WHY SEEK GOD’S FACE?
Depravity.
It’s an ugly word. It means that the corruption of sin has extended to all aspects of our nature, including our entire being. Because of that corruption, there is nothing man can do to merit or influence in any way a saving relationship with the only Eternally perfect and Holy God.
The fallen person’s relationship to The Holy Lord has been radically affected. Because of the effects of the fall, man’s original relationship with God was broken and our entire nature was polluted. As a result of the Fall of man, no individual can do anything, even religious things, that will merit salvation, or eternal life, in God’s sight. There is nothing an individual can do to influence in a positive way a right relationship with God. No action that man does, no matter how good or religious can gain favor with God for salvation.
What was affected by the Fall? The mind (Rom. 1:28; Eph. 4:18), the conscience (Heb. 9:14), the heart or inner being were all corrupted spiritually (Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:20-23).
We see the depravity of mankind most clearly in the rejection of Jesus Christ in John 1:11. “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”
Spiritual depravity is demonstrated by the willfulness and spiritual blindness of everyone apart from the grace of God. In the year 2017 and 2018, we see this more pointedly in America than we’ve ever before. The cross of Jesus Christ is the response of fallen man to the goodness of God (1 Cor. 2:14).
How far did man fall? The Bible tells us that when man fell into sin he fell all the way to the bottom and there he lies hopelessly lost, blind and spiritually dead, unable to help himself until God reaches down by grace, lifts him up and gives him spiritual life through the new birth (Rom. 3:9-18). Imagine that. Before God, we are like a corpse in our box. He will resuscitate every one who seeks for restored life In Him!
Left to ourselves we are not the least bit righteous. Sinful man has no ability to save himself (Jn. 1:13). We are corrupted by sin and in rebellion against God.
Worse, we have the capability of destroying all life on this planet, but no ability to restore our own complete sanity and bring this continuous threat to a peaceful “closure.” It is then obvious to me, we are worse than spiritually dead. We are like the mythic “walking dead.” Capable of terrible evil but incapable of restoration, of our own volition, to spiritual restoration. I think there is little worse than such a condition as this.
The apostle Paul tells us how our sinfulness affects The Creator of Eternity. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). The wrath is revealed against us because we are without excuse (vv. 18-32; cf.1:18; 2:5, 8; 3:5; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; 12:19; 13:4-5).
The reality and terror of the wrath of God is emphasized in both the Old and New Testaments.
The Bible places emphasis on the wrath of God as a strong and settled opposition to all that is evil. This holiness comes from God’s very nature. He is a holy and righteous God.
The wrath of God is in absolute opposition to all that contradicts His holiness. That, therefore, defines each reader here this moment, me and you.
God does not flare up with red-hot anger as human beings do, but His wrath is described in the Bible as a firm, fearsome, hatred of all wickedness that builds up and will one day result in eternal condemnation and the second death of all those who reject His grace and mercy provided freely through the atoning death of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Robert Haldane said, “The wrath of God was revealed when the sentence of death was first pronounced. Our world was cursed and our earliest parents were driven out of the earthly paradise. But worse, we are cursed by the reign of death throughout the world. It was proclaimed by the curse of the law on every transgression and was intimated in the institution of sacrifice and in all the services of the Mosaic dispensation.
The whole creation has become subject to vanity and groans and travails together in pain. But above all, the wrath of God was revealed from heaven when the Son of God came down to manifest the divine character, and when that wrath was displayed in His sufferings and death in a manner more awful than by all the tokens God has before given to His displeasure against sin.”
It was as if a concentrated evil, poured itself out upon Jesus Our Christ. He suffered and died so that we might live a life so good, we cannot imagine it! But who appreciates this idea? Nowadays, younger generations are convinced the universe was always here and life just came together accidentally. The logic of this argument is infantile, but people persist believing and repeating it because they want the freedom to do evil and finally, ultimately, destroy all life while somehow justifying their actions.
Biblical Christianity is demonstrated in God’s reaching down to save perishing sinners, not men and women reaching out to Him. Jesus Christ died for those who deserve God’s wrath. His death is fully adequate to cover all our sins and depravity and to reconcile us to God (1 John 1:6-9; Rom. 3:21-26; 5:12-21). That in of itself is absolutely miraculous.
Jesus Christ is our only hope. There is a day coming when men are warned to flee the wrath of God (2 Thess. 1:6-10; 2:11-12; Heb. 10:29-31). The coming of Jesus Christ a second time will be sudden and unexpected. Some will meet Him as their Judge and other as their Savior, and the most Holy, Righteous King the world ever knew. His kingdom will be happy and will last forever and ever.
If you have never put your trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life I pray that you will right now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved today from the wrath of God for all eternity.
You will find in this website at the Home Page several explanations about what we must do to be saved. You can do it alone, right now, at no expense. Many things in life are out of our hands, but this decision and the power to change your eternal future is given to you. You and you alone must decide and take action. In this, no excuse is accepted.
An old story is remembered. A Rabbi is preaching to his congregation and says repeatedly to get right with God before you die. Finally, someone calls out; But Rabbi, we don’t know when we’ll die. And the answer comes back, “That’s Right! So repent of your sinful behavior and seek God’s Face Right Now!”
Inspirational Notes for this article came from: http://www.abideinchrist.com/selah/index.html
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