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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Among the most subtle devices of sin to keep
one's soul under its power and to prevent a man's turning to God is the
slandering of God by misrepresenting His character. Just as dust may blind a
man's eye, so does sin prevent a man from seeing God aright. Our Lord said,
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God;" but wicked
men only see what they think God to be like, and sadly what they see is an
image which is as unlike God as it could possibly be!
Nowhere is this more clearly evident then the way men come to think of God as
being unmerciful. In the parable of the unfaithful servant we find this man
saying, "I knew that thou wast an austere man." This is the very
way in which multitudes view God's character. If they do not conclude that
God is a God of love who would never judge His creatures or condemn them to
hell, men will argue that God is severe and unmerciful.
When men once get this false idea about God into their heads they become
hardened in heart and believe it is useless to turn to Him in repentance and
faith. With this understanding they go on in their sins with greater
determination. They seek to convince themselves that God will not attend to
the guilty and miserable when they cry to Him. They reason that their prayers
are not good enough for Him; that He expects so much from them that they
cannot even pray so as to please Him; that, in fact, He seeks a quarrel
against them, and is a taskmaster who will grind all He can out of them.
Being slow themselves to forgive others, they judge that God is not likely to
pardon their own sins. In their hearts they make Him who is the best of Kings
to be a tyrant. They make God who is the dearest friend of needy sinners to
be an enemy.
This, of course, is one of Satan's most lying devices in order to prevent
repentance and to cause sinners to despair of mercy. When a sick person has
convinced himself that his case is hopeless he refuses to see the doctor. So
it is with men who view God as being a hard master. And no man sins more
unreservedly than the man who sins in desperation, believing that there is no
pardon for him from God.
Now, Beloved, I speak of all this because it is a part of our business in
bearing witness to the truth of God and His Word to tell men of the
loving kindness of the Lord and to inform them of the falsehood with which sin
dishonors God's goodness. God is a God mercy who ever stands ready to pardon
men who come to Him pleading His mercy towards the guilty by Christ Jesus. We
must tell men that they need to confess their sins unto God and seek Him
mercy, that they must not stand off from Him. Men need to know that God is
not a God who takes pleasure in the miseries of men. They need to know that
they are very foolish for thinking so ill of God. Men need to be informed of
passages of Scripture such as: Ezk.
Beloved, we are to speak plainly to others about God's mercy and grace and
how it may be attained. We are to reason with men like this: "Can you
really believe that God desires your damnation? Can you be so deprived of
understanding as to believe such a lie? After all the goodness of God
bestowed upon multitudes of rebellious men, can you allow such a dark view of
God to linger in your mind, that God can have pleasure in men's being sinners,
and ultimately destroying themselves by their sins? Doesn't your own common
sense tell you that God is grieved to see men sin, that He would be glad to
see men of a different mind, and that it is His sad work to punish the
obstinate and impenitent?" This is the message that we have to speak of
to everyone who will give us a hearing: God is a God of mercy. May we be
faithful in joyfully declaring this to men.
Rev. Claude D. DePrine, III
To contact the pastor by e-mail go to Pastor@providenceopc.org
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