Latest / Reformed Thinking / The Fool Says in His Heart (Psalm 14) | Charles Simeon

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The Fool Says in His Heart (Psalm 14) | Charles Simeon · Reformed Thinking

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  Podcast intro audio you are listening to Reformed Thinking
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  and now the Dee Dive. Welcome, curious minds to The
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  Dee Dive. Today we're taking a close look
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  at a foundational text, one that really cuts St. to the core of
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  what what it means to be human, and, maybe even more crucially,
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  what it means to find lasting hope.
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  That's right, And we're drawing our insights today primarily
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  from Charles Simeon's commentary on Psalm 14.
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  Now, this Psalm. It's ancient, obviously, but it
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  lays bare the human condition in a way that honestly feels
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  strikingly current. Our goal for this deep dive,
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  then, is to pull out those vital Nuggets of knowledge from
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  Simeon's reflections. We want to help you understand
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  maybe more clearly the human heart's natural inclination, the
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  foolishness involved in disregarding God, and also the
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  marvelous provision God has made for salvation.
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  And we'll look at what it means for us, you know, right here,
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  right now, because this text, it sets down a bedrock teaching for
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  Christianity, which is, which is the universal tendency towards
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  wickedness. It's inherent in human nature
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  itself. OK, that's a big claim right out
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  of the gate. All right, let's undack this.
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  So Simeon starts us off by challenging our usual self
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  perception. You know, we might often view
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  ourselves pretty favorably, don't we?
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  Thinking, oh, I'm basically a good person.
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  Or at least, you know, not fundamentally flawed.
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  Right. We grade ourselves on a curve,
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  maybe. Yeah, exactly.
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  But the psalmist writing from God's perspective, he paints a
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  really different picture of humanity.
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  You see, God observes the heart. He's not just looking at the
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  outward actions, the things we do for show, or even just our
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  general behavior. No, he looks directly at that
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  inner place, the the seat of our thoughts or desires or
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  motivations. And in that private space, he
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  sees a well, a surprising reality.
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  He describes the whole race of mankind, that's everyone, as
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  being immersed in this vast, almost unimaginable abyss of
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  wickedness. An abyss, That's a strong word.
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  It really is, and it's crucial to get this.
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  Yeah, this isn't a condition limited to just a few specific
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  people. You know, like some notorious
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  sinners or only those who loudly reject belief.
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  It's not just them. No, Simin is clear.
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  It applies to many. Yeah, to all mankind, he quotes
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  the Psalm. All being gone aside and none
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  doing good. No, not one.
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  It's a completely universal condition.
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  It's like finding out the foundation of every single house
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  on the street is faulty, not just one or two.
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  Exactly. And to show just how central
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  this idea is for Christian understanding, Simeon points out
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  that Saint Paul himself quotes this very passage, Psalm 14,
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  when he's laying out the doctrine of human fallenness in
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  Romans. Yes, Romans 3.
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  Right. Paul uses it to firmly establish
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  this teaching of universal human depravity.
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  It's a core element, a truth that grounds our understanding
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  of ourselves and ultimately our need for something outside
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  ourselves. OK, so that sets the stage, but
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  then what's truly interesting is how the Psalm describes what it
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  means for the fool to say there is no God in his heart.
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  Right, because it's not always someone literally denying God's
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  existence out loud, is it? No, not usually.
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  Most people wouldn't deliberately affirm that in
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  plain terms, as Simeon notes. Instead, it's often a more
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  subtle yet deeply ingrained inner posture.
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  It's less about intellectual atheism, more about something
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  else. OK, So what is it then?
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  Well, Simeon makes a key distinction.
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  The name for God used here in the Hebrew is Elohim, and Elohim
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  generally refers to God as the moral governor of the world, the
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  one who overseas things, the one who holds us accountable.
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  Not Jehovah, which speaks more to his essential being or his
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  covenant relationship. Exactly.
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  So this suggests the assertion, No, God isn't primarily a denial
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  of his existence as such, but a practical disregard.
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  It's a denial of his active involvement in our lives, his
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  role and judging our conduct, his well, his relevance to our
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  day-to-day. So people might believe in God
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  in some abstract way, but they live as if he isn't actually
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  involved or paying attention. Precisely.
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  Their actions reveal this inward thought of their hearts, and
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  Simeon describes what this looks like.
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  People live as if there's no higher being they owe obedience
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  to or are ultimately accountable to for their choices.
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  They make decisions based on. What based on what benefits?
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  Their comfort, their honor, or their interest?
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  That's the constant calculation. But Simeon asks how rarely do
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  they stop and consider if a choice will please God?
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  Ouch, that hits close to home doesn't it?
