Is the Sin Question Settled?
By John Cox
“They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness; now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.” Hosea 7:2.
“Thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.” Isa. 38:17. The first text refers to the evil history of Israel; the second, to the happy experience of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Here are two processes, and two results, and both have reference to sin. We need not ask any one which result he would desire. All wish God not to remember their sins. All would much rather have their iniquities cast behind God’s back than set before his face. “If I sin, God is merciful;” “this [says Dr. Owen] is all the gospel that the natural man desires.” But this is not God’s way. All who would be saved must be brought into sympathy with God as regards sin, forgiveness, and holiness. We must think as God thinks, and feel as he feels, on these points. Some may say, Who then can be saved? We answer, This is possible with God. He hath made provision for this, here we see his grace; he can carry out this process, here we see his power. We ask then most earnestly, Which of these two processes is going on? Which of these two texts describes our case? Is God softening us, or sin hardening us? Are our sins before his face, or behind his back? Let us consider two points as suggested by these passages: 1. Sin forgotten by man and remembered by God. 2. Sin remembered by man and forgotten by God. The first refers to a multitude—many do evil and forget it. The second, to an individual; this must be a personal thing, “I will arise and go unto my father.” How few among sinners are repenting sinners. The words from Hosea exhibit sin committed, then forgotten by the doers thereof. But God remembers it. In these solemn words of the prophet we have sin and its fruits. “Wickedness and their own doings” are the same. Sin was their course and element— “The heart by nature all unclean,
And all the actions guilt.”
“Their own doings beset them about.” Here is the fruit of their doings. Sin and its consequences may keep apart for a time, but there is sure to be a meeting. The drunkard, the liar, the sensualist, must prove this. “Ill birds come home to roost.” A company of rebels may be very joyous for a time, but when a large army has surrounded them and is gradually closing upon them, how different are their feelings. “Be sure your sin will find you out.” God says, “Behold I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their own thoughts.” Jer. 6:19. 1. Sin observed by God. “I remember all thy wickedness.” It is “before my face.” Observe—not only see, but “remember.” Sin is God’s enemy. His nature and word bind him to punish it. His threatenings like great pieces of ordnance are pointed at such. Yet justice lingers, and mercy still pleads. The text mentions a third very solemn point: Sin forgotten by the doers thereof. “They consider not that I remember.” God who searches the heart takes notice of our thoughts and feelings, as regards sin. We should talk to ourselves concerning his view of it. Through not doing this, sin is got rid of in a wrong way. Many seem to think that sin will somehow wear itself out, and so pass away and do no harm. This cannot be. It will rise again with still greater power. The avalanche of sin has been silently accumulating, it will fall with a sound like thunder, and115crash into utter destruction those who commit it, and then forget it. See how God protests against man’s treatment of sin: “They consider not”—they say not to their hearts that I remember. God protests against man’s love of sin, and his light views of sin. Man is ever prone to leave God out as regards the great sin question. He thinks he is rather to be pitied than blamed. He does not take God’s estimate of the danger and desert of sin as revealed in his word. Now let us look at the other text in contrast with this. 2. Sin remembered by man, and forgotten by God. There is no fact that we need more to impress on our minds than this: God only is really competent to deal with the sin question. Ponder the words, the sin question. We are continually hearing of one thing and another as the question of the day. This is the great question for time and eternity, and therefore ought to be the first. “What shall the dying sinner do
Who seeks relief for all his woe?
Where shall the guilty conscience find
Ease for the torments of the mind?”
“How shall we get our sins forgiven,
Or form our nature fit for Heaven?
Can souls all o’er defiled with sin
Make their own frames and passions clean?”
There is but one answer, which is a most emphatic—no. Yet those things must be done, or we must die in our sins, and then there will be no deliverance. Once “in the pit,” there is no hope. Let us then (if the matter is not settled) put the question at once. When a few months ago “the Alexandria Palace” took fire, there were several persons in the building employed in arranging and finishing; but when the terrible flames burst out, and the cry of “Fire! Fire!” was heard, the one question was, to put it out if possible; if not, to escape from it. You may have many questions to settle about yourselves and others, about your business and pleasure; but this is the question, Are your sins forgiven? Is your soul sanctified? Only God can answer this question, and he will if you go to him in sincerity. Sin is a debt; who can cross God’s book but himself? Sin is a disease; God alone is the healer. All beside are “physicians of no value;” who “heal the hurt slightly, and cry peace, when there is no peace.” Two eminent surgeons were talking together respecting some operation which is not very often required, and which is very dangerous. One during the course of his practice had nine and the other eleven cases. “How many of your cases got over it?” “Seven,” was the answer. “And how many did you cure out of your eleven?” “Why—why—none recovered, but they were beautiful experiments!” Now all God’s patients recover; and man’s patients (whether moral teachers, philosophers, or priests are the physicians), all die. “Sin like a venomous disease,
Infects our vital blood;
The only balm is sovereign grace,
And the physician—God.”
