The Righteous and the Wicked
by Charles Simeon The Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1, verse 6. The godly man comes to Christ
daily as a self-ruined sinner and looks to Him as the appointed
Savior of sinners. He seeks to be washed in Christ's
blood from all his sins and to be renewed by His Spirit after
the divine image. In a word, his daily consolation
is, In the Lord I have righteousness and strength. – Isaiah 45.24
The aim of his soul is to walk in all things just as Christ
walked, and to cultivate the mind that was in him, thus approving
himself to God in the whole of his conduct. that in the last
day that testimony may be given to him from the lips of his approving
judge, well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of
your Lord. To the contrary, the wicked man
has no such thoughts and no such desires. A saving interest in
Christ is not of any great importance in his eyes, because he feels
no need of it. He concludes that he already
possesses all that is requisite for his acceptance with God.
As for mortifying his earthly members and crucifying the flesh
with the affections and lusts, that is a work to which he is
utterly averse. He rather studies to gratify
himself and to follow the bent of his own carnal inclinations. He may not indulge in gross sins,
but his mind and life are altogether earthly. And whatever he may
have of religion, it is a mere form which does not engage his
heart, nor is genuine piety in any respect the delight of his
soul. In a word, the righteous man
looks forward to a future harvest and sows with a view to that.
The wicked man looks no further than to this present world, and
all his desires are bounded by the things of time and sense. Those who live according to the
sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires,
but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds
set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death. But the mind controlled by the
Spirit is life and peace. The sinful mind is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law,
nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful
nature cannot please God. Romans chapter 8 verses 5-8