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  Making every decision based purely on self-interest with no
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  thought of a higher standard. It's the default mode, Simeon
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  suggests, and he goes further. People secretly harbor or
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  gratify desires they would never want others to know about, yet
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  they feel no concern about. God's presence is all seeing
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  eye. It's like they think they can
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  hide from him. Or their hearts whisper, The
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  Lord sees us not, He has forsaken the earth.
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  Or maybe they convince themselves God is just ignorant
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  and indifferent about the affairs of men.
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  Maybe he's too busy, too distant, too grand to care about
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  little old me. They rationalize his lack of
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  involvement. Yes, they might think, as quoted
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  elsewhere, how does God know? Can he judge through the dark
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  cloud? It's this inner dismissal of
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  divine watchfulness, A practical atheism, playing out in their
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  thoughts and actions. And Simeon says this even
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  extends to how they influence others.
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  It does. They might discourage belief in
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  others, maybe laughing at a friend's scruples about God,
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  teasing them about their conscience being too sensitive.
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  Downplaying seriousness. Right.
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  Or proposing worldly customs and maxims over God's stated will,
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  suggesting you know that's just how things are done or everyone
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  does it. Implying that practical
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  successor fitting in should override clear moral directives.
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  And they might even reassure people who are doing wrong.
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  Yes, suggesting that those wrong compliances, those little
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  compromises, shall never be noticed in the day of Judgement.
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  It reflects that underlying thought.
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  The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.
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  He's effectively neutral, irrelevant to consequences.
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  So it's this pervasive, practical atheism, a constant
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  overlooking of God pushing to the edges of life.
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  But you said Simeon takes it a step further.
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  It's not always just a practical disregard or assertion.
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  That's right, he asks, if it's not always an assertion, what
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  else might it be? And he offers a second
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  interpretation based on the Hebrew.
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  The text literally reads something like the fool has said
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  in his heart. No God.
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  Without the there is. Correct, which allows for the
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  reading no God as a wish. I wish there were no God.
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  This uncovers A deeper, often secret desire.
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  A wish for him not to exist or not to be involved.
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  Both, perhaps. It's a common wish, Simeon
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  suggests, though often hitting even from ourselves.
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  Even when people are intellectually convinced God
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  sees everything, records everything, they might still be
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  unwilling to give up their lusts.
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  They're determined to keep sinning.
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  So the idea of judgement makes them deeply uncomfortable.
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  Exactly. Uneasy about death, uneasy about
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  judgement, they secretly wish they could somehow elude the
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  summons on that last day. The thought of accountability
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  before a holy God is just too threatening to their
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  self-directed lives at the point.
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  To the point where Simeon suggests they would gladly sleep
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  in eternal sleep and barter their immortality for an
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  exemption from appearing at the tribunal of God.
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  Wow, they'd rather cease to exist than face judgement.
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  That's the implication. They long for annihilation
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  purely to escape accountability, to avoid the consequences of
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  their choices. It's a desperate desire born out
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  of fear and attachment to sin. Why?
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  What does that wish offer them hypothetically?
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  It allows them to try and dismiss my fears, to take my
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  fill of pleasure to, as Simeon gradically puts it, drink
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  iniquity like water, without any dread of future consequences.
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  It's about seeking unchecked gratification now.
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  And Simeon asks us to look inside our own hearts here.
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  He does. He asks if that deep dread we
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  sometimes feel about death and judgement doesn't justly admit
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  of this construction, that maybe, just maybe, a hidden part
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  of us wishes there was no God to answer to, no final reckoning.
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  It's a challenging. Thought it really is.
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  OK, so we have this practical atheism, this living as if God
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  isn't there, or this secret wish that he wasn't.
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  Now Simeon moves on to show why this is so incredibly foolish,
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  right? He lays out the consequences.
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  Yes, he does. He tackles the foolishness by
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  looking at 3 crucial truths about what happens when you
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  reject God's moral governance, even if it's just internally,
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  silently. What's the first truth?
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  1st and most basic, the wish itself is utterly, completely
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  impossible to grant. God cannot cease to observe
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  human actions for final retribution any more than He
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  could cease to exist Himself. His awareness and his justice
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  are part of his very nature. Exactly.
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  They aren't optional extras. And beyond that, his
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  Superintendent care is necessary for the whole universe to even
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  hold together. Think about it, without his
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  active involvement, everything falls apart.
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  Like the laws of physics just stopping.
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  Right and applying his moral government, ensuring justice
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  eventually prevails, is essential for the vindication of
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  his own honor. His character demands it.
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  So wishing him away is like wishing gravity didn't exist
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  while standing on a Cliff. That's a good analogy, Simeon
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  asks. How absurd, then, is it to
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  indulge a wish when it is not possible for that wish ever to
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  be gratified, and when the indulging of it makes us act as
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  though it would be gratified? It's irrational at its core.
