READ Acts 26 ACT 26
THE peculiarity of the gospel is its activity towards man; dealing with individuals to whom it is addressed, and not merely propagating opinions.
The gospel deals with man individually, and goes out actively towards man; neither Judaism nor heathenism ever did this. The character of the gospel is, as when Paul preached it, that it “turned the world upside down.”
Nothing was to stand before it; nothing could be allowed with it; Judaism, heathenism, philosophy: it overturned all. It brought in the claims of God upon individuals. It not only brought truth about God and man, but it showed those addressed to be in a certain position towards God. The gospel comes and says, "You are lost"; and this does turn the world upside down.
It is a new thing for them to be told, “You are all wrong." Paul did this. He stated soberly what it was, gave proofs of it, but could not convince man's mind. He treated every living soul as a sinner, a child of disobedience, a child of wrath. That must be from God, not man, and it turns the world upside down. Paul was sent out to all the world, and so were others also (1 Cor. 15:1010But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)). 1CO 15:1010But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10) His mission was peculiar; and he brought the claims of God before men, calling every one to repent, warning them that they were all away from God, and telling them to submit to the gospel.
It is a solemn thing for a man to stand up and say, "You are all lost." And that is what Christianity tells us is the state of all by nature; and yet it comes in grace. It is not law; the law never did that. What is the good, you may say, of telling men they are lost? Why not leave it to the Day of Judgment?
This would not be grace; it would do for law, but not for grace. There was most important truth conveyed in the law concerning the one true God; but He was hidden behind the veil. He sent out to tell man what He was, but He hid Himself in thick darkness. He never revealed Himself under the law. He gave a law telling men what they should be, but did not reveal Himself. He would not have put man to the test if He had, for "God is love," and love could not deal in law. If God had revealed Himself, He would have said, "You are perfect sin; but I am perfect love, and can put away your sins." "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" (Rom. 5:2020Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (Romans 5:20)). ROM 5:2020Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (Romans 5:20)
The gospel tells your not only that you have done wrong, hut that you are a sinner in the presence of a God who reveals Himself. It comes revealing God in such a way that the contrast between Himself and you is brought to light; sin is shown to be contrary to light. "Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:1919And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)). JOH 3:1919And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)Christ never turned away any; but He did not cover over man's sin; He brought it to light. There is truth as well as grace. "Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)). JOH 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17) He came presenting God to the conscience of man, and laid it open and bare before Him. Why should God trouble Himself about my sins, and not leave it all till the clay of judgment? It is all grace that makes you conscious of what you are in His presence now. There is quickening or life-giving power from Him, which, however terrible the conviction arising from it, brings a longing for holiness when I have not got it. There is a new nature that cannot get peace for itself; it has the desire after holiness, but knows it has not got it. It is there, heavy laden, though delighting in God and desiring Him.
There is a consciousness of a burden, but no power to get from under it. There must be something else. The gospel brings salvation to the person for whom it is wrought. There must be righteousness, hut the new nature is not righteousness. I have to find out, not only what is in my heart, but what is in God's heart about me. Confessing my faults will not make me happy. Can I he happy, if I have offended my Father, because I feel sorry about it, without knowing what His thought about me is? The gospel brings knowledge of divine love in salvation. The gospel is the perfect, full answer from God to the desires He has produced. In a word, it is salvation.
When the gospel came to Paul he was full of himself, self-righteousness and self-complacency. He had been spending his life ii doing things to make himself righteous ill God's sight, and then found out that it was all in vain, and that “the carnal mind [or, the mind of the flesh] is enmity against God (Rom. 8). ROM 8 Self had been the object of all his life. He had been spending all his activities to drive God out of the world, and hinder the gospel of His grace; if he could have done it, he would. That is the character of every one by nature: though not so energetic as Paul, men are the enemies of God.
At enmity with God, man is also righteous in his own sight, and how will he like to hear his own righteousness called "filthy rags"? "He eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners” was the complaint against God. Will He go to the sinners, and slight their righteousness? Will they have such a God as that? Paul was an enemy of God, when in his own sight he was righteous. He wanted his eyes opened, and that is what he got. "When it pleased God to reveal His Son in me" (Gal. 1:15-1615But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (Galatians 1:15‑16)). GAL 1:15-1615But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (Galatians 1:15‑16)
Two things must accompany each other: the revelation of God's Son, and the knowledge, by that revelation, of ourselves. Paul had all manner of truth before, but God was not revealed to him. So you, too, may have plenty of truth and doctrine, and not know God. If God is revealed to me, it is because I have not known Him before. Could you be conscious of being in the presence of God (every one is in His presence, but could you be conscious of it) and not know what you are? When the eye is open, we see with the truth of God.
Philosophers argue about God, but of what value are the thoughts of man about Him? Think of a man with plenty of money being told the Lord was to come to-morrow! What would he think of his money? Would he not hide it? We live the life of fools in this world (I do not mean Christians, but in our natural state); and what is more, we know it, and we do not like to know it. "The fool hash said in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:44Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. (Psalm 14:4)). PSA 14:44Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. (Psalm 14:4) You must take a child to get the simple expectation of good from this world: men do not expect it; they know they are pursuing what cannot satisfy them.
