What Is the Gospel of God?
Mr. Hope-to-be-saved. Good morning, Christian, I am glad to have the pleasure of your company. There are several things I wish to talk over with you. We seem to live in strange times. A sort of feeling of uncertainty as to what is coming next.
Christian. There certainly is all that you say, and more; only if our minds were truly subject to God’s word, we need not be in any doubt as to what is about to take place. But before we look at the future, suppose we ask the question, What has taken place? What is the present state of Christendom?
Hope-to-be-saved. Well, I must say, though I have been told over and over again, that things are getting better, I am compelled to say, the very things I look to -I mean man’s churches are crumbling to pieces. What do you think about it?
Christian. Looking at this matter in the light of scripture, the present scene presents a sad picture. But to begin at the foundation; every observant Christian must have felt that a remarkable darkness has fallen upon the people of protestant countries during these last few years. Not but that the path of the Just One, Christ, shines brighter and brighter, unto the perfect day. And the increase of light, and blessing, is as remarkable as the darkness around. And we may say, even as to the gospel itself, if you will only visit the mass of professors, talk with them, as yen travel by rail or boat, you will find that, as to man’s state, and God’s righteous salvation, protestant countries are fast sinking into the darkness of the middle ages, as men call them.
Hope-to-be-saved. You surprise me. I thought everybody, at least in England, knew what the gospel is!
Christian. Well, my dear friend, will you tell me what you think the gospel is?
Hope-to-be-saved. Why in a few words the gospel is this: we must believe in Christ, and do the best we can, you know. A man must have faith and good works, too, or he never can be saved, that’s clear, is it not? The best illustration I ever heard of the way to be saved, as I understand it, was this. There was a very celebrated preacher, who thought that faith in Christ was enough for salvation; and this preacher, John, was in a boat on a river, with another old preacher. “Now,” says the old preacher, “John, take that oar, and pull as hard as you can” John did pull, and lo, the boat began going round and round, in a circle. “Now John,” says the old preacher, “lay that oar down”; and John did so. “Now, John, take this other oar, and pull at this other side,” when behold, the boat began to go round and round at the other side. “The first oar,” says the old preacher, “is faith, and this second oar is works. Don’t you see, John? if you have only faith in Christ, you can never be saved, And if you have only good works, you can never be saved. But if you have both faith and good works, then you pull, and sail gloriously up the river of salvation.” From that day, Preacher John preached faith and good works, for salvation; and so do thousands of his followers; and that is what I understand to be the gospel; and that is how I hope to be saved. Don’t you think this is the gospel?
Christian. No doubt it may be the gospel of Preacher John. It is a fair picture of the gospel of many; of the great mass now. And it would be most difficult to show the shade of difference betwixt it, and the gospel of Romanists. But it would be almost impossible to find anything more unlike the gospel of God.
Hope-to-be-saved. How? in what way?
Christian. In every way. Don’t you see that if you could be saved in that way, then when you arrive in heaven, you could shout “Worthy am I, and Christ!” or, “Worthy the Lamb, and worthy am I.” Which would you put first?
At all events, one oar had as much to do with it as the other — therefore this gospel would just exalt man one half, and rob Christ one half; only, as many say, “We must do our part, and then He will do His. The more we love God, the more He will love us.” Does not this say, “I must be first, and Christ second?”
Hope-to-be-saved. I never thought of it in that way. I don’t like the thought of robbing Christ, to exalt myself; but certainly if I pull one oar, that is, if salvation is just half my own work, it does look as if a half Savior would do for me. But, mast there not be good works?
Christian. Certainly; only let us look at that in its proper place. Don’t you know that God has sent us a letter on this very subject — THE GOSPEL OF GOD?
Hope-to-be-saved. You speak so strangely — at least it seems so to me; I don’t exactly know what you mean.
Christian. What I mean is this. Paul’s letter, or Epistle to the Romans, is so distinctly the Gospel of God, written so entirely by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we may read it as God speaking to us Himself. Surely I do not doubt the inspiration of all scripture, and all scripture is equally God’s message to man. But if you ask what is the gospel; the Romans answers, and unfolds, that special question.
