God refuses to listen to people who have separated themselves from him by their ongoing iniquitous and immoral behavior. He
could hear, but he will not. If, however, none of the points within the above passage apply to you, then you are exceptional
and have no worries. Unfortunately, no person, except the Christ, has reached perfection. None (a universal negative)
have come to God due to his human innate goodness. We all, in our natural selves, are separate from God. But it does not
have to stay that way. Redemption is available to all believers (Eph.1:7-10; Col.1:13-14; Heb11:6).
God's dominion is total—he
wills as he chooses, and carries out all that he wills, and no one can stay his hand or thwart his plans. Daniel tells us that
God sets up and removes kings (Dan.2:20-22). Further, he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding
among us. Christ said: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" (Mk.4:9). But the non-acceptance of God's absolute present-working
sovereign rule negatively impacts every facet of our spiritual and physical life.
Every man, woman, and child who has ever lived or
who will ever live is guilty before the Almighty, either due to "original sin" or active sin. All deserve justice and death. Only the grace of God can save any of us. "For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…"
(Rom.3:22b-23).
Despite his sovereign rule, God has conferred responsibility upon all mankind as moral agents, for their thoughts,
words, and deeds, according to his justice, which is always fair and balanced. God has set all men free to choose as they please,
yet, natural man instinctively chooses the evil—he will not choose godly good—he desires only fleshly, physical pleasure; comfort. The "carnal" or natural, fleshly mind is enmity against God and will not subject itself to the law of God; indeed, it cannot be otherwise. "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" (Rom.8:6-7). Further, the heart of natural man is also evil:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jer.17:9).
Natural man can only be "good" at his
level in society on the horizontal plane; he has no godly inclination. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the
spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1Cor.2:14). The
"natural" person's heart needs to be "regenerated" or renewed by God. Without this renewal, no one can come to Christ. But IF you are right now very concerned about salvation, you greatly desire to have your sins forgiven, and you are truly seeking
the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt.6:33), then you are being called by God to a life of righteousness and overcoming. And your heart is being renewed.
Regenerated man can choose godly good because Yahweh has sovereignly set him free and inclined his
heart to be able to so choose. He is now inclined to do godly (spiritual) good in the vertical plane. Without God sovereignly
resurrecting the hearts of those he chooses to save, his elect from all nations, no one could or would be saved (Isa.65:9; Matt.24:31;
Mk.13:20-22; Col.3:13-13). We are being called to repent of our ways, go in the opposite direction, and become a believer.
God does not change, therefore, as unbelievers, our sins continually
separate us from God, and he will not listen to unrepentant sinners. Why should he change from what he has always been? "For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob" (Mal.3:6). Further, none of your "good
works," no matter how humanly good, kind, and unselfish they may be, count toward salvation credits before God. No works of
the flesh or obedience to the law are sufficient to satisfy the death sentence under which we all live. God's wrath is upon
us and we are lost, heading for annihilation in our sins before the Judge, unless we repent.
"There were present at that season some
who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them,
'Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I
tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed
them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in
We must never condemn others. We are to judge righteous judgment (Jn.7:24), and condemnation is unrighteous judgment. Who are we to judge (and condemn) others? "Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God
is able to make him stand" (Rom.14:4). God sustains our very being (Ps.37:17; 145:14). (Continued...)
