p. 7 | Why Men Stray from God by T. E. Bowen

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jul 29, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 31.

Why Men Stray from God.

By T. E. Bowen

GOD, in setting forth the reasons for His rejection of Jerusalem—or His people Israel, Jerusalem being a figure used to represent all Israel—thru the prophet Zephaniah says: “She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord; she drew not near to her God.” Zeph. 3:2.

In these few brief sentences, the Lord gives the reasons for destroying ancient Jerusalem, and shows why it is that men living in any age fail to obtain everlasting life. No one desires to be lost. In nearly every heart a desire lingers that sometime, somehow, the life may be yielded to God so that He may save the soul. And yet many fail to realize that this very desirable result depends upon their own action now.

Where the Choice Is Made.

Let us go over the text again carefully, noticing how much is stated in these very comprehensive words.

“She obeyed not the voice.” Then there was a voice, speaking plainly to the conscience, appealing to the heart, setting forth what ought to be done. And who has not heard this voice of God? It may be, as in the case of Jerusalem, that a prophet’s voice has been heard audibly. But where this has never been experienced, that still, small voice of the Spirit of God has spoken into every ear in entreaty, “Do not do this;” “Go not there;” “Come this way;” “Do this which you know to be right.” No one can deny having heard this voice. Was the voice obeyed? You know and God knows. And it was right here, perhaps, when no human eye saw, that the battle was either won or lost. It was at this point where you chose either the right or wrong way. If the wrong choice was made, there is no alternative but to go right back over the road to this point where the first wrong step was taken, and there enter the path God made plain to you at the time to be the way of life for your feet.

Where Sin Begins.

“She received not correction.” To be corrected means more than to be told that we are in the wrong. Some one who is wiser than we to correct us must not only point out our error, but show us the right thing to do. To not receive correction implies that the correction was offered, but rejected. This reveals deliberate choice of that known to be error. Here sin begins. At this point God must impute to the transgressor the guilt of sin; for the individual has been shown the better way, yet refused—refused to be corrected by the Lord who loves him.

Unbelief.

“She trusted not in the Lord.” Every one will trust in somebody. Some trust in their riches, some trust in an earthly king or ruler, others in great standing armies, for protection, while many trust in themselves. The enemy of the soul cares very little what the object of trust is, so long as men put not their trust in God. Paul wrote, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.”

Notice the natural departure from God. First, not harkening unto the voice of God, by His word and Spirit. Secondly, refusing to be corrected and placed in the right way. Next, trusting in some earthly power in which there is no help, thus placing in the heart’s affection a false god, one besides the Lord who made the heavens and the earth. Hear the words of the Lord to the man who has reached this stage of departing from his God: “Thus saith the Lord: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert [observe the comparison carefully], and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.”

Results of Faith.

Contrasting with him who trusts in flesh the man putting his trust in the Lord, we read: “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” Jer. 17:5-8.

How apt is the instruction of the wise man to us all, when he counsels us to “trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Departing from God.

“She drew not near to her God.” Having exalted in the heart’s affections self, setting aside the Lord, it is but natural to not draw near unto Jesus, who is meek and lowly in heart, to learn of Him as did Mary of old. But in such a time as this, when evil is pressing in like a flood, there is no safety for him who expects to obtain everlasting life but to press close to the Saviour of men, the One who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

God entreats us to listen to and obey His voice; gladly to receive the correction needed to escape evil and death; implicitly to trust every interest of the life into His tender and safe keeping; and in true heart-service draw near unto Him. And why not? Is it not for our highest good, and for the soul’s highest interest, to do so? Surely every candid mind can return but the one answer. May God grant we shall do what our hearts admit is the only right thing to do, and do it now, while salvation is offered.

T. E. BOWEN.