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REFUSING TO BE ASHAMED
There is no hope as long as a sinner persists in refusing to be ashamed. And there are people like that. The Bible uses the words akin to our title describing the sinfulness of ancient Israel in these words: “...thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed,” (Jeremiah 3:3). Israel was often likened to an unfaithful wife. Her refusal to be ashamed of her sins caused her to be like a prostitute who brazenly lives in sin in dress and actions. She cares nothing for her reputation before the public. Worse than that, she cares nothing for what God says about her and her sins. This is the case with those who refuse to repent. They refuse to be ashamed. In their minds they surely know they are condemned by what God says in the Bible. But they justify themselves in what they do. They may speak of their sins as an alternate lifestyle. They may seek to justify themselves by attempting to discredit the Bible. Often they go so far as to deny the very existence of God. The Bible says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God,” (Psalm 14:1). The person who denies the existence of God does so because of a heart problem not a head problem. By that we mean that his logic demands that every design must have a designer, but he denies his logical mind because he does not want God to exist. If God exists the sinner is accountable. He needs to be ashamed, but he has a “whore's forehead” and refuses to be ashamed. John the Baptist, Jesus and the apostles all preached repentance. Jesus said, “...repent ye, and believe the gospel,” (Mark 1:15). Repentance is not penance. It is not something to be done to earn or curry favor with God. Repentance is a turning from sin to God. It is what godly sorrow works in sinners. One thing that is wrong with the shallow so-called Christianity of our day is the absence of repentance. And the absence of repentance is because of the absence of godly sorrow. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death,” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Think about this: God commands repentance. Repentance pleases God. Godly sorrow produces repentance. Godly sorrow, therefore, must also please God. But the unregenerate sinner can do nothing to please God. Paul wrote, “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,” (Romans 8:8-9). Simply put, what every sinner needs is to have the Spirit of God dwell in him. And this is beyond his control or ability: he cannot bring this to pass. “...Ye must be born again,” (John 3:7). Helplessness is the condition of every sinner apart from God! |