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  So the far better, more rational approach.
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  Is to acknowledge reality. There is a God and I must fear
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  Him. There is a judgement and I must
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  prepare for it. Face the truth rather than wish
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  it away. OK, so wish is impossible, but
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  Simeon then asks what if it could happen hypothetically if
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  there were no God, No moral accountability?
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  Right. If that wish could somehow be
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  obtained, Simeon argues, it would bring unspeakable injury
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  to all, even in this world, not just later, but right now.
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  Injury how to individuals first? Yes, he says, even the slightest
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  hope of getting away with sin encourages people towards it.
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  If there was certainty of no judgement, people would
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  completely yield to sins, dominion, every impulse
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  unleashed. And that leads to happiness,
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  freedom. No, quite the opposite.
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  While gratifying desires brings fleeting pleasure, maybe a quick
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  rush, these delights quickly cloy.
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  They become unsatisfying, even sickening, and they bring many
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  evils in their train. Like what?
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  Think about unchecked passions. Pride isolates.
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  Envy corrodes. Wrath burns.
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  Malice poisons. Lust dehumanizes.
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  Greed frustrates endlessly. Simeon is blunt.
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  Sin and misery are indissolubly connected.
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  Giving free reign to your worded impulses doesn't make you happy,
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  it makes you miserable. It undermines your own
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  well-being. We see that play out often
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  enough, sadly. What about society?
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  The impact on society would be catastrophic.
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  Simeon points out that even now, with God's restraining
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  influence, men still bite and devour one another like wild
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  beasts the moment God removes his hand even slightly.
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  He gives biblical examples. Yes, he mentions God intervening
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  to stop the destructive intentions of a lustful
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  Abimelech, a greedy Laban, a vengeful.
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  He saw it wasn't their innate goodness, but God's restraint
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  that prevented disaster in those cases.
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  So God is actively holding back chaos.
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  That's Simeon's point. God is the one who keeps the
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  world in any measure of peace and quiet.
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  A world without his Providence, without his moral boundaries
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  actively upheld, would instantly resemble hell.
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  Basically a place where sinful human nature rages without limit
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  and everyone torments themselves and everyone else.
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  It's a terrifying thought it. Is which leads Simeon to ask.
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  Isn't it the extremist folly to entertain A wish that would
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  involve in it such tremendous consequences?
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  Wishing for anarchy because you don't like the law?
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  A world without God's moral restraint sounds truly awful.
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  But you mentioned 3 truths. What about the third one?
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  The consequences is beyond this life, right?
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  The third truth is that this wish for no God would lead to
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  still greater evil as it respects the world to come.
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  How so? If there's no God, surely
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  there's no hell, right? Isn't that a win for the
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  ungodly? Well, yes, the fear of hell
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  might vanish. That might seem like a relief,
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  but they would also have no hope of heaven.
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  The scales balance, but the result is bleak.
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  What's the best thing to get hope for then?
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  Their most favorable outcome, Simeon says, would be
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  annihilation, just ceasing to exist, an eternal blank.
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  And he calls that a melancholy prospect indeed.
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  No purpose, no joy, no future, just nothing.
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  Compared to what? Compared to the alternative,
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  Simeon argues it's far better, even for the most ungodly, to
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  have a God you can actually flee to, a God who can pardon your
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  sins, a God who can sanctify and renew your soul, a God who can
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  bless you with immortality and glory.
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  Even for the worst Sinner. Yes, this God is rich in mercy
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  and ready, even waiting to receive returning prodigals.
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  Just like in the parable, He's not standing there with a club,
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  He's waiting with open arms and. What does he require for this
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  welcome? It's surprisingly simple though.
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  Profound humility, acknowledging your need, pleading the merits
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  of his Son Jesus, relying on his sacrifice, not your own efforts,
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  and genuinely turning away from the ways that displeases Him.
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  Repentance. And if someone does that?
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  The moment they return in that way, God promises to cast all
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  our sins into the depths of the sea and embrace us with the arms
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  of His mercy. It's full forgiveness, full
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  acceptance. So given that offer.
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  Given that offer, Simeon concludes, what madness then, to
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  wish that there were no such being?
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  Why wish away the only source of true pardon, renewal and eternal
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  hope available on such gracious terms?
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  It's the ultimate folly. OK, so reflecting on all this
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  humanity's general state of ignoring or wishing God away
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  despite the folly and the gracious alternative, Simeon
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  draws A conclusion about God's character, doesn't he?
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  He absolutely does. Thinking about this widespread
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  spiritual apathy, this practical atheism, even this hidden
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  hostility, it really highlights the astonishing patience of God.
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  How so? Well, God sees it all.
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  He sees the whole world living without God actively pushing him
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  out of their thoughts, wishing he didn't exist or wasn't
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  involved. And yet, what does he do?
