When God gave His law from Mount Sinai, He addressed it to one nation only, and that a very small nation, “to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the promises.” (Rom. 9:4.) But these revelations were confined to Israel. They had a priesthood within, but no ministry going out. Doubtless the presence of God in Israel would be felt in some measure by the nations around, but the Jewish system was not a missionary one; rather, they were walled in. But we would not forget that the day will come, when they will be, in the truest sense, a missionary people. “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” And of the spared remnant in the latter day, we read, “I will send those that escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory, and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.” (Isa. 2:3; 66:19.) But these happy days for the now despised Jew, we need not say, are still future. The Church — the present vessel of testimony — must be off the scene, and Israel restored, before the activities of God’s love are thus displayed in His ancient people. “Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” The Church, which is His body — His fullness — must first be completed and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Then shall the joyous prediction be fulfilled, “And so all Israel shall be saved.” Rom. 11:25, 26; 1 Thess. 4:13-18.
Lord, hasten these promised, and longed—for days, in thy good time, that a groaning creation may be relieved —that thy name may be excellent in all the earth, and thy glory set above the heavens.
“JOY to His ancient people!
Your bonds He comes to sever —
And now, ‘tis done! the Lord hath won,
And ye are free forever.
JOY to the ransomed nations!
The foe, the ravening lion,
Is bound in chains while Jesus reigns
King of the earth in Zion.
JOY to the Church triumphant,
The Savior’s throne surrounding!
They see His face, adore His grace,
O’er all their sin abounding —
Crowned with the mighty victor,
His royal glory sharing;
Each fills a throne, His name alone
To heaven and earth declaring.”
In the proclamation of the gospel, which is our present theme, we have the perfect contrast to the giving of the law. God, in making known the full gospel of His grace, after the death and resurrection of Christ, commands that it be preached, not to one nation only, but to all the nations of the earth. “According to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” (Rom. 16:26.) The middle wall of partition was broken down by the cross, and the barriers of the ancient economy swept away. The gospel of God’s grace now flows on like the rising wave, and overflows all Jewish limits — all lands. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Rom. 5:20.
The good news of a full and free salvation, through faith in Christ, is thus preached to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. “Be it known therefore unto you,” said Paul to his brethren the Jews, “that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.” (Acts 28:28.) Nothing can be wider in its aspect than our Lord’s commission to His disciples. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:16.) Neither is it addressed to us in the form of a promise, but of a proclamation. This makes an immense difference. Salvation is preached as a present reality to all who own Christ by faith, and put their trust in Him. At the same time, it is also true that all the promises are ours in Christ, from the moment that we have faith in His name. As in the case of Rebekah; when she consented to marry Isaac, she became a joint-heir with him of Abraham’s riches. But had she refused Isaac, she must have remained penniless, so far as Abraham was concerned. All depended on her accepting Isaac — all depends on our receiving Christ. This is the point of all importance. The apostle presents it in the plainest manner possible. “Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 13:38.) Forgiveness is not promised, observe, on certain conditions, but preached, or proclaimed, through Christ, to all who hear its joyous sound. Those, of course, who believe the glad tidings are forgiven. They are plainly told so. And to make assurance, as it were, doubly sure, the apostle adds, “And by him, all that believe are justified from all things.” If the word of God, thus distinctly and fully set before us, is believed, peace, as a matter of course, must be enjoyed.
The responsibility of hearing such a gospel is indeed great, and the results are beyond all conception important; they are eternal, either in a state of happiness or misery.
If the gospel of the grace of God be thus proclaimed to all. and the salvation which it brings free to all, it necessarily follows, that all who hear it, must, in God’s sight, be either receivers or rejecters of His love. There is no middle ground in Scripture. The merely careless hearer may not think that he is either despising or rejecting the offer of salvation; but, surely, to be indifferent in a matter of such unspeakable interest to God, and of such unspeakable importance to man, is, in some respects, the most guilty treatment of the message. To hear plainly set forth the pressing invitations of redeeming love—the great work of Christ for us — the value of the immortal soul — the ineffable blessedness of heaven — the unutterable torments of hell, and, after all, to go away in a state of careless indifference, is, in the strongest sense, to despise what has been said.
