WHOSOEVER thou art, man, woman, or child, thou art a sinner—one of the fallen race of mankind, “dead in trespasses and sins.” “For in Adam all die”—die spiritually. All are breakers of God’s holy and just law, and therefore lie under His wrath and curse, ready at any moment (like fuel for the fire) to be cast into endless burning. “For the wages of sin is death”—eternal death. Think, then, O sinner! thou art adding every moment, to thy original sin and guilt, actual transgression; therefore “Be sure thy sin will find thee out” (Num. xxxii. 23), for thou canst not escape. God’s law will pursue thee to thy last breath, saying, “Pay me that thou owest” (Matt. xviii. 28), although thou hast no power to obey it on account of thy helpless and hopeless condition, having no power nor will to turn to the Lord. Nevertheless He is justified in demanding perfect obedience, as He gave thee power in Adam, thy covenant-head and representative, to keep His commandments. Yet notwithstanding this, thou art not at all concerned, nor seeking to be delivered from thy dreadful state of ruin through the fall, which has cut thee off from all good and separated thee eternally from God, as to any thing in thee to bring thee back to Him.
It is not natural—indeed, it is beyond thy power, in an unregenerate state—to believe the above statement regarding thyself, but it is nevertheless true, though thou believest the contrary, and thinkest thou hast some innate power and free will to do good. It is quite true that Adam was created with a free will, and had perfect ability to obey God’s law, but the moment he sinned he and all his posterity were completely deprived of free will to act aright, and were it possible heaven could be gained by one good desire, that desire could not be found. It is said in the infallible Word of God—“Without me ye can do nothing” (John xv. 5); “No man can come to me except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him” (John vi. 44); “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John i. 13). There is no one will allow that a dead body can give any signs of life or feel a disposition to live; so neither can a dead soul give any signs of life nor seek to live. You may then ask the question, “If we are so hopeless and helpless, what are we to do? We cannot be responsible in such a condition.” To which we would answer that Adam was a responsible being, so in him thou art responsible, he being the covenant-head of all mankind. Therefore, sinner, thou art inexcusable though lying helpless in thy blood, and if God, in sovereign mercy, “pass by and see thee polluted in thy blood, and say unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live” (Ezek. xvi. 6), it is because He has found out a ransom and accepted the doing and dying of Christ in thy room and stead. “He is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John ii. 2). With Him God is “well pleased.” “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him” (Heb. vii. 25). If thus quickened by the power of the Holy Spirit, and created anew in Christ Jesus, thou wilt in right earnest be seeking deliverance from the power of sin; mourning over it and striving against it; seeking to be brought out of thyself and made to rest on Christ—not that you may be saved by your resting on Him, for that would be resting on your act of faith and not on the righteousness of Christ. May the Lord teach thee thus savingly that He may be glorified and thy soul saved!