Now in this letter you will not find man a puller -able to pull either one oar or the other. But man is described as lost, under three aspects or characters.
MAN IS
1. A sinner under judgment (Rom. 3).
2. Without strength (Rom. 5).
3. Shut up in unbelief Rom. 11).
God has met man’s need
1. In righteousness through redemption.
2. In love: for when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
3. In mercy.
To us Gentiles, to Saul of Tarsus, and in the future, to Israel, when sunk in unbelief. As he says to Timothy, “But I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief” (1 Tim. 1:1313Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. (1 Timothy 1:13)). And the same mercy will be shown to Israel in days to come; “For God hath concluded all [or shut all up together] in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all” (Rom. 11:3232For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Romans 11:32)). Now, if we take up these three aspects of man’s condition, and the way of God in His gospel in meeting each, we shall find man’s gospel, of doing his best and rowing with both bands, a simple denial of God’s gospel.
Hope-to be-saved. Well, do make it as plain as you can find words, for I can assure you it is a matter of all importance to me. I confess, my gospel never gives me real comfort; for I may just tell you, I never feel quite sure that I do do my best. Nay, I may say, I feel I don’t do my best; and so, how can I be sure I am saved? But where is the difference between my gospel and God’s gospel?
Christian. You say, “I must believe in Christ, and do my best.” God begins with you on the ground that you are lost — under sin and under judgment. But if you are able to do your best, or if you can row with both hands, you are not lost at all. Look at a man gliding through the waters, rowing so gracefully; do you call that a lost man? Is it not a very little savior a man needs that can row with both hands to heaven? No wonder so very little is heard of the Savior where man’s gospel is preached. Preacher John could row on the river with one hand, or with both; but the fact is, man is shut up under sin (Gal. 3:2222But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. (Galatians 3:22)), and without strength to be better (Rom. 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6), and 7:14). Yes, in this epistle, God tells you plainly, that there is no best in you — that there is no good in you; that there is no strength in you to be better; and fully describes the experience of a rower under law, utterly without strength, fairly sold under sin — under the judgment of God as guilty.
Hope-to-be-saved. Well, I don’t know whether all this is in scripture, for I mostly take for granted what the preacher says. One thing I do say, it is uncommonly like what I have found to be true in my experience.
Christian. No doubt, for God says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”; there is no difference. But let us now note very carefully how man denies the gospel of God.
God says, all the world is guilty before Him; or, as in the margin, Romans 3:1919Now 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 may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19), “subject to the judgment of God” — and the judgment, or wages of sin, is death. If a person told you that such a man was in prison, found guilty, under sentence of death — and you said, “Oh no, he is only on probation, and if he does his best he will never be executed” — would not this be a denial of the prisoner’s true condition? Now, if man is thus found guilty before God, and under judgment, to say, “No, he is still under probation, and if he does his best he will be saved” — is not this denying, at the outset, man’s true condition; and denying what God says about it?
And does not God say man is without strength? Yea, in due time, that is, when fifteen centuries had fully proved, in the history of the Jews, that man was without strength; then Christ died for the ungodly. Does not man deny all this, when he speaks of faith as a thing of his own; and as if he had strength to use it in one hand, and good works in the other? Is it not dreadful, thus to deny God’s truth, and deceive man about his real condition? Think of eternal perdition; think that you are not sure of another breath and to be deceived about a matter of such moment!
Hope-to-be-saved. How do you say God has met man’s lost condition, shut up under sin and judgment?
Christian. Nay, my dear sir, what I say is nothing -the righteousness of God has been clearly revealed in His gospel. Justification is free, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:2424Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24)). But, again, this redemption is flatly denied in man’s gospel. Let me try to illustrate this. Suppose you were a slave, shut up in slavery, as man is shut up in sin, and a real friend, though an unknown one, paid the price of your redemption — say £1,000 — he sends me to tell you, and as soon as you hear the news, you say, “Well, I must do my best to get Him to redeem me”; or, “I must do my part towards it. I must row with both hands to get redemption from slavery.” Would not all this be simply a denial that the redemption was actually accomplished?
Hope-to-be-saved. Well, but must I not pray for God to show mercy to me?
