There is an expression in Matt. 13 in reference to the wayside hearers, which the reader will do well to ponder, “When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not.”
How many there are of this class! How many come under the sound of the word without having the least idea of applying their hearts to the understanding of it! They attend the preaching-place, and hear the word, as a matter of course—a piece of religious routine; but they have no perception of the truth; they have no interest in it. It shoots over their heads, and they heed it not. If such persons are asked, at the close of the preaching or reading, “Do you understand what you have been hearing?” Not they. They have not gotten a single definite idea; and the consequence is that Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
This is peculiarly solemn, and ought to act very powerfully on the consciences of all who hear or read the word of God. It is a most serious thing to be brought, in any way, into contact with the divine word. People may regard it as a light thing to attend a preaching, or to read the Bible in the family circle; but it is very far indeed from that. On the contrary, it involves a most weighty responsibility, for which all will have to answer. The man, woman, or child, who hears the word of God read or faithfully spoken, is placed, by that simple fact, under the very heaviest responsibility which any mortal can incur.
It is vain to say they do not understand it, and therefore cannot be held accountable. Why do they not? Have they ever tried? Have they ever bent their mind earnestly to it? Have they ever made one earnest effort to understand it? Where is the obscurity? Holy scripture is plain, lucid, and distinct in its statements. There is no excuse on this score. And we may assert, without fear of contradiction, that no one yet ever truly desired to understand the word, to whom the power to understand was not freely imparted. A man may seek to screen himself behind the plea that he cannot understand divine things without divine teaching. But whose fault is this? Is the sinner responsible, or is he not? At whose door does the guilt lie? If man—any man—the writer or the reader of these lines, is not responsible, then on what ground will the judgment proceed? Clearly, if there is no responsibility, there can be no judgment. This seems perfectly unquestionable.
True it is—most true—the measure of responsibility varies, and so does the consequent ground of judgment. The heathen are responsible for rejecting the testimony of creation. The Jew is responsible for breaking the law. And the hearer of the word of the kingdom is responsible for rejecting or neglecting it. Will it be argued that the heathen do not understand the voice of creation, or that the Jew does not understand the voice of the law? Why not? Where is the obscurity? Is it not most obvious that the real ground of the difficulty lies, not in the character of the testimony, but in the condition of the heart? Yea, verily; and hence it follows that man is justly exposed to judgment; and the judgment will in every case be according to the measure of responsibility, and the measure of the responsibility incurred is according to the measure of the light imparted.
It is precisely here, we are increasingly persuaded, that one grand and most serious defect of Calvinistic theology is apparent. Human responsibility is not maintained. The disciples of this school of divinity do not see how divine sovereignty, man’s utter depravity, the absolute necessity of the operation of the Holy Ghost in conversion, can comport with man’s solemn responsibility. But the humble disciple of Christ, who has learned to bow, with meekness and reverence, to the divine teaching of holy scripture, finds no difficulty whatever in the matter. To such an one all is plain, because laid down with unquestionable authority in the word of God.
It is of the utmost importance that the reader should thoroughly seize the great moral roots of this question. We may depend upon it, there is a great deal more involved in it than mere theology: the true state of the heart is involved. A man may say, with great apparent plausibility, “If I cannot understand the word of the kingdom, why am I held accountable? Why should I be judged for not doing what God knows I have no power to do?” This is the ground constantly taken by those who reject the gospel, and go on in a life of sin and folly—a life of utter forgetfulness of God, of eternity, and of their own salvation. But the ground is as false as anything can be; and its utter falseness will at once be seen, if applied to the heathen on the one hand, or to the Jew on the other.
If the reader will turn with us for a few moments to the opening of the Epistle to the Romans, he will see how this weighty question is handled and settled by the inspired apostle.
In the first chapter he takes up the state of the heathen, and proves their responsibility on the ground of the testimony given to all in the visible creation. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may he known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead; so that they are without excuse.”