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  He doesn't just wipe everyone out.
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  Far from it, Simeon says. He not only bears with them,
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  puts up with all this disregard and rebellion, but follows them
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  with invitations and promises and waiteth to be gracious unto
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  them. He's actively pursuing, offering
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  mercy, patiently waiting for them to turn.
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  Like the father waiting for the prodigal son.
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  Exactly like that, Simeon urges us, urges you, listening to
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  stand amazed at His goodness and let that goodness lead us to
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  repentance. Don't let His patience make you
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  complacent. Let it draw you towards Him.
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  And when someone does respond, when that goodness actually
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  leads to repentance and faith, what kind of change happens
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  then? Simeon describes it as a truly
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  glorious alteration. It's not just turning over a new
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  leaf. It's a fundamental
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  transformation, a conversion. What does that look like
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  internally? The moment grace enters the
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  heart, Simeon says, it slays this enmity, this natural
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  hostility towards God we talked about, and reconciles the Sinner
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  to God. The war is over.
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  Peace is declared. And what happens next in the
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  person's life? From that point on, the
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  converted person's one desire, their deepest longing, becomes
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  to walk with God, to enjoy His presence, to fulfill His will,
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  and to live in the near prospect of participating His glory.
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  Their whole orientation shifts. From wanting no God to wanting
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  nothing but God. Precisely this state of wisdom
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  is the polar opposite of the folly of disregarding him.
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  Simeon encourages us then, to instantly begin to live as we
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  shall wish we had lived when we come to die.
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  Start living now in light of that reconciliation.
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  OK, so we've seen the problem, universal depravity, the folly
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  of ignoring God, and the gracious solution in God's
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  patience and the change he brings about through conversion.
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  Now Simeon shifts Soka slightly in the Psalm, looking at those
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  who have chosen this path of reliance on God.
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  Verse 6 says You've shamed the counsel of the poor because the
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  Lord is their refuge. Who are the poor here?
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  Right, it's a specific term. Simeon explains That poor here
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  refers generally to the Lord's people, and he sees 2 aspects of
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  this. OK, what's the 1st?
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  There's often a socio economic dimension.
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  It's just a fact. Simeon notes that historically
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  and often currently, many of God's people come from the lower
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  walks of life. He references Paul saying Not
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  many rich, not many mighty, not many noble are called.
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  And Jesus time. Same thing.
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  It was mostly the common people who heard him gladly, not the
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  religious elites, the scribes and Pharisees.
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  So God's people are often humble in worldly status.
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  But that's not the main point, is it?
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  No, the more significant meaning is spiritual.
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  They are called poor because they are poor in spirit.
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  This means they feel deep down they're utter destitution of
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  everything really good. Like the Beatitude, blessed are
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  the poor in spirit. Exactly.
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  It's not about lacking money, but recognizing your complete
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  spiritual bankruptcy. You realize you have nothing in
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  yourself, No righteousness, no strength, no ability to save
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  yourself or find true comfort on your own.
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  It's acknowledging total dependence.
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  Total dependence. Simeon compares it to Lazarus in
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  the parable. Utterly destitute.
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  This spiritual poverty, this awareness of need, is
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  characteristic of God's people everywhere, whatever their bank
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  balance might be. OK, so these are the poor.
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  What then is their counsel? What's the advice or the path
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  they follow? Their counsel, their consistent
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  practice and advice is simply this, to make the Lord their
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  refuge. That's their strategy, their
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  answer to their spiritual poverty.
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  How does that play out? Well, first they feel they're
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  lost in undone state. They're not kidding themselves.
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  They know they need help and they find no remedy within
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  themselves. No self help program is going to
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  cut it. But they don't stop there in
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  despair, no. Critically, they also see a
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  fullness and sufficiency in Christ.
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  They see that He has everything they lack enough even for the
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  very chief of sinners. And where did they get this
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  idea? They look to the Scriptures,
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  God's Word, which gives the clear counsel to look to Him,
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  Jesus, and to flee to Him for safety and salvation.
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  So they follow this Council themselves.
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  Yes, they personally act on it, placing their trust entirely in
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  Christ, but they also give this counsel to all around them.
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  They share it, knowing it's the only true hope.
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  They become determined, as Paul was, to know nothing but Jesus
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  Christ and Him crucified. He becomes their sole refuge,
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  their only boast. Making the Lord their refuge.
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  That sounds straightforward, wise even.