In verse 17 of this chapter we get a new starting-point. Paul was one to whom the gospel came thus; his enmity having thus reached its height, he was turned from "darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God." Paul tasted the perfect grace of God, that left not a thought of sin between Him and Paul. "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." He saw Christ, and was taken up in the midst of his enmity and sin, and made an apostle of "to turn men from darkness to light.”
We are not only living in darkness, but we arc darkness until our eyes are opened. The sun does not give light to a blind man; and such are we till our eyes are opened. When a person sees with the eyes of God both as to himself and as to light, this is repentance, not salvation yet; and a sinner needs salvation. You must be at home with God to have confidence; you must know Him.
The consciousness that we want God, and the consciousness of knowing Him, are different things. It is what God has done for man that is salvation, not what He has done in man. We can tell men they are lost, because we know we are saved. When I have got the remedy, and know it will cure, I can tell of it. I know there are sins; but I have got Christ, I have got something beyond the new nature that longs for holiness. I have forgiveness: no mention of sin against the man who believes in Christ.
The gospel not only tells men they need forgiveness, but it tells them they have it;, not a single spot, all the sins gone. Any Christian can say he has it, who knows and believes the gospel.
But how can you say that? you ask.
Does not God say so? Perhaps you are not caring' for it? It is terrible if you are not; terrible that God should spend His Son, and you not care about it! This is worse than breaking the law, for the blood was shed to wash away that sin. Now when atonement has been made, and is rejected, or treated with indifference, what can be done? For "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins" (Heb. 10:2626For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:26)). HEB 10:2626For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Hebrews 10:26)
By the gospel we announce the forgiveness of your sins, and a perfect righteousness wrought out for you. Have you got it? Do you think God has spent His Son to atone for our sins, and work out this righteousness, and we not need it? If you need it, have you got it? Nay, do you know you want it? Have you ever been in the presence of God? The blind man does not know his state. When God has clothed a man, he is not naked. God clothed Adam with skins. When a man has put on Christ, surely it may be said, "By grace ye are saved" (Eph. 2:55Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:5)). EPH 2:55Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:5) Christ has wrought out a righteousness, in which we can be in the presence of God, and in which He can Himself sit on the throne of God. He has clothed me with divine righteousness, as well as given me forgiveness, and He preaches peace. I know, when clothed, I have perfect peace.
After this there is the full and blessed result in glory. What Christ is entitled to we get.
He has a title to everything, and I have a portion with Him in all that He has. The work which has earned the glory for Him, as Son of Man, gives it to me. When He conies we shall come with Him in the glory. There is the “inheritance"; hut what is better, we are to be with Him who is the universal Heir. He has finished the work for salvation. For whom?
For me; for every believer.
Do you say, Ought not I to wait till I am in the glory before I believe that I am cleansed from all sin? Surely not. The angels will see it then; but we, are not we to see the salvation?
We do when we have faith. Those who only expect to see it when they get there will not see it at all. Ought I to wait till then to know the cross of Christ? The effect of knowing it is forgiveness. Am I to wait to know righteousness then? The only way to have it is to see Him by faith, while we cannot see Him by sight.
The gospel reveals the answer of God to my soul, that what I want I have in Christ: forgiveness, righteousness, life, peace, glory. My sins are borne away already, and my title to glory is just as perfect as when I get there.
How can you walk with God, if you have not peace, if you have not forgiveness, if you are not cleansed from sin? Could Adam walk with God when his conscience told him he had sinned? No. But the gospel brings salvation, as it is said: “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men '' (Titus 2:1111For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (Titus 2:11)). TIT 2:1111For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (Titus 2:11) Now, have you got salvation?
If your eyes are open you will want it; have you got it? God does not deceive you. He does not say you are saved if you are not. The craving after it is not the answer to it. If He has given the craving, He will complete the work; but it is not the answer.
If you say, How can I tell? You have not submitted to the righteousness of God; you are going about to establish your own righteousness by the fruits of grace you find in yourself, and so to get a proof of your standing before God.
But will fruits of grace give you forgiveness, righteousness? They are not the blood of Christ; they are not Christ. How can they cleanse from sin? God delights in the fruits of grace, but they cannot put away sin. IT IS THE WORK OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS WHICH ALONE DOES TH NT. God has set Him at His own right hand; and when I believe it, I see how God has loved me.
May you be in yourself so broken down that you may find One who never breaks down. Grace reigns through righteousness, and will produce all manner of fruits through our Lord Jesus Christ.
J. N. D.
The Lord Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He is the only peace-maker between God and man, the only peace-giver; hence He is called the Prince of peace. Some of you may think you have peace, because you do not feel particularly unhappy; but it is not so. If you awoke at midnight, and found your bedroom brilliantly illuminated, above any brightness you ever beheld, you would tremble, you would fear and dread, lest the Lord were come, because you have not peace with God. When you place a friend in the grave, and think how soon you may be laid there yourself, you are not happy, you have not peace. Why? Because you have not come to the Lord Jesus, and been reconciled to God by His death. You have no peace, because you will not come to Jesus. The vilest sinner may come. Publicans and harlots do come, and Jesus washes their crimson sins in His blood, and says to them, Go in peace! Nothing can be more simple.
H. H. S.