The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-07-29
SeIf-Sufficiency.


! shall not be moved for shall never
be In adversely" He sees adversely all
around and he sees his friends come to
distress, but he says In his heart, II
shall never come to me. He forgets or
denies what the Word Of God so fire.
quently reminds us of, that "all flesh Is
as grass" He sees his friends go to
the grave, but for him that shall never
be. In the midst OF scene wherein
change and decay hold sway he says.
In the self-sufiiciency Of his heart. IL
shall not be moved" Blind TO all the
instruction OF history. 10 all the teach
Ing Of what he sees around him. and
TO all that the Word Of God would tell
him. he says, II shall not be moved
nor come Into adversely" Shutting
his eyes 10 what Is seen, closing his
ears 10 what Is heard. persuaded IN his
fatuous conceit and presumption that
he shall never come into adversely, he
goes into the future with no prepare
ton for what may lie I'm his path Akin
20 the arrogance OF Satan is the vanity
which leads man to make such fatal
mistake.
Can Sin With Impunity.
In verse IL we read: Gle hath said
In his heart. God hath forgotten.
He will never see IT," He viii not be-
lieve, even though God tells him that
there can be no hiding of sin. How
ever deep the grave where the sin lies
buried. however secret may be the re-
treat where the sin Is concealed. how
ever thick the veil hung before the Sc
cluded place where the sin has been
hid. the sinner Is to know what God
declares, BE sure your sin will find
you out" (Num. 81 :23). The sinner
may say in his heart. God hath for
gotten" but God replies. II know your
manifold trnnsgressiOns and your sins"
(Amos 5:12). Talk no more so ex-
ceeding proudly: let not arrogancy
come out Of your mouth for the Lord
Is God Of knowledge" q Sam 2 ~.
but the sinner persists In the fatal
mistake Of saying in his heart. God
hath forgotten; he will never see H."
Because the sin lies hidden In the deep
recesses of his heart the sinner feels
secure and imagines. with the impu-
dence that belongs 10 Satan. that he
can sin with impunity; forgetting or
denying that the heart OF man is more
plainly read by God than the clearest
writing is dlstinguishable TO the eyes
of man.
There 10 No Judgment.
In verse IL we read, lie hath said
IN his heart, Thou wilt not require H."
lie will not allow himself TO believe
that "it is appointed unto man once TO
die, and after this the Judgment"
(Heb. 9:27). lie goes through life
thinking he will never come into adver-
shy, imagining that he can sin with
impunlty, and browning his disrespect
OF God by declaring, Thou wilt not re-
quire IT," He sees man taking and CIV
ing Judgment every day. He sees
daily desperate attempts 10 avoid the
Nemesis Of the law OF man proving
abortive. Example after example OF
the certainty OF retrlbution for break
ing the law of man Is before him. In
spite OF all, the persistent delusion of
his heart is that retribution for break
ing the law OF God may be avoided.
God declares he twill In no wise clear
the guilty." and testifies TO all that
men are 10 be judged, first, for their
words-"Every idle word that men
shall speak. they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgment" (Matt.
II :36) second. for their thoughts and
hidden motives-"God shall judge the
secrets of men" Otom. 2:i6); third
for their deeds-"And the dead were
Judged according TO their works
(Rev. 2O:l2). But the sinner rises To
the climax of wickedness when, In the
light of these plain declarations OF
God, he says, There is no coming
judgment"
Oh that sinners might turn from
these fatal mistakes; that they might
turn 20 the Lord with confession, be-
lievlng II true that III we confess our
sins he Is faithful and just to forgive; :"
and, accepting the Lord Jesus Christ
AS a personal Savior, come to the bless
edness of the assurance that there Is
therefore now no condemnation To