Street Meeting Twenty Eighth

Sin never goes away on its own, but only gives birth to greater sins. There is no sin more putrid in the sight of God, than the hidden sin of pride (Proverbs 8:13, 16:5) in those whom He has redeemed with His blood. It is worse, in that being intentionally hidden, it takes root into the very being of its host, till it gives off the stench of guilt. As Adam hid himself among the trees of the garden, so we likewise seek concealment when confronted with our transgressions. The instinct of fallen man is not confession, but hiding. Yet guilt cannot be erased by concealment; it can only be numbed for a season. Thus Adam sewed together fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) in a vain attempt to cover his shame, even as men continue to fashion coverings of their own by faking good deeds to quiet an accusing conscience, till the conscience itself is seared, and the soul sinking deeper into the mire, begins to embrace, protect, and justify sin. When sin is in this stage, discernment disappears.

The longer sin remains hidden, the more it hardens, and the more deeply it entangles the soul. What begins as concealment soon becometh bondage, for when we begin to care for sin in secret, it only strengthens its hold upon the conscience while erasing the desire to bring it into the light. Like a cancer, it produces manifold corruptions. It hears words that were never spoken and perceives offenses where none were intended. It conceals itself by fixing its gaze upon the sins of others while remaining blind to its own. It festers within the heart, growing stronger with time, until it ripens into open defiance against God. An evil heart within, with a smiling face without. A hypocrite.

No religious deed by man can remove guilt before God (Matthew 7:22). The problem of sin runs deeper than outward actions and deeper still than feelings of regret. It stands as a real offense against a holy God and leaves man exposed beneath His righteous judgment. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). 

The horror of sin is such that it renders us unfit to come before the presence of God, separating us from Him and making us repulsive before His holiness (Isaiah 59:2). Yet herein shines the wonder of divine mercy: the same horror of sin moved God, in His great compassion, to redeem us from it and unto Himself. For sin is not merely a condition to be pitied, nor simply a series of wrong choices to be corrected. It is a cruel tyrant that exercises power over its captives. It binds the will, darkens the mind, corrupts the affections, and holds its subjects in spiritual chains they can never break on their own. It keeps us away from our God, and that is not His will.

Therefore our need is greater than instruction and deeper than self-improvement. We require deliverance from the righteous sentence that stands against us for having offended the holiness of God. Yet before a man will seek such deliverance, his soul must first be brought to conviction, as a criminal under trial, guilty beyond reasonable doubt. He must come to acknowledge that, not only has he sinned, but that he truly deserves the judgment pronounced against his rebellion, and that God would be altogether just in executing it. Only then doth grace become precious, when the sinner ceases to argue his innocence and casts himself wholly upon the mercy of God. True repentance follows, a change inside the heart occurs, it begins to breathe again, it is made alive. It is restored. For those who were once dead, it is resurrected.

It hath been rightly said that repentance without change is but a performance. Yet many of us are prone to confuse regret with repentance, imagining that sorrow alone is sufficient to quiet the conscience and make peace with God. We grieve over the consequences of sin, lament our failures, and feel the sting of guilt, but these things in themselves do not constitute true repentance.

For there is a great difference between being sorry for being caught and grieving for having sinned against the goodness of God. The former regrets the exposure, the shame, and the consequences that follow. The latter mourns the offense itself, recognizing that sin is first and foremost committed against a gracious and holy God. Mere feelings, however intense, cannot heal a wounded conscience nor restore broken fellowship with God. It is repentance, not regret, that leads the soul back into the enjoyment of communion with God. And it is there, in renewed obedience and restored fellowship, that the joy of salvation is recovered.

God doth not merely save the sinner from the penalty of sin; He also uncovers the remaining corruption that yet dwelleth within the heart. By His Word and Spirit, He brings hidden sins into the light, exposing those things which we would often prefer remain concealed. He alone knows the hand we hide. Thus He shows Himself not only as Savior, but also as the One who cleanses and sanctifies His people. It is not the will of the LORD simply to rescue a man from destruction and leave him unchanged. He both delivers and transforms. He reveals the disease even as He provides the cure. The same grace that pardons also purifies.

Yet fallen man desires only half of this work. He would gladly receive the benefits of salvation while retaining the very sins from which he must be saved. He seeks deliverance from the consequences of corruption, but not from corruption itself. He desires peace without repentance, forgiveness without cleansing, and rescue without surrender. But God's purpose is greater than man's desires. He came not only to save His people from judgment, but to save them from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Therefore the Lord lovingly exposes what remains within us, that what is revealed may also be brought unto Him for admission and repentance, to receive cleansing (1 John 1:9).

He is holy, and we are not. To be His is to become as He is. To be made unto His likeness, holy as He is holy. Such a work lieth far beyond the ability of fallen man. We may alter our habits, restrain certain outward sins, and labor to improve ourselves, but we cannot cleanse our own hearts nor create holiness within our souls.

Therefore thanks be unto God, who is pleased to provides for us that which He Himself requires from us. In His great mercy, He doth not leave His people to accomplish this impossible task alone. Rather, He cleanses them as only He can, washing them by His Word and conforming them, little by little, unto the image of His Son. What God commands, God also works. And what He begins in grace, He shall surely bring to completion (Hebrews 12:2).

Today the Lord was pleased to bring before me a particular group of people for whom I have long prayed, asking that He might grant me opportunity to befriend one such. As they lingered nearby, I turned toward these men and spoke plainly concerning their souls. I pleaded with them to consider the path upon which they were walking, warning them of the death that awaited all who continue in rebellion against God, and of the great folly of taking the life which He hath lent for themselves and spending it wholly upon personal gratification. One among them, the most outspoken of the group, responded with teasing and mockery. Yet even this did not diminish my concern for him. Rather, I found myself all the more earnest in my appeal. I desired them to understand that my words proceeded not from contempt, but from love; not from a desire to condemn, but from a sincere longing for their salvation.

I endeavored to impress upon them that I meant them well, and that I cared enough for their souls to tell them the truth, however unwelcome it might sound. For if I truly believe the Gospel, and if I truly believe the judgment to come, then silence would be cruelty and flattery the highest hatred. My desire was not merely that they should abandon their sinful path, but that they should come to behold the surpassing beauty of Christ Himself, in whom alone is found forgiveness, life, and everlasting joy.

Two particular petitions were graciously answered by the Lord, both last week and again today. The first was for favorable weather despite forecasts predicting rain. The second was for opportunities to speak with souls willing to listen. In both matters, the Lord was pleased to answer. The weather alone was cause for sincere thanksgiving. Yet there were also two men who approached us after hearing the public proclamation and asked for tracts. Upon discovering that we were freely distributing Bibles and Gospel literature, they were so surprised that they attempted to give us money in return. We politely but firmly refused. Such moments often open the door to more personal conversations, and so it proved on this occasion.

What made the encounter all the more remarkable was that both men were from Negros Oriental and happened to be in a place where they ordinarily would not have been. Had Providence not arranged their steps, our paths would likely never have crossed. Yet God, who appointeth both the messenger and the hearer, ordered the meeting according to His own wisdom. Thus what appeared to be an ordinary afternoon became another reminder that the Lord answers prayer not only in great and obvious ways, but also through the quiet orchestration of circumstances that only afterward reveal His hand.