“And if thou wilt make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou halt polluted it. Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon " (Ex. 20:25, 2625And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. (Exodus 20:25‑26)). EXO 20:25-2625And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. 26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon. (Exodus 20:25‑26)
WORKS must flow from salvation. There must be first the fountain, and then the stream; first the tree, and then the fruit; first the fire in the grate, then the smoke from the chimney; first the seed in the ground, and then the crop above ground.
There must be inshining on God's part before there can be the outshining on our part.
There must be inpouring on His part before there can possibly be outpouring on our part.
And yet such is the ignorance and perversity of poor, fallen man, that he tries to lift hand or foot in the matter of his soul's salvation,, because he does not see, or will not see, that God has been before him at the cross of His own Son, and that everything that God required for His glory, and man needed for his salvation, has been done once for all there.
Take two illustrations, one from the Old Testament, and the other from the New.
1. Look at Jonah in the great fish's belly three days and three nights, the waters compassing him about, the depths closing him round, the weeds wrapping themselves round his head, the bottoms of the mountains, the earth and her bars about him forever! What could he do there? He could lift neither hand nor foot, but in conscious guilt and helplessness he cried, "SALVATION IS OF THE LORD,” and immediately the fish vomited out Jonah upon the dry land of God's everlasting salvation, where not a drop of God's judgment would ever be able to reach him. Jonah lifted neither hand nor foot in the matter of his salvation. God did it all, and wrote as it were upon the very forehead of Jonah's salvation, "ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD" (2 Cor. 5:17, 1817Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18)). 2CO 5:17-1817Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:17‑18)
2. Look at the penitent thief on the cross, and listen to his confession: “We receive the due reward of our deeds "; his vindication of Christ: “This Man hath done nothing amiss "; his request:" Remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom "; and Christ's answer: “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise." What a blessed case of conversion in the teeth of death, and on the verge of eternity! But what did that poor thief do towards it? Nothing I His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, and he was therefore totally unable to lift either hand or foot. JESUS DID IT ALL, and the thief got the benefit of it, all through casting himself just as he was upon Jesus and His redeeming work. And what a crown to it all, the Saviour and the sinner that very same day together in the paradise of God!
Does this little paper meet the eyes of one whose cry is, "What must I do to be saved?” Then listen to God's answer: " Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house"; for be assured that in the momentous matter of your precious soul's everlasting salvation God will suffer you to LIFT NEITHER HAND NOR FOOT.
H. M. H.