Christian. Can the slave, I ask, pray for redemption, if the money has been paid? And has not God shown mercy? Has not Jesus died, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God? The plain question is this, Has redemption been accomplished? If we pray for it to be done, we then deny that Jesus has come in the flesh. Has Jesus finished the blessed work of redemption on the cross? Has God been glorified forever about sin, by the death of the cross; so that He has also glorified Jesus, in raising Him from the dead, and receiving Him up to glory? Can you look up to heaven, and see Jesus crowned with glory by this very death of the cross, and then say, “No, He is only worthy of half a crown, and if I do my best, the, other half will be due to me?
Hope-to-be-saved. I think you forget that I said we must believe in Christ, and do — dear, I am almost ashamed to say — do our best, after all I have heard: but we do believe in Christ.
Christian. Don’t you know a cup of vinegar would spoil a pailful of milk? The work of Christ is absolute perfection. Is not all our doing mixed with sin? Nay, is not doing for salvation, the damning sin of unbelief; the very rejection of free pardon, through the once finished work of Christ? If you attempt to mix your sinful, imperfect works with Christ’s, is it not worse than vinegar mixed with milk? Redemption is accomplished. God has raised Jesus from the dead. “Therefore, through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses (Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38)). This is the very message of God to every lost sinner. Before ever the sinner can offer one prayer, this is God’s pardon, freely proclaimed through Jesus.
Hope-to-be-saved. And have I only to believe it? have I positively nothing to do?
Christian. Would you speak or reason or cavil thus, if as a poor condemned criminal, Her Majesty, the beloved Queen of these realms, were to send her free pardon? Would you cavil about only believing, or. would you question her truthfulness, by saying, “Have I nothing to do?” Surely if a Queen’s word is her word, God’s word is His word. And if you could rest on the bare word of the Queen, you must admit, that faith can rest on the Word of God.
Hope-to-be-saved. Oh! sir, if you knew how I have been schooled in the doctrine, that it is not enough to believe, but that man must fulfill certain conditions — that Christ did come and die for the whole world, but yet we must love God with all our hearts, and must keep His holy law, or we never can be saved. I am sure I want to be right; but what you call the gospel of God seems so free, and is all grace, and yet you say, righteousness too; I cannot tell you how different it is from all I have heard from a child; why if I really believed what you say, I should be filled with thank-fullness.
Christian. Nay, don’t say, if you believed what I say — it is simply if you believed God. It is God who speaks, who proclaims pardon, through Jesus alone. It is Satan who seeks to destroy, or at least neutralize, the gospel, by adding conditions, which man cannot fulfill. Let me give you a simple illustration — suppose a poor man, who has a garden, say a rood of land. Thomas, for so we will call him, has been long ill of spinal complaint. He leans one fine day over his garden gate, looking very sad; he has no seed to set in his garden, and he is completely without strength. Just a picture of man’s spiritual condition. A farmer, driving past, pulls up his gig, and says. “Thomas, I see you have not set your garden.” “No indeed, sir,” says Thomas, “I have not a single potato seed left to plant it with.” “Oh indeed,” says the farmer. “Well, I say, Thomas, you come up to my house to-morrow, and bring a sack, and you shall have it full, and welcome.” Kind-hearted farmer! what good is such a promise as this to a man who has neither a sack, nor a back that can carry a sack? The condition completely neutralizes the promise.
But now another farmer comes by. “Well, Thomas,” says be, “I see you have not set your garden yet? Thomas acknowledges the fact, with a downcast look. “Which is the lowest place in your hedge, Thomas?” says the farmer, “for I have plenty of potatoes to set your garden, and to spare, and I am just thinking I will put a sack in my light cart, and bring it down, and shoot it over your garden hedge.” And the farmer was as good as his word. The next day his promise was fulfilled.
Hope-to-be-saved. Oh, I think I begin to see; does it not say something about the grace of God that BRINGETH salvation, and something about the promise being sure?
Christian. That is just what the faith of Abraham looked at. The promise was sure. It was God who promised in pure grace. That is, unconditional favor. Yes, the apostle shows the promise made sure in Christ, more than 400 years before the system of conditions was made known (Gal. 3). The promise of a sack of seed was a good thing. But who could doubt the farmer’s kindness when they saw him bring the sack? The promise of God was very sure to faith. But what shall we say now that God has fulfilled the promise? Redemption is an accomplished fact. But the thought of condition must deny this; or at least leave the soul in doubt of it.