Many, we are aware, go to hear the gospel or a sermon, as a religious duty, and when they have done so, think themselves all the better for doing it. They are satisfied with having been present on such an occasion; but the thought of being responsible for either accepting or refusing the message, never enters their mind. This, alas! is the lamentable condition of thousands. But we must not forget to add, that the fault may not be altogether in the hearers. That which they have been listening to, may be little calculated either to arrest the attention, or touch the heart and conscience. All that has been said may be true, but unsuitable for the unconverted, and unfitted to awaken the soul that is asleep in sin. Hence the solemn responsibility of the preacher! Lord, grant to all thy workmen, the needed love, zeal, and earnestness for this great work, that they may be “pure from the blood of all men.”
We would now make a few remarks as to the gospel itself; and in the first place we would refer to The Source of the Gospel.
It is called “the gospel of God,” (Rom. 1:1,) which means that it has its source in God. It is also called “the gospel of Christ” because it reveals Him; but here the apostle is speaking of the Author of the gospel, not its subject. This is a great and blessed truth, and one of immense power in the work of evangelization. He who is the object of man’s natural fear and dread, reveals Himself as the fountain of all His blessing. It is the first thought in the first epistle. And this epistle, too, more than any other, is addressed to both Jew and Gentile —to man as such. Its solemn address is to “the whole world.” But before God’s judgment is given on man’s condition, His love to man himself is fully revealed. The lost sinner is assured that the spring of his salvation is the heart of God — that the One whom he so fears — so seeks in every way to avoid, is the Author of all his mercies, and the One who meets him in the gospel with all the blessings of His grace. What a thought! What a truth! What a gospel! The God of all grace goes out in His own goodness — in the activities of His own nature, with the joyous message of salvation to the chief of sinners. But still He holds to the one way — “through this man.” This is the only way. No blessing can come to any sinner bat through Christ — in Christ — with Christ. “What think ye of Christ?” is the Father’s one question. His grand object in the gospel, is the honor and glory of His Son. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This is the test. God will never yield this point to the sinner.
Hence it is that many quickened souls go without peace for years, and, in many cases, all their earthly days. The Scriptures say, plainly enough, “Through this man” — “By him.” Own Christ — honor Christ — look to Christ — confide in Christ — give Him your thoughts — your affections — your worship — and what then? Why, every blessing that is in the Father’s heart to give is yours. He will bless you with Christ’s own portion—with that which is due to Him; He will make you — what? “An heir of God, a joint-heir with Christ.” But, of course, the truth must be believed before it can be enjoyed. And herein lies the point at issue between God and the soul. The doubting, unhappy soul says, “ If I could feel that these blessings were mine — “O, if I could only realize that I am interested in them, I should be the happiest soul on earth.” Such a case has been so often stated, and so often answered, that it is not a little humbling to have to face it again and again; nay, daily and hourly. And still there is no answer but the old one — “Look to Jesus, and believe God’s word.”
But so long as the soul keeps looking to its feelings, both Christ and the word of God, in a practical point of view, go for nothing. All that God reveals to us of His love — all that Christ has done and suffered for us — all that the Spirit bears witness to, are practically set aside, that the feelings may have undisputed authority over the poor, distressed, unhappy soul. What a fearful state of things this is, and yet it is the most common in Christendom! But God cannot alter His word. There it is written, “Kiss the Son” — be reconciled to the Son — be friends with the Son — make everything of the Son — and what then? Let the word of God answer: “Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.” And, surely, when God says, “ Blessed,” blessed it shall indeed be! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” (Eph. 1:3.) And, surely, Ο doubting, fearing soul, Christ is fit to be trusted, whatever our feelings may be — nay, in spite of our feelings; ought we not to be ashamed of ourselves, when we cannot trust the One that loves us, and died for us, and lives again in power and glory. And if we do but simply trust Him, the feelings will come all right. Let every doubt and fear then perish — yes, perish forever, in the presence of a love which nothing could turn aside from its object — in the presence of a work that is finished — in the presence of a Savior who has all power in heaven and on earth; and whose love knows no change.
(To be continued, if the Lord will.)