but have never actively trusted in Jesus Christ to blot out the ugly sin of proud self-righteousness, you must do so without any more shilly-shallying. I say that because the sin of religious pride that sets up a pass mark for heaven and then awards that pass mark is a terrible rejection of the sacrifice of Christ. In effect, it says, 'I'll get there under my own steam thanks; I'm quite good you know - Jesus didn't need to bother about dying for my sins!' That sort of widespread religiosity is Christ-rejecting religiosity. Turn from it quickly before you get so impressed and blinded by your own wonderful good deeds that you see no need of turning to Christ, as someone who has never loved God, not even for a moment, but have rather loved your own fine reputation!

Still too bad for God? Don't write yourself off any longer! Ask the Holy Spirit of God to convict you and show you the awful seriousness of sin and the astonishing wonder of Jesus' love that he would die for sinners - even the worst, taking the penalty of their sin upon himself! None are too bad for a lowly, gracious Saviour who understands the depths of human depravity and 'is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them' (Hebrews 7:25).