The more deeply we ponder the opening words of Nicodemus, the more fully we must see how very far he was from apprehending the glory of the Person of Christ, the object of His mission to this world, or his own real condition, as one dead in trespasses and sins. Our blessed Lord was very much more than " a teacher come from God." He was Himself God over all blessed forever; and it is the special object of the Holy Ghost, in this marvelous Gospel of John, to sot Him before us in all His personal glory. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men."
And then, as to the object of His mission to this world. Was it to teach mankind some new system of doctrine or morals? No; it was to impart life—that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested in the Son. Man was dead, morally, spiritually dead. There was not so much as a single pulsation of spiritual life in man. It was not merely a question of conduct, of what man was doing. As to this, there might be endless shades of difference. The conduct and character of Nicodemus would, no doubt, contrast strongly with that of the woman of Sychar; but there was no more life in him than in her. Their condition was one and the same—they were dead. Neither the one nor the other had the smallest perception of the glory of Christ's Person, or the object of His mission to this dark and sinful world. True, Nicodemus had a character and a reputation to maintain. The woman of Sychar, on the contrary, felt herself so degraded, that she chose a time for coming to draw water when she might escape the public gaze. Her character was blasted and gone. She stood on the very lowest step of the social ladder. Nicodemus stood on the very highest. Her society would be shunned.; his would be courted by all who had a care for their fair name, or for the good opinion of society.
But, then, when these two, so unlike in outward conduct, stood in the presence of Him who was the light of the world, all distinction vanished, because the deep moral roots of their common nature were revealed in the power of a light which makes everything manifest.
It is of the very last possible importance for the reader to lay hold of this great foundation truth—to see that the real question is not so much what we have been doing, as what we are. No doubt the former has its place and its importance; for, most assuredly, men will be judged according to their works; and the wrath of God cometh upon men for certain deeds; there will also be the few stripes and the many. See Eph. 5:5, 6; Col. 3:5, 6; Rev. 20:12, 13; Luke 12:47, 48.
All this is most clearly established by the word; but it leaves wholly untouched the truth of our common ruin. We have our individual sins, but we are all born in sin; and " there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the, glory (4. God," The moment you take " the glory of God" as the standard by which every ruin must be judged, you can see at once that all distinctions lade away. God can accent nothing short tied which comes up to the perfect standard of His own glory. The apostle does not say, ".All have sinned, and come short of their duty—-short, of the requirements of the law—short of the claims of conscience." Not any one of these things could furnish the true touchstone or test for man. It is the glory of God, and whatever comes not up to that high and holy standard must be utterly rejected. A man may say that he Las tried to do his best—to do his duty—to live according to the dictates of his conscience—to live up to his light. But the question is, " Have you lived up to the glory of God?" Would God be glorified in accepting you on the ground of what you are, or of what you have done? Would it be to His glory to admit you into His presence, on the plea that you have in all things met His claims?
This, we may rest assured, is the only true way to view this great question. It will avail nothing to talk of our duty, nor yet to compare ourselves one with another. If Nicodemus had compared himself with the woman of Sychar, he might have found some plausible ground on which to plume himself'; but if he measured himself by the standard of the glory of God, his righteousness would appear as " filthy rags," and he would have no difficulty whatever in bowing down to that leveling, humbling, sweeping statement, " there is no difference."
Now this " no difference" doctrine is most unpalatable to all those who pride themselves on their reputation, and are seeking to work out a righteousness for themselves by their good works, their alms-deeds, prayers, religious services, church and chapel going, high-toned morality, benevolence, philanthropy, and such like. Such people cannot bow to the " no difference" principle. They cannot endure the thought or wing classed with the very scum of society. They Mum), believe that all are alike. They will maintain, and contend for it, that there is a difference.
And why is this? Simply because they are measuring themselves by a false standard. This being so, they must reach a false result. If I measure a web of cloth by a false yard-measure, can I possibly get a correct idea of its length? Assuredly not. Nor is it otherwise with all those who refuse to submit to the judgment of God as given in scripture, namely, that " there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." They judge by a false rule. They " measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves among themselves;" and in so doing, as the apostle tells us, " are not wise." No one can form a prop:)r estimate of himself by comparing himself with his fellows. It is only in the divine presence we can get a true view of ourselves. " Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for"- what? " I have compared myself with others? I have measured myself by a human standard?" Nothing of the kind; but " mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Had Isaiah compared himself with others, he might have found ample cause for self-gratulation; but when lie saw himself in the light of the glory of God, he had but one thing to say of himself, namely, '' I am, undone." He saw himself and his surroundings to be stamped and stained with 'uncleanness, because he stood in the full blaze of a light which makes all things manifest.
Now, it was a ray of the same light and of the same glory that fell upon the heart of Nicodemus, when Jesus uttered those words in his hearing, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." This was a most marvelous utterance for a man of the Pharisees, a ruler of the Jews, a teacher in Israel. It was brief, no doubt; but, oh, how full! how deep! how pointed! how comprehensive! There was no getting over it, or under it, or out of it. It went down to the very deepest roots of man's condition, and there applied the sharp ax of God's eternal truth. It declared, in the very plainest terms, that " there is no difference." If "« man" must be born again, it is perfectly evident that there can be no difference. He does not say that some men must be born again—men of peculiarly scandalous lives, depraved and demoralized in their thoughts and habits. Had our Lord said this, Nicodemus would at once have understood Him. But no; lie speaks of "man," as such—of the race—of fallen humanity. He states the absolute necessity of a new birth for everyone, not merely for a woman of Sychar, but for a man of the Pharisees.