Nothing can be plainer than this. Man, as such—man, looked at in the broadest aspect in which he can be viewed—the Gentile, apart from all special dispensational dealings, is here proved to be “without excuse,” and this simply on the ground of creation. In treating the question of Gentile responsibility, the apostle does not say one word about the law, for the simplest of all reasons, that the Gentiles were never put under the law at all; on the contrary, he says, “The Gentiles which have not the law.... are a law unto themselves.” Their state is described as “lawless,” that is, not under law. They are spoken of, not as transgressors, but “sinners of the Gentiles;” and, as St. John tells us, “sin is lawlessness.” In a word, the Gentiles are held accountable to listen to the voice of creation. It is on this ground they shall be judged, and not on the ground of the law; “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.” Rom. 2:1212For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (Romans 2:12).
But was there not sin from Adam to Moses? Yes, verily; and as a consequence death reigned. Still, sin and transgression are not the same thing. In order to have transgression, there must be a law. Now Adam had a law, and so had Israel; and hence we read in Hosea, “But they (Israel), like Adam, have transgressed the covenant” (chap. 6:7, margin). But from Adam to Moses there was, and could be, no transgression.
It seems strange that our translators should have rendered the word ἀνομία, (anomia), “the transgression of the law,” since any well-instructed school boy would know that the word is simply “lawlessness;” whereas their rendering would demand the Greek phrase, παράβασις του νόμου. But theology may often warp the judgment of the soundest scholar.)
Then, in chapter 3, the inspired apostle sums up the evidence in the case of the Jew—an overwhelming body of evidence, drawn from their own scriptures, in which they made their boast, and of which they claimed the exclusive possession. “What then? Are we (Jews) better (than the Gentiles)? No, in nowise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin.” And then, after various quotations from the Psalms, he adds, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God.”
Yes; all are guilty, though not on the same ground, or according to the same measure. The Gentile stands on his ground, and the Jew on his, each according to his responsibility. Every mouth shall be effectually stopped. All man’s proud reasonings shall be eternally hushed. All those who dare to reply against God—to sit in judgment upon His dealings—to call in question the enactments of His moral government—shall have their eyes open to see their fatal mistake—to see it when too late—to see it amid the everlasting torments of the lake of fire.
But there are those who incur a very much higher type of responsibility than the Jew or the Gentile. And who are they? Those who have heard the gospel of the grace of God—the glad tidings of a full salvation through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ—those who have heard the precious message of God’s free love to a lost world—heard, and rejected it—heard, and turned a deaf ear to it—those who have taken upon themselves the name of Christ, but know Him not, trust Him not, love Him not—mere baptized professors of Christianity. These incur the very heaviest responsibility, and shall have to meet the very heaviest judgment. For, just in so far as the testimony of Christ exceeds in value, importance, and moral glory, the testimony of creation; and in so far as the glorious gospel of the grace of God exceeds the law of Moses—just so far does the responsibility of the rejecter of the gospel exceed that of the Jew or the Gentile.
Hearken to these tremendous words from the pen of the blessed apostle: “The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.” (2 Thess. 1:7-97And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9).) And again: “For this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Chapter 2:11, 12.
Thus, then, we have three distinct degrees of responsibility, namely, the Gentile, the Jew, and the gospel rejecter. Each is left without excuse. Each must stand upon his own ground, and each will stand there speechless. There will be no replying against God when the reckoning time comes. Every mouth shall be stopped before the judgment-seat of Christ. Each will be judged according to his works; but the heaviest judgment, the darkest doom, the most direful punishment, is reserved for those who have rejected the glorious gospel of the grace of God.
And of this we may rest assured, that no wayside! nearer will then be found excusing himself on the plea that he could not understand “the word of the kingdom.” No, no; he will then see the folly and guilt of having allowed the devil to catch away the seed that was sown in his heart. It is only in this life that men argue, and reason, and reply. In that day which is rapidly approaching all such things will be hushed into eternal silence. All will be constrained to say, “We receive the due reward of our deeds.”
Oh! that men would rouse themselves to think of these things in this the day of God’s longsuffering. The storm is gathering. The door of mercy will soon be closed forever against those who have heard the sound of the gospel, or have had within their reach an open Bible; and from within that closed door will come forth those appalling words, “I never knew you; depart from me, ye workers of iniquity.”
(To be continued if the Lord will.)