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  But Simeon notes that this path, this counsel of the poor, often
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  draws criticism right. Publicly, he calls it strong
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  public disapproval. Yes, sadly, that's often the
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  case. Those who aren't living under
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  the influence of faith, the ungodly, tend to shame this
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  their counsel. They try to argue believers out
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  of their reliance on God. What kinds of arguments do they
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  use? Simeon outlines 3 common lines
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  of attack. First, they deride it as
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  unnecessary. They might say, oh, there's no
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  need to be so alarmed about your soul, or you're taking things
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  too seriously. They imply such earnestness is
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  excessive, maybe even neurotic. Basically, lighten up.
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  God's not that bothered. Something like that.
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  Second, they call it presumptuous.
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  They question how these ordinary poor people could possibly
• 19:13
  suppose God would pay such peculiar regard to them, choose
• 19:17
  them, save them, when all the rest of the world are perishing.
• 19:20
  Trying to make them feel arrogant for trusting God's
• 19:22
  promises. Exactly who do you think you
• 19:24
  are? Is the underlying accusation.
• 19:26
  How dare you claim God's specific favor?
• 19:30
  3rd they pour contempt on it as ineffectual.
• 19:33
  They dismiss the core idea of relying solely on Christ's work,
• 19:37
  setting aside all good works and point of dependence as nothing
• 19:40
  more than a desperate delusion. They think it's lazy or
• 19:43
  irresponsible not to rely on your own efforts.
• 19:46
  Right. They might see it as denying
• 19:47
  personal morality or effort. These arguments, Simeon says,
• 19:51
  are the weapons used to try and shame believers out of their
• 19:54
  confidence in God, to make them doubt their refuge.
• 19:57
  It's an attempt to undermine their faith through reason and
• 19:59
  ridicule. But Simeon doesn't let those
• 20:01
  criticisms stand, does he? He defends this Council.
• 20:05
  He defends it strongly against these unjust aspersions.
• 20:08
  He systematically dismantles the criticisms.
• 20:10
  OK, how does he counter the unnecessary argument?
• 20:13
  He states plainly it is not a necessary because there is not a
• 20:16
  creature in the universe that can be saved in any other way.
• 20:19
  It's the only way, therefore absolutely necessary for
• 20:22
  everyone. And the charge of presumption.
• 20:24
  How can relying on God be arrogant?
• 20:26
  Simeon turns it around. What presumption is there, he
• 20:29
  asks, In believing God's promises and in obeying his
• 20:33
  commands, especially the command to come to Christ and rely on
• 20:36
  him. True presumption lies in
• 20:38
  disobeying or disbelieving God, not entrusting him.
• 20:42
  It's humility, not arrogance, to take God at His Word.
• 20:45
  Makes sense? And what about it being
• 20:47
  ineffectual? A delusion.
• 20:49
  He counters this with absolute certainty.
• 20:51
  There never was, nor ever shall be one soul left to perish that
• 20:55
  sought for mercy solely and entirely by faith in Christ.
• 20:59
  History and God's promises guarantee its effectiveness.
• 21:02
  He uses an analogy. Yes, the Old Testament cities of
• 21:05
  Refuge. Just as they provided A
• 21:07
  guaranteed safe haven for someone fleeing vengeance,
• 21:10
  Christ provides a safe asylum for every believing penitent.
• 21:14
  Those who flee to him shall not be ashamed or confounded.
• 21:17
  World without end. Their trust is secure, eternally
• 21:22
  effective. So the council is necessary,
• 21:25
  humble and effective. What about those who don't
• 21:28
  follow it, Who despise it even if they don't actively criticize
• 21:32
  others? Simeon poses a direct challenge
• 21:35
  to them. Even if you're not mocking
• 21:36
  believers, he asks, if you reject this council of fleeing
• 21:39
  to Christ, what counsel will you give?
• 21:42
  What's your alternative plan for dealing with sin and judgement?
• 21:45
  What options does he suggest they might offer?
• 21:47
  Maybe just despise all religion or rely on outward religious
• 21:51
  forms going through the motions or just paying lip service
• 21:54
  saying Lord Lord but not actually obeying him.
• 21:56
  And the problem with those alternatives.
• 21:58
  They might seem OK now, you might be able to maintain them
• 22:00
  in daily life. But Simeon warns you will be
• 22:02
  ashamed of them in the hour of death and on the day of
• 22:04
  judgement, they won't hold up. They'll be exposed as futile.
• 22:08
  So any other path is unreliable. Yes.
• 22:10
  It's like making lies your refuge or trying to build on a
• 22:13
  foundation of sand. Eventually it will fall and
• 22:16
  crush you under its ruins. Only Christ provides a solid
• 22:20
  foundation. Look at the back to those who
• 22:22
  are following the true Counsel, who are making the Lord their
• 22:24
  refuge but are getting grief for it being despised, what
• 22:28
  encouragement does sending offer them?
• 22:29
  He offers profound encouragement.
• 22:32
  Being despised by an ungodly world for doing what's right for
• 22:36
  righteousness's sake is actually no real harm.