Sin is rebellion; it is rebellion against God, and he only can forgive it; for who has a right to pardon rebels beside their lawful sovereign. Now hearken to the proclamation of that justly-offended, much-provoked, yet patient and gracious King. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Observe that this is a proposal, a declaration of what God is willing and able to do, not a description of what he has already done. True, he has done this in thousands of cases, and he is able to do the same again and again. But the persons here addressed are those who had done nothing but sin, and left undone all they ought to have done. (See Isaiah 43:22–24.) Yet to such as these God says, Return unto me, and I will abundantly pardon. I will do all “for mine own sake.” I will find the reasons for my forgiveness in my gracious nature, and in the merit of my beloved Son. “Put me in remembrance: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.” In order that I may not remember your sins any more, not even in the great day of account, do you remember them now. In order that they may become white as wool, whiter than snow, come and let us reason together. “Speak thou first of thy sins, that thou mayest be justified.” Surely, surely, this is the great point of the Bible that God can deal thus with our sins, and glorify himself by so doing. He can abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:8); he can purify from all iniquity (Titus 2:13); he can and he will place those whom he pardons and purifies beyond the reach of sin and its consequences—above the possibility of sinning again forever and ever. Rev. 7:9–17. Let all pardoned ones sing, “Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, . . . be glory and dominion forever and ever.” In the word of God we find the worst of sinners and the greatest sufferers rejoicing most of all in this wonderful fact, that God hath dealt effectually with the sin question, and that he remembers sin no more. Among these was Hezekiah. The reader would do well to ponder attentively the “writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness.” (See Isaiah 38:9–20.) What a contrast is there between the two texts at the head of this paper! What a difference between God’s remembering sin, and forgetting it—between its being before his face, and behind his back. Hezekiah tells us that he had “great bitterness.” He saw sin in the light of God; he seemed sinking into the grave. Then God’s word reached him, God’s mercy restored him; and what blessedness did he then realize. He saw his sin put behind God’s back by God himself. No fear of the pit—no dread of the grave now. Then his “eyes saw the light,” and he traced all he was and hoped to be to God’s love. The marginal reading is, “Thou hast loved my soul from the pit of corruption.” What amazing love was this! He then bears a joyful testimony for the encouragement of others: “The Lord was ready to save me!” Unpardoned one, God can change your position at once, if you take the course which he points out. He can turn an Ephraim, trifling with sin and dealing deceitfully with God, into a Hezekiah, resting on his mercy and reposing in his faithfulness. But think, unpardoned sinner, what your condition is. You are going down into the pit—“sinking, sinking.” Every moment brings you nearer to eternal woe. Still, God says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved.” Confess your sin; cling simply to Christ crucified, and God will say, “Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom;” and you shall sing, “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven me.” You shall gaze on the glorified Saviour, the Lamb, in the midst of the throne, and say, “He loved me, and gave himself for me.” Pardoned one, learn to set God’s facts over against your feelings. This was what Hezekiah did (verse 17); then he found true peace and abundant happiness. He passed through a painful process, but the result was most profitable. And he has left his testimony for the encouragement of all God’s tried ones: “O Lord, by these things men live.” It may be that a still more tried and more triumphant saint had this case of Hezekiah in view when he wrote, “Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” It may be that your prosperity has been succeeded by perplexity; you may have to walk in darkness, and have no light, no splendor. Still trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon your God. Whatever may be taken away, the throne of grace is left, and prayer is still available. Carry all your troubles and all the enemy’s taunts to God. Hang upon the sure word of promise, then pardon shall be again realized more vividly than ever; you will testify that it was good to be afflicted; and peace, praise, and purity, shall increase and abound.—Rev. John Cox, of England.