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Important Questions!
From Timeless Grace Gems
by James Smith, 1858
From Timeless Grace Gems
by James Smith, 1858
Where Are You?
"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him: Where are you?" Genesis 3:9
This is the first question that God ever put to man. Adam had yielded to temptation. He had broken God's law. He was ashamed to look God in the face. When he heard his Maker approaching - he fled. He vainly endeavored to hide himself from God's omniscient eye. He foolishly thought to escape from God's terrible justice. He fled! But where? He tried to hide himself! But what would conceal him? Nothing! He is summoned - he must appear. He is questioned - he must reply. But what can he say? He has sinned, sinned foolishly, sinned wickedly. He cannot with any show of reason or justice, excuse himself.
This is just the case of every one of Adam's descendants. We have all sinned - sinned without any necessity or reason for doing so. We have broken a law which is holy, just, and good. In addition to this, we have rejected a gospel which is gracious, merciful, and full of compassion. We have refused to accept a pardon - a pardon procured at the expense of the sacrifice of God's only-begotten Son - a pardon freely offered, and urged upon us by everything kind and winning. We have refused to be reconciled to God, though he has sent his servants as his ambassadors to us, beseeching us to be so. We turned to him our back - and not our face. We have wandered far from him; and now he comes near to us, and asks, "Where are you?"
Where, Lord! Among your enemies, afar from you by wicked works, and fearing to see your face. Where, Lord! In sin, under condemnation, and doomed to endless woe!
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10
Can Anyone Hide Himself?
"Can anyone hide in secret places - so that I cannot see him?" declares the Lord. "Do not I fill Heaven and earth?" declares the Lord." Jeremiah 23:24
Guilt always dreads the eye of justice. The criminal always seeks concealment. From man we may hide - but who can hide himself from God! The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Adam tried to hide - but he could not. Achan tried to conceal his sin - but he could not. Multitudes of great men, and rich men, and mighty men, and men of all classes - will beg of the rocks and mountains to hide them from the face of the Lamb - but all in vain! There is no darkness, nor shadow of death - where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Reader! there is no place in God's universe, where can hide you from the face of God. You must meet him. You must stand naked before him. You must account for every sin - of thought, word, and deed, unto him. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. O think of that day, when God shall single you out from among millions, to stand alone before him, to be judged by him! O think of that day, when the history of your life shall be unrolled, and you shall be required to answer for every day, every hour, every minute of your life! What would you give for a hiding-place then? How will you feel? What will be your reflections? God's eye will pierce you through and through; and conscience, which perhaps slumbers now - will be wide awake then, and will take God's part against you on every charge. Then he will set your iniquities before his face, your secret sins in the light of his countenance. Then you will have no advocate, no friend, no way of escape - but will be speechless before his glorious throne!
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the Heavens - you are there; if I make my bed in the depths - you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea - even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you!" Psalm 139:7-12
What Have You Done?
"And the Lord said: What have you done?" Genesis 4:10
This question was proposed to Cain. He was offended with God, he quarreled with his brother, he gave way to passion - and then he murdered his innocent brother! God now calls him to account. He must answer for his conduct, he must give account of himself to God. Just so, must we. We may not have sinned just as Cain did - but we have sinned from the same principle, we have sinned against the same God, we have sinned with as little cause as Cain did. The Lord now asks us,
"What have you done?" Lost sinner - prepare your reply! Number up your sins. Examine into the nature of your transgressions. Look at the aggravation of your iniquities. You have sinned, not as Cain did - but in clearer light, against greater manifestations of love - even after you had read his doom, been warned of the consequences of transgressing, and were entreated to forbear. You have done the very worst thing you could do; for you have made God's justice your enemy, shut God's Heaven against you, and, astonishing to say - made it God's duty to punish you!
"What have you done?" Forfeited all title to Heaven, rendered yourself totally unfit for Heaven, and incapacitated yourself to do anything to deserve or merit Heaven. Done! you have done as many evil things as you could. Done! you could do nothing worse, for you have broken God's whole law, deserved God's infinite wrath, and exposed yourself to everlasting punishment! The crown is fallen from your head - woe be unto you, for you have sinned. Sinned! yes, and not once or twice, not in one form only - but in a thousand. Sinned! yes, and your sins are like scarlet, double dyed like crimson; and they cry aloud to God for the execution of his threatenings!
"These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue!" Psalm 50:21-22
What is Man?
"O Lord, what is man, that you take knowledge of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." Psalm 144:3-4
"What is man?" Man as a creature is one of the finest productions of God's power, one of the most marvelous displays of God's creative wisdom. He is only a little lower than the angels. God made man in his own image. But man is not now - what he once was.
He stood erect once - he lies prostrate now.
He was holy and upright once - he is polluted and unrighteous now.
He was all God could wish him to be - he is now altogether polluted and depraved.
In his state - he is a criminal.
In his nature - he is corrupt.
In his conduct - he is become altogether abominable.
His heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.
His understanding is darkened.
"All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one.
Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways, and
the way of peace they do not know.
There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:12-18.
This is God's own representation of man - of man left to himself - of man as he appears before the eye of the heart-searching and thought-trying God!
"What is man?" He is the lowest and most loathsome of God's intelligent creation - and yet God thinks of him, pities him, speaks to him, and has, at an infinite cost, opened a way of escape for him, from all his sins and miseries, to perfect holiness and endless joy.
"What is man?" He is the most degraded, ungrateful, and base of all creatures. He has not his equal for sin, and therefore he is most criminal in the sight of God. And yet for all this, God loves him, and has devised means that he should not be finally expelled from him.
"Even the Heavens are not pure in his eyes - how much less man, who is vile and corrupt, who drinks up evil like water!" Job 15:15-16
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