• 22:39
  If your happiness is truly sought in God, then you
• 22:42
  shouldn't mind too much what people say about you.
• 22:44
  Why not? Doesn't it hurt?
• 22:45
  It might sting, yes, but man's judgement is only for day.
• 22:49
  It's temporary, fleeting. God's judgement, however, is
• 22:53
  forever. It's eternal final whose opinion
• 22:56
  ultimately matters. He points to examples again.
• 22:58
  Yes. Think about the prophets, the
• 23:00
  apostles, even Jesus Christ himself.
• 23:02
  Were they approved of by the world?
• 23:03
  Not at all. They faced intense opposition,
• 23:06
  scorn, rejection, even death. So experiencing similar
• 23:10
  opposition isn't isn't necessarily a bad sign.
• 23:12
  Simeon suggests we should be content, even see it as an honor
• 23:16
  to be partakers of Christ's sufferings.
• 23:19
  Sharing in that rejection means that when He shall appear in
• 23:22
  glory, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.
• 23:25
  So being despised for righteousness is good.
• 23:28
  In a paradoxical way, yes, Simeon concludes.
• 23:31
  It's your highest honor, and it shall surely issue in your more
• 23:34
  exalted happiness eternally. It's a sign you're aligned with
• 23:38
  Christ, not the world, and the eternal rewards far outweigh the
• 23:42
  temporary discomfort. That definitely reframes
• 23:44
  suffering for your faith. Yeah.
• 23:46
  Now after all this reflection on human wickedness, the folly of
• 23:49
  rejecting God and the path of the believer, Simeon notes that
• 23:52
  the Psalm takes a turn in the last verse.
• 23:54
  Right, a shift in tone. Yes, it does.
• 23:57
  After contemplating the depth of human depravity, the psalmist
• 24:00
  bursts forth in what Simeon calls a devout rapture, a
• 24:03
  fervent, passionate wish. Oh, that the salvation of Israel
• 24:07
  will come out of Zion. When the loud brings back the
• 24:09
  captivity of his people. Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel
• 24:12
  shall be glad. It's a real cry of longing,
• 24:14
  isn't it? It is a deep yearning for
• 24:17
  deliverance, for restoration, for God to intervene and set
• 24:20
  things right. And Simeon sees a dual focus in
• 24:23
  this wish. Yes, on one hand, it looks
• 24:26
  forward to the times of the Messiah, anticipating that
• 24:29
  future era of God's ultimate salvation.
• 24:32
  But it also looks to the Messiah himself, Jesus Christ, who is
• 24:35
  the Savior who comes out of Zion, a term often associated
• 24:38
  with God's presence and rule. So it's a longing for both the
• 24:42
  work and the person. Exactly.
• 24:44
  And more broadly, it's a longing for salvation itself, the
• 24:47
  comprehensive deliverance from sin and its consequences that
• 24:51
  the Messiah brings. So how does this ancient longing
• 24:54
  connect to us today? Why should we desire this
• 24:57
  salvation of Israel so intensely?
• 24:59
  Simeon gives 2 main reasons why this salvation should be a vital
• 25:03
  object of desire for us. First, think about the world at
• 25:06
  large. Given the state of the world as
• 25:08
  described in the Psalm, this inexpressibly awful condition of
• 25:11
  universal depravity. Which Simeon says we can still
• 25:13
  observe even in nominally Christian lands.
• 25:16
  Right candid observation confirms it.
• 25:19
  The brokenness, the sin, the self-interest is undeniable.
• 25:22
  This shows an immense ongoing need for salvation across the
• 25:25
  globe. And the gospel offers.
• 25:27
  The Gospel brings precisely such a salvation as men's necessities
• 25:31
  require. It perfectly matches the depth
• 25:33
  of the need. Therefore, Simeon argues, the
• 25:37
  psalmist's wish should be our most ardent desire too.
• 25:40
  We should long for the blessings of the salvation to be
• 25:42
  proclaimed to the utmost ends of the earth.
• 25:45
  It's a global longing we should share.
• 25:47
  OK, so desire it for the world. What's the second reason?
• 25:49
  Desire it intensely for yourself, especially if you are
• 25:52
  one of those heavy laden sinners, someone convinced of
• 25:55
  your own sinful and undone state.
• 25:57
  For you, Simeon says this salvation is infinitely dearer
• 26:01
  than thousands of silver and gold.
• 26:02
  It's the most precious thing imaginable.
• 26:04
  Why? What does it offer specifically
• 26:06
  to that person? It offers total cleansing.
• 26:08
  However vast your guilt, it may all be washed away in the
• 26:11
  Redeemer's blood. It offers deep transformation.
