GOD'S Word Does Not Flatter Man. It Is The Word Of Truth.

But he was a leper!
(Arthur Pink, "Gleanings from Elisha")

"Naaman, commander of the army 
of the king of Syria, was a great man 
. . . but he was a leper!" 2 Kings 5:1 

Naaman was a great man . . . 
but he was a leper! 

He was the victim of a loathsome 
and incurable disease. He was a pitiful 
and repulsive object, with no prospect 
whatever of any improvement 
in his condition.

Yes, my reader, the highly-privileged 
and honored Naaman was a leper--
and as such he portrays what you 
are and what I am by nature. 

GOD'S Word does not flatter man. 
It lays him in the dust, which is one 
reason why it is so unpalatable 
to the great majority of people. 

It is the Word of truth, and 
therefore instead of painting 
flattering pictures of human nature--
it represents things as they actually are.

Instead of lauding man--
it abases him.

Instead of speaking of the dignity 
and nobility of human nature--
it declares it to be leprous--
sinful, corrupt, depraved, defiled!

Instead of eulogizing human progress--
it insists that 

"every man at his best 
state is altogether vanity!" 
(Psalm 39:5) 

And when the Holy Scriptures 
define man's attitude toward and 
relationship with GOD, they insist that 

"There is none righteous, no, not one. 
There is none that understands, there 
is none that seeks after GOD" 
(Romans 3:10 -11). 

They declare that we are HIS enemies 
by our wicked works (Colossians 1:21), 
and that consequently we are under 
the condemnation and curse of GOD'S 
law, and that HIS holy wrath abides 
on us! (John 3:36 ) 

The Word of truth declares that by 
nature all of us are spiritual lepers--
foul and filthy, unfit for the divine 
presence, "being alienated from 
the life of GOD." (Ephesians  4:18 ) 

You may occupy a good position 
in this world, even an eminent 
station in the affairs of this life. 

You may have made good in 
your vocation, and wrought 
praiseworthy achievements by 
human standards. You may be 
honorable in the sight of your fellows--
but how do you appear in the eyes 
of GOD? You are a leper--
one whom HIS law pronounces 
unclean, one who is utterly unfit 
for HIS holy presence! 

As it was with Naaman, 
so it is with you: 

"He was a great man--but a leper!"

We would not be faithful to our calling 
were we to glide over that in GOD'S 
Word which is distasteful to proud 
flesh and blood. Nor would we be 
faithful to our readers if we glossed 
over their frightful and fatal natural 
condition. It is in their souls' 
interests that they should face 
this humiliating and unpleasant fact--
that in GOD'S sight, they are 
spiritual lepers! 

But we must personalize it. 
Have you, my reader, realized this 
fact in your own case? Have you 
seen yourself as you are in GOD'S 
sight? Are you aware that your soul 
is suffering from a disease that 
neither you nor any human being 
can cure? It is so, whether you 
realize it or not. 

The Scriptures declare that from 
the sole of your foot to the crown 
of your head, there is no soundness 
in you. Yes, that in the sight of the holy
GOD, you are a mass of "wounds, 
and bruises, and putrefying sores!" 
(Isaiah 1:6) 

Only as you penitently accept 
that divine verdict, is there 
any hope for you.

     ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

GraceGems has published Archibald Alexander's powerful article, "The day of judgment!"