Hope-to-be-saved. Then have I nothing to do but to believe?
Christian. Why, now, what else can you do, if the work of redemption was done eighteen centuries before you were born-the whole question of sin settled and put away forever for all who believe?
Hope-to-be-saved. Have I not to come to Christ?
Christian. Well, if you please, bat would it not be more correct to say, Christ came down from heaven for you; yes, to the cross for you? and even now, by the Spirit, comes to you, bringing salvation? If you mean by coming to Christ, letting go every false hope, and finding full, everlasting rest in Christ by simple faith alone; then, God grant that you may come this moment!
Hope-to-be-saved. But, surely, must I not repent?
Christian. Oh, certainly; but you will never repent by looking at yourself. While Job looked at himself, he thought he was the best man in the gate of his city. But in Job’s last chapter he says, “but now mine eye seeth Thee, wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Look at Jesus on the cross; see there what sin is, and what it cost. Behold the HOLY, HOLY ONE, until like Job you judge and abhor yourself. Our blessed Jesus tells us the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. And don’t you read, that they believed God; and then proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even unto the least? The more simply you believe God, the more deep and real will be your repentance.
Hope-to-be-saved. Why, Christian, I thought you did not believe in repentance. Is it true, then, that repentance must go before salvation?
Christian. Ah, that is the point. Let us put it thus: Must I repent, and give up my sins, in order that I may find salvation, or that God may save me?
Hope-to-be-saved. Yes, just so.
Christian. Now, my dear Hope-to-be-saved, have you a little more time to spare? as I should like to tell you a little story, that happened to me, a few years ago, that will illustrate this point.
Hope-to-be-saved. I shall be delighted to hear it; indeed this repentance gives me great perplexity.
Christian. Very well then, I must tell you, I went a few years ago to my native village after a long absence. I remembered there was a man of the name of Frankey, who, when I was a boy, was always talking about repentance. I called to see the (now) old man, upwards of eighty. And after a little conversation about olden times, I said, “Well, Frankey, what is your prospect of eternity?” “Well, my lad,” said be, “we must begin in good earnest” (the same as his words forty years ago). “What must we begin to do? said I.” “Why,” said he, “we must repent deeply, for our sins, and weep over them.” “Let us see, Frankey,” said I, “how much rent do you pay for your bit of land?” “Forty pund, lad.” “You seem rather bad of rheumatics, Frankey?” “Aye, lad, I can’t walk across t’ floor.” “Well, Frankey, how much crying, and tears, would pay your rent?” “Oh lad, I might cry me een up, but crying would ne’er pay forty pund rent.” “That is true,” said I. “But. now, Frankey, if that gentleman who lives at the top of the hill were to pay your rent, and just lift up the door neck, and say, `Frankey, it’s done, I have paid your rent — I knew you were without strength — I have done it, and here is the receipt’: now, Frankey, what would you do then?” You should have seen how the old face brightened up. “Why, lad,” said he, “I should cry for joy, to think he had done such a thing.” “Yes, Frankey, and that is true repentance. It is the kindness of God, in the gift of His Son that leads to true repentance. Oh! to think that He has done such a thing! I don’t repent to get Him to do it; but because He has done it.” Poor old Frankey! there was darkness of long years of false teaching upon him. Never before had be seen that the work of redemption had all been done first. And the belief of this produces repentance.
Hope-to-be-saved. It is plain that Jesus did not die for our sins because we repented, but because God so loved us.
Christian. Yes, and so loved us when we were shut. up under sin, without strength to be better. “He spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all.” Can our sins be washed away with tears? Can our tears add to the value of the blood of Jesus? Do you believe Jesus to be the Son of God? Then was. not His atoning death infinite in value for all who. believe? Oh, for a vile sinner to think of adding anything, in any way, to its value before God. Is it not an insult to the Holy One, the Just One, who died for the unjust, to bring us to God?
Hope-to-be-saved. You make me feel as if I had never believed God.
