The substance of a first preaching, on Lord’s day, March 25th, 1835; and again, after fifty years, on March 29th, 1885.
We will read from verse 14: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Before we notice the wondrous revelation of God in these verses, it may be necessary, for some, to refer to a fatal mistake made by many in applying the doctrine of the new birth, as stated to Nicodemus, as though Christ meant, or taught, the new birth by water baptism. We must notice that the Lord was not speaking to a Christian about the church or Christianity, but to a ruler of the Jews; and He was speaking to him about the kingdom of God—that kingdom which God will assuredly set up on earth. And we must not confound the terrestrial glory of that kingdom with the celestial glory of the church. No doubt there are even important principles in common. Whether for the kingdom or the church, fallen man must be born again; but to suppose that the new birth is a priestly-act of man, in the ordinance of baptism, is the most fatal heresy. It destroys the efficacy of the word, and faith. If a man can make a child or adult a member of Christ by water, there is no need for either faith or the word of God.
But the Lord does not say one word about baptism in His discourse to Nicodemus. He evidently speaks of that which Nicodemus ought to have understood. Now turn, and see if this was not the case. In Eze. 36:22-3722Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. 24For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. 30And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. 31Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. 32Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. 33Thus saith the Lord God; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. 34And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. 35And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited. 36Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. 37Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. (Ezekiel 36:22‑37) we have a very complete account of what God will do when He gathers His people, Israel, again, and sets up His kingdom—that of which Jesus spoke. And when He has brought them to their own land, He says, “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you... and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Water was the well-known emblem of purification. Thus will Israel be born again in that day, by the operation of the Spirit of God, no doubt applying the word, as in our case.
It is important to notice also the entire change as to the law, when God shall thus set up the millennial kingdom. Under the law God commanded, required everything. In the kingdom of God He produces everything by the new nature and the Spirit. Even repentance is produced after they are born again in the land. “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations.” (Ver. 31.)
The law could not produce in man that which an absolutely holy God requires; but God will produce it in His people: “and cause you to walk in my statutes.” This is very blessed Well, there is not one word of christian baptism, either here, or in the Lord’s words to Nicodemus.
Let us now look at these verses, John 3:1416. We would call attention especially to three things in these precious words of Jesus:—First, the atonement has the first place: “even so must the Son of man be lifted up.”
Secondly, Why was this, the death of Jesus on the cross? The answer is, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son;”
Thirdly, What was the purpose of God in Christ being so lifted up—so given? “That whosoever [or, every one] that believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We must never fail to notice, that in the gospel the atonement has the first place. To exclude this, and preach what is called the Father hood of God, is the delusion of Satan. “So must the Son of man be lifted up.” As Jesus said, on the way to Emmaus, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” And again, to the disciples gathered in the upper room, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.” And after this manner the apostles preached the gospel: “Opening and alleging, that Christ MUST needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead.” (Acts 17:33Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. (Acts 17:3).) “For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures.” (1 Cor. 15:33For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (1 Corinthians 15:3).) “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” (1 Pet. 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).) “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” (Chap. 3:18.) “Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.” (Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25).)
Jesus assures us this must be: “Even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” The work of Christ on the cross is the only true foundation for the glad tidings of God; and His resurrection from the dead is God’s assurance to us of sins forgiven, and justification from all things. “Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him, all that believe are justified from all things.” (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38).)
But now, in the second place, why was this Why did the eternal Son, by whom all things were made, and by whom all things subsist—why was He nailed to the cross? Why did He thus groan from beneath the load of our sins? Why must He thus die, the propitiation for our sins? Oh, wondrous answer! let heaven and earth hear it. For God so loved!
Let sinners hear it. The cause was the unfathomable, eternal love of God. For God so loved. Do not suppose that God loved us because Jesus died for us—that He then began to love us. Did He love Israel in Egypt because the blood was shed, and sprinkled on the doorposts? No, the blood was sprinkled as the token of His love. His purpose was to spare them. They were sinners, and thus the lamb must be killed, and the blood must be sprinkled, to shelter them from righteous judgment. Oh, wondrous grace! Christ lifted up on the cross was the manifestation of God’s eternal love to us.
You may say, How can this be? I am sure I never deserved such love as this, neither before, nor since, I have tried to be a Christian. How can God love me, since I hate myself, and only deserve to be cast out of His sight, or into hell?
All this is really true, whether we know and own it, or not.
But mark the contrast between the love of God and man’s love. Man loves that, or those, whom he thinks deserving of his love. Not so God. For whilst nothing can show more distinctly God’s abhorrence of sin than the cross of Christ, yet it is even there that the love of God to the sinner shone out in all its glory. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:6, 86For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)
8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).)
And all this, when it had been fully proved that there were none that met, or could meet, by law, the righteous requirements of a holy God. All were guilty as to acts. All were also dead in sins, children of wrath. “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,” &c. (Eph. 2:44But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4).) “God so loved.” If sin had not come in, and Jesus had not been lifted up, the love of God could never have been known, and would never have been manifested. The telescope may reveal the great works of God, and the microscope the no less wonderful minute things of God; but no glass can be formed of sufficient power to manifest the love of God.
No, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” Here alone is the revelation of what God is to us, and what His love is to us. It is fully manifested. The sending of His Son. manifests what He is: God is love. Surely we ought to love God. Man under law was required to love God. But looking within, or at himself, he could never say, I have found it, here is love. Has it not been fully proved that man, with every privilege of the law, only hated God f God was manifest in the flesh as Son of man. Did man love Him? He hated, only hated Him, and sought miserable satisfaction in killing Him, the Prince of life. No, it is not, if we love God, then God will love us. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Do you not see, dear readers, it is not our love to God, but God’s love to us, when we deserved nothing but eternal wrath? Owning this honestly, that you only deserve wrath, can you say, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love”? Oh, do you so enjoy this love? Is it perfected in you? That is, do you so know and believe the love that God hath to you, that that love casteth out all fear? If we know that there is nothing but infinite, perfect love in God to us, how can we be afraid of Him? Nay, “because, as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” If you are afraid of God, you are thinking of your own love, and that is not perfect. If you are thinking of His love, how can you be afraid? for He has brought you to be as Christ is, even in this world. As Jesus said, “I ascend to my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.” Oh, blessed position!—“As he is, so are we in this world.”
Do we not love God then? Oh, yes; but let us remember it is love produced. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19).) We thus see that we cannot possibly be under law and grace. If we are on the ground of love to God has a requirement, we entirely set aside the gospel of the glad tidings by which love is produced. We will now pass on to the third thing we find in these precious words of Jesus. May the Lord open our understandings to understand the riches of His grace.