LOSS OF FAITH IN MAN

PSALMS 116:1

A. "I SAID IN MY HASTE, ALL MEN ARE LIARS"
  1. The Psalmist was not the first of the last who in a time of depression has been guilty of a false and hasty judgment of his fellowmen:
    1. In this song of thanksgiving he confesses his error in judgment
    2. He did pass through a crisis of acute trouble and he emerged from it better and wiser
  2. It is true:
    1. That he held on to his faith in God
    2. But had lost faith in his fellowmen
B. DARK HOURS OFTEN BRING DISTORTED JUDGMENT, AND MOST OF ALL DISTORTED JUDGMENTS ARE CONCERNING MEN
  1. David went through some very disappointing experiences in life:
    1. There were his older brethren who grossly misjudged his motive at a time of national crisis - I Sam. 17:27
    2. And then there was the woman he married, Saul's daughter who despised David - 2 Sam. 6:16; 20-23
    3. Saul made promises to assure David that he would not harm him, but sought to kill him again and again
  2. So these and other broken promises led him to lose faith in his fellowmen:
    1. Years of disappointments in professed Christians have weakened the faith of this writer in some who are in high places
    2. But this does not mean to say that one should ever lose faith in men
    3. There are men of strong character whose word is their bond and to put them into the same category with irresponsible individuals would be very unfair
  3. There are a number of factors in the life of man which depreciate his trustworthiness:
    1. His sinful nature which incapacitates him to keep his promise - Rom. 7:12-17
    2. His inability to foresee eventualities and, therefore, cannot give assurance of his ability to make good his promises
    3. This is one of the chief difficulties among men of high and of low degree
C. REASONS WHY WE MUST NEVER LOSE FAITH IN MEN
  1. The first and foremost reason is God:
    1. God knows that it is not in man to direct his steps - Jer. 10:23
    2. He knows that to will is present with man, but how to perform it that man lacks - Rom. 7:18; Deut. 5:28-29
    3. Yet, God does have confidence in man because He invested the wealth of the universe to save man from his fallen condition - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-37
    4. He identified Himself with the human race in that He took the nature of the seed of Abraham in the person of His Son, carrying it into the highest heaven - Heb. 2:14-17; Phil 2:6-11; John 1:14
  2. A complete change in human nature is still another reason why we must never lose faith in man:
    1. "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature, all things have passed away, all things are new" - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
    2. Christ takes over in the life of the believer and that makes the difference
    3. "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me, the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me" - Gal. 2:20
    4. "For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do according to His own good pleasure" - Phil. 2:12-13
  3. Twice-born persons become dependable persons who deserve our absolute confidence:
    1. Paul could say to the Corinthians, "I speak the truth in Christ Jesus, I lie not" - I Tim. 2:7; Gal. 1:20
    2. The 144,000 standing on Mount Zion have no guile in their mouths but are faultless before God - Rev. 14:5; Jude 24
    3. They are guided by the Divine rule, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets" - Matt. 7:12
  4. For is we lose faith in our fellowmen, we ask them to lose faith in us, and how shall we get along with each other?


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