Every Unconverted Heart Wants to Kill God
The unconverted heart hates God and would kill Him if possible, but deliverance comes through God's mercy striking the blow that slays the dragon in every human heart.
This sermon delves into the profound concept of the unconverted heart's innate hostility towards God, exploring the idea that if given the power, it would seek to murder God due to its deep-seated aversion. The narrative contrasts the sinner's desire to escape God's presence with the believer's comfort in God's omnipresence, highlighting the transformative power of God's mercy in slaying the sinful nature within us. The message emphasizes the necessity of being crucified with Christ and experiencing spiritual rebirth through God's grace and goodness.
Full Transcript
So, it's easy to say, well, God must not be looking. He's got so many things to attend to, and the universe is big, and he might not be looking. A 30-second reflection will tell you that that can't be the case.
But that's what the heart wants to do. But when this starts to be born in on us, this is why the unconverted heart hates God, and this is why the unconverted heart would kill God if that were possible. The unconverted heart would murder God if that were possible.
After all, on the Day of Judgment, it's either him or you. On the Day of Judgment, it's either him or you, and if you had the power, would you murder him? We're not talking about ability. The ability is obviously ludicrous to imagine a creature, a finite creature, pretending to have or pretending that a state of affairs could exist where any creature could have that ability.
We're not talking about ability. We're talking about intent. We're talking about desire.
What would a sinner do? What would the unconverted heart do if it had the power? The 14th Psalm has these people turning aside, while here they are described as turning back, running in the opposite direction, trying to get away from God. God is there, so they turn and they run back. But when they run back, God is there, and this is obviously intolerable to them.
What David found to his comfort was that God is everywhere. Psalm 139, in verse 8, you know, wherever I go, God is there. If he ascends into heaven, God is there.
If I descend to Sheol, God is there. David found this to his comfort, but the sinner finds this to be a standing insult. If there were a blow that he could strike that would kill God, he would do so.
If there were a blow that he could strike that would kill God, he would do so. And the only deliverance from this state of affairs, the only deliverance from this settled disposition, is when God in his mercy strikes us. When God in his mercy strikes the blow that slays the dragon in every human heart.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn said, The line between good and evil is a line that runs through every human heart. All of us have to deal with this. And when God in his mercy strikes the blow that slays the dragon in every human heart, God has killed that in us which would kill him if it could.
That's what we call being crucified with Christ. When that happens, that's what we call being born again. The unconverted heart has not gone through that, the regenerate heart has.
And it's entirely and completely the mercy and goodness and grace of God.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Unconverted Heart's Desire to Kill God
- A. The heart wants to escape God's presence
- B. The heart would kill God if possible
- II. The Day of Judgment
- A. It's either God or self
- III. The Sinner's Intent
- A. Desire to escape God's presence
- B. Intolerance of God's omnipresence
- IV. Deliverance from Sin
- A. God's mercy strikes the blow
- B. Being crucified with Christ
Key Quotes
“The line between good and evil is a line that runs through every human heart.” — Douglas Wilson
“If there were a blow that he could strike that would kill God, he would do so.” — Douglas Wilson
“When God in his mercy strikes the blow that slays the dragon in every human heart, God has killed that in us which would kill him if it could.” — Douglas Wilson
Application Points
- Recognize the unconverted heart's desire to escape God's presence and its intolerance of God's omnipresence.
- Understand that deliverance from sin comes through God's mercy striking the blow that slays the dragon in every human heart.
- Seek to be crucified with Christ and experience the new birth.