Walking In Truth - Daily Biblical study of the Word from a Truth perspective.

What Happens To A People Who Say "Good-Bye" To God?

Many may not say with their mouths but seem to proclaim - loudly and clearly - a message with their actions. What is that message?
Is it one that says - "I am hungering for more of You, Lord" or is it - "Good-bye God! I really don't want you!" ?

"At Princeton College there is a tradition that one night, when the student body was greatly stirred by a religious revival, Aaron Burr shut himself in his room, saying that before the night was over he would settle the matter of his relationship to God. Later that night the students living nearby heard the shutters of his room thrown open and a loud voice exclaimed, 'Good-bye, God!' That cry has been re-echoed in our present generation, though not in so many words, for few people want to stop believing in God. They simply ignore Him." - Encyclopedia Of Sermon Illustrations

In our present time, we can see that people are either being stirred by the Holy Spirit to draw closer to Jesus, or else they are becoming more worldly and demonic and finding themselves simply casting Him aside.

Like the student in the above Illustration, some are finding that His demands are too costly. Oftentimes, the case is - that there is one single area in their lives that they are having a "real problem" bringing "under the yoke" - like the rich young ruler mentioned in the Scriptures(Luke 18:18-25). It is that "one thing" - which is a stumbling-block and occasion for sin - that the Spirit of God places His finger on and they strongly resist giving up. Rather than change their ways, they part company with Him.

Oh! Christian! Where are you at with the Lord today?
In which direction is your heart inclined?

Is your love for Jesus increasing with each passing day?
Or is it growing colder and more distant?
Are you walking in obedience to His commands?
Is there "one thing" in your life that you are unwilling to surrender?

Some would never think of totally abandoning the Lord nor the teachings of the Bible or their Church. They simply do as the Illustration above points out - they get so busy pursuing their own agenda that they have no time to follow after Him.

Is our generation one that is saying to the Lord - "Good-bye God!"?
How would you know?
What are some characteristics that are typical of such a people?

Different writers, throughout the Scriptures, described a people who opted to forsake the Lord.
Let's examine their inspired remarks and glean a picture of a generation who chooses to say "Good-Bye" to God.

Job 21:14 - "Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways."

Job described a people who were prosperous. Because they were too busy, trying to "get wealth," they had no time for God. Slowly, a progression of wickedness took place. They initially neglected Him, then cast off His government and authority over their lives, grew more insolent in their wickedness, and eventually openly defied him - telling Him to His face that they did not care for Him.

Their backslidden condition is aptly depicted in their brazen statement - "Depart from us..." In other words - "We want nothing to do with You, God. We dread Your Presence and our duty to You. We don't want to hear from You again. We want You to leave us alone."

What was "really painful" to them were His ways - "...for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways." These "ways" represented His government, laws, and claims. They had no desire to learn to do His will; they simply wanted to live after the flesh and "do their own thing."

Zechariah 7:11-12 - "But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in His spirit by the former prophets..."

The Prophet Zechariah described a people who had forsaken the Lord as being willful, stubborn, disobedient, rebellious, and hardhearted.

"...they refused to hearken..." - In spite of all the various admonitions, they would not listen to God.
"...they...pulled away the shoulder..." - They wouldn't endure the "yoke" of His commands. Like an unbroken bullock, they kept withdrawing their shoulder from His "yoke" or resisting His pressures to change and go a different way.
"...they...stopped their ears..." - Nothing He said made any impression on their hearts and minds. They made up their minds that they were not going to hear "a word of correction" any more.
"...they made their hearts as an adamant stone..." - Their stubborn refusal to repent or change their ways caused their hearts to become harder and harder.

Jeremiah 4:22 - "For My people is foolish, they have not known Me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."

The Prophet Jeremiah described a people who chose to say "Good-bye" to God as being "foolish," "sottish," very sinful, and not willing to be reformed. They were stupid, senseless, and deficient in understanding when it came to doing "good." On the contrary, they were impudent and "wise" in doing evil.

Because they cast off God and His laws, they had "none understanding" in discerning between that which was good and evil or truth and falsehood.

Romans 1:28 - "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient."

The Apostle Paul described such a people as those who refused to think about God or acknowledge His existence in the world or their lives. They refused to "retain Him in their knowledge" so that they could do what they please and follow after their own lusts and passions.

Resultantly, their thinking became "warped" and debased. Their minds were incapable of any type of serious reflection of morals or reproofs. They became unsearching and undiscerning - void of all sense and judgment.

This perversion of thinking gave way to shameful and improper behavior - "...to do those things which are not convenient."

Matthew 13:15 - "FOR THIS PEOPLE'S HEART IS WAXED GROSS, AND THEIR EARS ARE DULL OF HEARING, AND THEIR EYES THEY HAVE CLOSED; LEST AT ANY TIME THEY SHOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND SHOULD UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND SHOULD BE CONVERTED, AND I SHOULD HEAL THEM."

The Lord Jesus Himself described such a people as being spiritually inattentive, stupid, insensible, senseless, sensual, stubborn, and hardhearted. They shut their eyes and close their ears to all Bible messages. They resist all Truth and its claims on their lives. They don't want to be changed.

2 Peter 3:3 - "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts."

The Apostle Peter described those who say "Good-Bye" to God as being "last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." They are superficial thinkers who look for every opportunity to mock, ridicule, scorn, and deride the Bible and its teachings. They especially resist any teaching on the Second Coming Of Christ(which happens to be a true incentive for righteous living) for they have made up their minds to live in the free indulgence of their lusts, passions, and sensual appetites.

After reading this message and learning about the awful consequences of forsaking the Lord, who - in their right mind - would dare to say "Good-Bye" to Him?

May God Bless His Word.
Connie

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