• 26:15
  However entrenched. Your sinful habits, corruptions,
• 26:18
  they may all be rooted out by the operation of His Holy Spirit
• 26:21
  on your souls. Forgiveness and change.
• 26:24
  Yes, and reconciliation through Christ's blood.
• 26:28
  God is transformed from an enemy because of our sin into your
• 26:31
  Father and your friend. And ultimately, if you embrace
• 26:34
  the salvation, all the glory of heaven shall be yours.
• 26:38
  So we should constantly cherish this desire for our own souls
• 26:41
  too. Absolutely.
• 26:42
  Not just a one time thing, but a constant holy desire for the
• 26:46
  fullness of the salvation in your own life.
• 26:48
  Now this salvation isn't purely future, is it?
• 26:51
  Simeon also talks about how it has already been attained in
• 26:54
  some sense and the joyful results we can see.
• 26:56
  That's right, Salvation was affected by the coming of the
• 26:59
  Lord Jesus Christ. His life, death and resurrection
• 27:02
  secured it, and it has already produced immense joy.
• 27:04
  How so? Well, God's people have already
• 27:06
  seen their captivity dart turn to a significant degree.
• 27:09
  Thousands and millions, both of Jews and Gentiles, have been
• 27:12
  delivered from the power of Satan, freed from his grip.
• 27:15
  And this brought joy. Enormous joy.
• 27:18
  Think about the day of Pentecost.
• 27:20
  Simeon mentions the 3000 people who were first pricked to the
• 27:24
  heart with a sense of sin, feeling deep conviction and
• 27:27
  distress, but then, through the good news of the gospel, were
• 27:30
  enabled to eat their bread with gladness and singleness of
• 27:33
  heart, blessing and praising God.
• 27:36
  Despair turned instantly to joyful praise.
• 27:38
  And that joy continues today. Simeon insists it does.
• 27:42
  To this hour, he writes, all who hear the joyful sound of the
• 27:46
  Gospel experience the same holy feeling in their souls.
• 27:49
  If you've truly been released from sins bondage, you've likely
• 27:52
  felt compelled to say, like Mary, my soul doth magnify the
• 27:56
  Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
• 27:59
  It's an ongoing reality for believers.
• 28:01
  Yes, wherever the gospel goes and is genuinely received in the
• 28:04
  heart, the oil of joy is given in the stead of mourning and the
• 28:08
  garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
• 28:11
  It brings an immediate shift from sorrow to celebration
• 28:13
  within the believer soul. That's a powerful picture of
• 28:16
  present joy. But Simeon also looked forward
• 28:19
  to an even greater fulfillment, didn't he?
• 28:21
  A time when this joy becomes universal.
• 28:23
  He did. He pointed to a future period
• 28:25
  when the gospel shall be conveyed to all nations and all
• 28:28
  flesh shall see the salvation of God, a time of global awakening.
• 28:32
  What will happen then? Then the dominion of Satan shall
• 28:36
  be altogether broken, his influence finally ended, and the
• 28:39
  whole race of mankind be brought to serve the living God.
• 28:43
  Imagine that. And the joy then?
• 28:45
  The joy that shall prevail over the face of the whole earth will
• 28:48
  be so immense, so overwhelming, that even the psalmist rapturous
• 28:52
  descriptions will fall infinitely short of the reality.
• 28:56
  Words fail. It sounds like heaven on earth.
• 28:59
  That's exactly how Simeon envisions it.
• 29:01
  Heaven itself will then appear to have come down upon the
• 29:04
  earth, perhaps even with all the glorified Saints descended to
• 29:08
  swell the chorus of the redeemed.
• 29:10
  It's the ultimate universal, unending celebration of God's
• 29:14
  completed salvation. Wow.
• 29:16
  OK, so pulling all this together from the grim reality of human
• 29:19
  sinfulness to the glorious hope of ultimate salvation, Simeon
• 29:22
  wraps up by drawing out some key lessons for our lives right now.
• 29:26
  Practical takeaways. Yes, these insights really help
• 29:28
  shape our daily understanding and goals as believers.
• 29:31
  What's the first lesson he highlights?
• 29:33
  First, he clarifies what conversion actually is.
• 29:36
  Setting aside any confusing ideas, he defines it simply as a
• 29:40
  turning of us from the captivity of sin and Satan, and bringing
• 29:43
  us into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
• 29:46
  Freedom from bondage. Exactly.
• 29:48
  That's the core purpose for which Jesus came, and it's what
• 29:51
  He accomplishes in everyone who truly receives His salvation.
• 29:55
  It's liberation, and Simeon stresses, it's a truly desirable
• 29:59
  state. If you feel like a captive to
• 30:02
  sin, you can never desire this freedom too much.
• 30:05
  OK, that's conversion. What's the second lesson?
