The righteous and the wicked!

(Charles Simeon)  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

"The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish!" Psalm 1:6

The godly man comes to Christ daily as a self-ruined sinner, and looks to him as the appointed Savior of sinners. He seeks to be washed in Christ's blood from all his sins, and to be renewed by His Spirit after the Divine image. In a word, his daily consolation is, "In the Lord I have righteousness and strength!" Isaiah 45:24

The aim of his soul is to "walk in all things just as Christ walked;" and to cultivate "the mind that was in Him," thus approving himself to God in the whole of his conduct, that in the last day that testimony may be given to him from the lips of his approving Judge, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord!"

To the contrary, the wicked man has no such thoughts and no such desires. A saving interest in the Savior is not of any great importance in his eyes, because he feels no need of it; he concludes that he already possesses all that is requisite for his acceptance with God. As for "mortifying his earthly members," and "crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts"—that is a work to which he is utterly averse! He rather studies to gratify himself, and to follow the bent of his own carnal inclinations. He may not indulge in gross sins; but his mind and life are altogether earthly. And whatever he may have of religion—it is a mere form which does not engage his heart. Nor is genuine piety in any respect the delight of his soul.

In a word, the righteous man looks forward to a future harvest, and sows with a view to that. The wicked man looks no further than to this present world, and has all his desires bounded by the things of time and sense.

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8