Wicked Ways In Me.

 "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,  whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:14.

Psa 139:23  Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 

Psa 139:24  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

Our lives are laid bare before God. From the vilest of criminals intent upon destruction to the mild-mannered person who is content to live their lives without any acknowledgment of God's truths, and even to the most religious among mankind- none can hide a single thing from God. 

From the most blatant sin, and the sin which is considered the greatest of secrets, God knows them all. You may profess Christianity, while those around you witness your short temper, your snide reactions, your insincerity, your bitterness, your gossiping, your self-righteousness and they know that your Christianity is but pretense - unless - they also witness a true remorse for these things, and the great lamenting over besetting, cherished sins that you recognize in yourself and despise. If they witness the struggle of flesh and spirit in you in a sincere way- they will not be able to point the finger and cry- a pretend Christ follower! 

People try to hide truth even from themselves and guess what? It's possible, it's done all the time, day in and day out. God allows men to believe their own lies when it's certain they truly do not want His truth. 

Our lives laid bare reveal the greatest truth of all-we are vile sinners in need of a Savior. We are vile sinners who cannot remove the stain of sin-soaked into our flesh, tattooing us right down to our very heart's core with its evil condemnation. We could scrub at the filthy stains of sin but they won't come off. We don't have enough stain remover in the world to touch the smallest patch of sin stain.  All our efforts to remove our sin, sin that warrant the righteous judgment of God, is futile. We have to accept this as fact and submit ourselves to the only one who has any power to remove the stain of our sin-soaked selves. Is there any wonder at all whatsoever that we have to submit daily? And at times even minutely?  

We fall to our knees before the sin remover daily allowing Him to wash us with His blood, the only stain remover that exists for our sins. 

We can't hide from our sins, there is no escaping the revelation that will come to all of mankind at one point or another in their lives. We can ignore them, we can cover them with all sorts of pretty pictures trying to blot out the vile evil tattoo stains upon our hearts, but they are there, forever there if they are not given to our Savior to cleanse.

Truly it's not enough to acknowledge sin's existence and denounce it, we have to acknowledge our guiltiness, our part in sin's prolific destruction, it's continued hold on us at every turn. We must despise sin's constant attempts to permanently mark us. We need to humble ourselves, we need to search ourselves and see if there are any wicked ways in us…and we need to let GOD search us and lead us in the way everlasting!

Excerpt EJ Waggoner- 

'Outcry Against Sin.

In Pilgrim's Progress when Talkative left Faithful to decide upon the subject of their conversation, Faithful proposed this question:

"Faith. … How doth the saving grace of God discover itself, when it is in the heart of man?

Talk. I perceive, then, that our talk must be about the power of things; well, 'tis a very good question, and I shall be willing to answer you. And take my answer in brief, thus: First, Where the grace of God is in the heart, it causes there a great outcry against sin. Secondly –

Faith. Nay, hold; let us consider of one at once: I think you should rather say, it shows itself by inclining the soul to abhor its sin.

Talk. Why, what difference is there between crying out against, and abhorring of, sin?

Faith. Oh, a great deal! a man may cry out against sin of policy; but he cannot abhor it, but by virtue of a godly antipathy against it. I have heard many cry out against sin in the pulpit; who yet can abide it well enough in the heart, and house, and conversation. Joseph's mistress cried out with a loud voice, as if she had been very holy; but she would willingly, notwithstanding that, have committed uncleanness with him."

A keen perception of right and wrong, and a vigorous denunciation of sin, will never justify any man. 

On the contrary, they only deepen his condemnation. It is a sad fact that too many of the so-called reformers of the present day seem to think that gospel work consists largely in the denunciation of evil practices. A detective is not a minister of the gospel.

Judgment According to Truth. 

"But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things." (Ro. 2:2)

"Hold," says one, "I am not sure of that." Well, you may very easily assure yourself of it:

 1.God exists. We are agreed as to that.

 2.He is the source whence every created thing comes.

 3.Every creature is absolutely dependent upon him. "In him we live, and move, and  have our being." Acts 17:28

 4.Since all life depends on him, it is evident that the continuation of man's life  depends upon his agreement and union with God.

 5.Therefore God's own character must be the standard of judgment.

 6.But God himself is truth. "There is no unrighteousness in him." Ps. 92:15

 7.But he has made a revelation of himself and his righteousness to all men.  showed in the sight of the heathen. Ps. 98:2.

 8.Therefore all men, from the least to the greatest, are without excuse for their sin.

 9.Then it is plain enough that when God judges all men, without exception, his  judgment is according to truth. And earth will be constrained to join with heaven in  saying, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because  thou hast judged thus." "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy  judgments." Rev. 16: 5,7.

No Escape. 

No one need think that he can escape the righteous judgment of God. It is usually the most enlightened who flatter themselves that they shall escape. It is so easy for us to think that our great knowledge of right and wrong will be counted for righteousness, to persuade ourselves that our condemnation of the sins of others will make the Lord believe that we could never be guilty of such things. But that only makes our condemnation the more clear.

The first chapter of Romans knocks all the props from under every man. If the lowest are justly held guilty, there is no escape for the "higher classes." "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,  whether it be good, or whether it be evil." Eccl. 12:14.'