• 30:07
  Our main goal in life. Right.
• 30:09
  While conversion is a decisive change, Simeon reminds us that
• 30:13
  the deliverance it brings is only gradual.
• 30:16
  It's not instant perfection. We still struggle.
• 30:18
  We do The flesh will yet less against the spirit as well as
• 30:21
  the spirit against the flesh. There's an ongoing internal
• 30:24
  conflict. This means we shall not be able
• 30:27
  to do all that we could wish. We won't achieve perfect
• 30:30
  consistency until the very end of our lives.
• 30:32
  Even Paul felt that way. Yes, Simeon points to Paul's own
• 30:36
  express struggle in Romans 7. Therefore, our daily object of
• 30:40
  our ambition, our constant aim, should be to grow in grace.
• 30:45
  An ongoing process. An ongoing process, the
• 30:47
  continuous labor of our souls, should be to put off the old
• 30:51
  man, our sinful nature, and put on the new, our new nature in
• 30:54
  Christ, striding constantly until, by God's grace, we attain
• 30:58
  the full measure of the stature of Christ.
• 31:01
  It's a lifelong pursuit of Christlikeness.
• 31:04
  OK, understand conversion. Aim for growth.
• 31:06
  What's the third lesson? This one seems a bit surprising.
• 31:08
  It's about how we should view death.
• 31:10
  Yes, this might be one of the most counterintuitive yet
• 31:13
  ultimately liberating lessons. Simeon suggests we should learn
• 31:16
  what can actually endear the thoughts of death to us.
• 31:19
  Endear death How? Because for the believer, death
• 31:22
  will break all our chains and set us at perfect liberty here,
• 31:25
  now, we often complain, like the prayer book says, about being
• 31:28
  tied and bound with the chain of our sins.
• 31:30
  We struggle, we fail, we feel constrained.
• 31:33
  But not in heaven. No complaint shall ever be heard
• 31:36
  in heaven, Simeon assures us. There we shall be pure as Christ
• 31:40
  is pure, and perfect as our Father who is in heaven is
• 31:44
  perfect. The struggle will finally be
• 31:46
  over. So death becomes a release.
• 31:49
  A final release into perfect freedom and holiness.
• 31:53
  Therefore, Simeon suggests, we should learn to see death not as
• 31:56
  an enemy, but as a friend, and even to number it amongst our
• 31:59
  richest treasures. Why a treasure?
• 32:01
  Because it's the gateway to that perfect state.
• 32:04
  The fact that death is already disarmed of its sting through
• 32:06
  Christ's victory is a huge part of our present joy.
• 32:09
  The fear is gone, but the fact that it shall translate us into
• 32:13
  the immediate presence of our God is enough, Simeon believes,
• 32:16
  to make us pant for its arrival, even desiring to depart and to
• 32:19
  be with Christ as far better than the happiest life we could
• 32:22
  possibly have here on earth. Seeing death as the doorway to
• 32:25
  ultimate fulfillment with Christ, that's a radical
• 32:28
  perspective shift. It truly is.
• 32:30
  It flows directly from the security and the hope found in
• 32:32
  the salvation Psalm 14 ultimately points towards.
• 32:35
  What a deep dive that was, working through Psalm 14 with
• 32:38
  Simeon's guidance from the sobering picture of human
• 32:41
  depravity and the foolishness of living as if God isn't there.
• 32:45
  All the way to the incredible scope of Christ's salvation, the
• 32:48
  joy it brings now, the perfect freedom it promises, and that
• 32:52
  final universal triumph. It really makes you think,
• 32:55
  doesn't it? Not just about abstract beliefs
• 32:58
  about God, but how those beliefs actually cash out in the way we
• 33:01
  live, the things we desire, the way we face struggles, and even
• 33:04
  how we view the end of our lives.
• 33:06
  Absolutely. It challenges that practical
• 33:08
  atheism we discussed, showing it leads not to freedom but to
• 33:12
  self-inflicted misery and chaos, both personally and socially.
• 33:16
  And conversely, it holds out this powerful reassurance,
• 33:19
  doesn't it? The true salvation in Christ
• 33:21
  offers genuine joy right now, reconciliation with our Maker,
• 33:24
  and that eventual complete liberty from all the things that
• 33:27
  bind us, especially sin. And maybe, just maybe, it
• 33:31
  invites you, the listener, to really consider that better
• 33:35
  prospect Simeon described at the end, The one where death isn't
• 33:38
  the ultimate enemy, but a friend, ushering us into the
• 33:41
  presence of the one who is our refuge and our salvation.
• 33:44
  Something to really Mull over. Indeed, join us next time on the
• 33:48
  Deep Dive as we uncover more valuable insights from the
• 33:50
  cortex that shape our understanding of God and the
• 33:53
  world.