Here, then, most assuredly, we have the "no difference" principle thoroughly established.. It matters not what a man may possess in the way of human righteousness, moral character, standing, or reputation. If he must be born again, if he must get a new life, a new nature, he possesses no real advantage beyond the very lowest, vilest, and most degraded member of the human race, inasmuch as the one as well as the other must be born again. Were it merely a question of moral reform, a man of good character might plume himself on the ground that lie wanted little, if any, improvement. A Pharisee could say, " God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." But then, if this Pharisee, as well as the publican, needed to be born again, where lay the difference? If there must be a new life communicated, a new nature imparted, the one was just as far off as the other. The absolute, indispensable, necessity of the new birth, in every ease, proves, beyond all possible question, the utter and hopeless ruin of man—of every man—of the writer and the reader of these lines. It is not reformation, in any shape or form, whether for the Pharisee or the publican, but a new birth, a new life, a new nature, a new creation. The most improved, cultivated, polished, and religious man, in nature, is as far from the kingdom of God as the most degraded sinner on the face of the earth.
Reader, do you accept this doctrine? Do you accept it in its application to yourself? It is very humbling. It leaves not the breadth of a hair of standing-ground for man in nature, be he who or what he may. It matters not, in the smallest degree, what a man may have to boast of or glory in, he has nothing which he can carry with him into the kingdom of God; for in that kingdom " all things are of God." " If any man be in Christ he is a new creation." It is not the old thing improved, but the new thing imparted. It is not a new piece put upon the " old garment," whether that piece be moral reform, self-improvement, religiousness, or even the profession of Christianity. It must be an entirely new thing. " That which is born of the flesh is flesh." It is of no value whatsoever in the sight of God. " The flesh profiteth nothing." " They that are in the flesh cannot please God." John 6; Rom. 8
These are most solemn and startling statements. We press them, with much earnestness, upon the attention of the reader. The devil is seeking, in every possible way, to cast dust in people's eyes, so that they may not see the -full moral force and practical bearing of this great truth upon themselves. The devil has no objection to moral reform or religiousness without Christ; nay, he will most sedulously seek to promote both the one and the other. He likes well to see men trying to improve themselves, and even to see them turning pious, provided they do not turn to Christ.
But this weighty truth respecting the new birth he will not have. He will cushion and quash it by all means in his power. He will give you plenty of religious forms and ceremonies. He will allow you to go in for the very highest type of ritualism. He will permit you to engage largely in the wide range of religious organization. You may spend your fortune, your time, and your energies, in what is called church endowment. Anything and everything, in short, but this—" You must be born again."
How needful, then, it is, how deeply important, for each one of us to put the question to his own heart, " Have I been born again?" Everything hangs upon the answer we give to this question. If we have not experienced the new birth—if we have not been "born of water and the Spirit," that is, by the word of God applied to our souls by the power of the Holy Ghost -then are we, in very truth, dead in trespasses and sins, far off from God, on our way to eternal perdition. It matters not in the smallest degree what place we hold in the social circle, or in the religious world. I may be a person of blameless morals, unblemished reputation, high up in the religious world, a preacher, a teacher, a pastor, respected by all—perhaps judged by all to be a true Christian—and yet, if I have not been born again, the Lord Christ declares I cannot see or enter the kingdom of God; and if I am not in the kingdom of God, I am in the kingdom of darkness, the kingdom of Satan; and all my moral qualities, social virtues, and religious advantages, are but the trappings by which Satan seeks to blind my eyes to the truth and reality of my present condition and future destiny.
Now, reader, is not all this most solemn? And does it not behoove us to make sure work of it, as to how we stand in respect to this momentous question—" Am I born again?" It does seem perfectly marvelous how anyone can go on for a single hour in a state of uncertainty as to this. Here we are, with an open Bible before us, with all its solemn, weighty, and lucid statements as to the certain doom of all who die out of Christ—all who die under the headship of the first Adam—die in their sins—die without having been born again. Men may seek to reason, and argue, and oppose. They may try to set aside the truth, the awful truth of eternal punishment; but it is of no use; scripture is against them. The word of God declares in manifold places that man is immortal as to his soul—he must live forever. Where is he to live? Where is he to spend eternity? Reader, what say you? 'Where? If you are not born again, you cannot enter the kingdom of God; and if outside the kingdom of God, whether it be with all the advantages of a Nicodemus, or in all the degradation and shame of a woman of Sychar, still you are outside that heavenly kingdom—the kingdom of God's dear Son; and, if outside of that, you are inside, and part of, the kingdom of darkness, over which Satan rules as god and prince.
Beloved reader, do let us entreat of you, ere we close this paper, not to put off the settlement of this great question. Do not any longer go on in uncertainty. Rest not until you can say with holy certainty, I have passed from death unto life"—" I have turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven"—" I know I have eternal life"—" I am in Christ."
God grant that this may be the language of every reader of " Things New and Old!" May the Holy Spirit clothe His own word with power to the heart and conscience of each one who shall take up the present number! This is our heart's deep and earnest desire, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.