Subject Fifty

TWO EVILS

Scripture: Jer. 2:13

1. Forsaking God
   1. God is everything to human life. God is also the full supply for man’s need.
   2. God is the fountain of living waters to man. A fountain is the source of water supply. Water is something for quenching thirst. This is to say that God can satisfy all of man’s thirst, because God is the fountain of living waters.
   3. Man has forsaken God, who is the fountain of living waters.
   4. Man’s forsaking God is not only a loss, but also a sin. It is like children forsaking their parents. Therefore, God said here, “My people have committed two evils.” The first evil is forsaking God.
   5. Man’s forsaking God is a loss and a sin as well, so two things result from this: suffering and condemnation. Suffering means there is no peace in the outward circumstances. Condemnation means there is no peace within our hearts. Since forsaking God is a loss and causes suffering, there will be no peace in the outward circumstances. Since forsaking God causes condemnation, there will be no peace, but suffering in our hearts.
2. Man devising his own way—“hewed them out cisterns”
   1. All those who have forsaken God want to do something in their own way.
   2. God is the fountain of living water, supplying water to men. Man’s own efforts are broken cisterns from which water is leaking out.
   3. Give practical examples to show in what things God is the fountain of living waters and human effort is the broken cisterns.
      1. The precious blood that God shed for us on the cross has become the fountain of living waters to cleanse away our sin. Islam and Buddhism teach people to establish their own merit, to cultivate morality, and to make up for their shortcomings by good works. All of these are broken cisterns.
      2. The life that God has released is the fountain of living waters. This life can give people strength to do good. However, if men depend upon their own strength, the more they try, the more they will fail. This is just a broken cistern.
      3. Human life is hungry, thirsty, and never satisfied. Only God’s living water can satisfy man. To try to quench thirst by man’s own methods, knowledge, and ability is a broken cistern.
      4. Conclusion: Man devising his own way is not dependable.
3. The way of salvation
   1. Drop your own way, as the Samaritan woman who left her waterpot.
   2. Turn to God, that is, turn from your own way to God.
   3. Repent and confess your sin.
   4. Believe and receive Christ as your own Savior, because God in Christ is your Savior today.