On Mocking God, Part 3

On Mocking God, Part 3
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apologetics / Contemporary issues / Scripture discussion / Thought for Today

Standing in the way of sinners. Having spent time walking with and listening to the wicked, the person is no longer moving, but is now just standing there, going in the way of sinners. Having started by listening to the wicked, the person is now living in the way of sinners.

The Hebrew word “sinners” literally means sin or sinners. It describes those who are under the wrath of God, are under His judgment, facing eternal destruction. Although they are to be avoided, they are to be instructed in the way of righteousness in the hope that they’ll repent.

How do the Scriptures speak of “sinners”?

Proverbs 21:4 (ESV): “Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.”

Ecclesiastes 9:18 (ESV): “Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.”

Isaiah 3:9 (ESV): “For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.”

Amos 9:10 (ESV): “All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’”

That is a sobering description, isn’t it? Sinners are haughty and proud, even one sinner destroys much good (think of what a nation of sinners will do). They proclaim their sin like Sodom and bring much evil upon themselves. What happens to them, the evil that follows, is a result of their own actions, of embracing sin. Included in the category are all who are sexually immoral (in whatever form–all means all), as well as those who commit perjury, and those who enslave (see 1 Timothy 1:9–10).* Sinners believe they’ll escape God’s notice, that disaster won’t overtake them, but the reality is that they’ll still die.

But hope remains for sinners:

Psalm 25:8 (ESV): “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.”

Romans 5:7–8 (ESV): “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

While we were in this miserable state, Jesus died for us. Repentance remains a real possibility. But, the longer a person practices wickedness and sin, the less likely that person will repent (God remains merciful, and repentance still can happen). If a person takes the next step, becoming a mocker, their salvation becomes unlikely. We’ll look at the mocker/scoffer in the next post.

*Some insist that the New Testament approves of slavery. As half of the people under Rome were slaves, the New Testament includes verses that deal with that reality (literal slavery still exists today: its practice is still approved of in the Qur’an). The passage soundly condemns the practice. Those who kidnap people into slavery (unless they repent and come to faith in Christ) end up in Hell.

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