Christian. I am thankful to bear you say so. The moment you really do believe God, your name will be changed. For the present, I must leave you to ponder this question — Do I believe God?
Do You Believe God?
Anxious Enquirer. The last question you put to me has filled me with anxiety — Do I believe God? All that I can say is this, I am anxious to know God’s truth; and so to believe it that I may have the certainty of my salvation.
Christian. I am truly glad to hear you say so; I trust this anxiety is the work of the Spirit of God. I have been reading lately of an anxious soul, and if you will turn to Acts 8:26-3926And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. 29Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. (Acts 8:26‑39) we will read it together.
“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before His shearer, so opened he not His month: in His humiliation His judgment was taken away: and who shall declare His generation? for His life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
Anxious Enquirer. How strange that the eunuch should find salvation so soon, and go on his way rejoicing; while I have made a profession so long, and yet seem as far off as ever.
Christian. The eunuch also may have made a profession; had he not been to Jerusalem to worship, and yet a stranger to Jesus and a stranger to himself? This conversion is carefully marked in scripture. The angel of the Lord directed Philip to the place, and the Spirit directed him to this very person.
Anxious Enquirer. I had not noticed that. Do you think it is to fix our attention on this remarkable instance?
Christian. I have no doubt of it. Have you noticed there are two things in this scripture — the death of the Lord Jesus for our sins, as the Lamb of God; and the death of the eunuch with the Lord Jesus? These are two most important truths of God.
Anxious Enquirer. I had only thought of the former.
Christian. Well, let us carefully look at both; and then I would ask you, Do you believe God as to these two things? Philip preached unto him Jesus. That suffering One, bearing our iniquities, in Isaiah 53, was thus set before him, just as I would now set Him before you. Look at that holy, bleeding Jesus on the cross, and remember this is all of God! “God so loved,” etc. Do you believe God as thus revealed in the cross of Christ? He gave His beloved Son thus to die. Do you believe your sins were so great in His sight, that no less a ransom could redeem you to Himself? This is the truth of God. On this earth this wondrous work has actually been accomplished. There was one word especially arrested the eunuch — “For his life is taken from the earth.” This is the full expression of the love of God to the guilty. God commends and expresses His love in this very way. There is the word and the act of God — all of God. What did it coat Him to forsake the Holy One? Do you believe God as thus revealed on the cross? If a friend sent you a gift, as the expression of his love, would you not believe him? Surely, love must be equal to the gift. Then, I ask, Is not God this friend? Do you, then, believe this unmerited love? Oh! such was His love to us, “it pleased the Lord to bruise Him.” “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquities of us all.” Such was my sin in the sight of God, that nothing could put it away but the atoning death of my Lord. All this revealed God in a new light to the eunuch. But when he found that His life was taken from the earth, then did he say, as it were, Let my life too be taken away from the earth. “See, here is water: what doth hinder me to be baptized?” He died for me, let me die with Him.
Anxious.Enquirer. What is baptism? What do you mean by dying with Jesus?
Christian. Baptism is the justification of God. When the believer is thus buried in baptism, he owns by faith the righteousness of God: the righteous sentence of God upon himself as a lost son of Adam.
Anxious Enquirer. Could you give me an illustration? I should so like to understand this.
Christian. I will try to give you a plain one. Suppose you call to see a sick friend, but on arrival you find he is dead. You try to comfort the late friends of the corpse; and then you advise them to send for the undertaker. Oh dear no, say they, he is not dead; we must send for the doctor. Note, the point at issue is the Grave or a Doctor! After a few hours, the friends are convinced he is really dead; they justify your word, and, instead of the doctor, the grave receives the poor decomposing corpse.
Anxious Enquirer. Oh! I see; the point at issue -between God’s truth and man’s error — is this, Does man need the doctor, or is he only fit for the grave? Is he ill with sin, and does he need the help of religion? or is he dead in sins, and does he need redemption and a new life?
Christian. Exactly so. The epistles prove most distinctly, yea, God’s word declares, man to be dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 21-8). All have also sinned, and are under the just judgment of God (Rom. 3:1919Now 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 may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19) — see margin). As the eunuch judged, so says the apostle, “We thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead” (2 Cor. 5:1414For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: (2 Corinthians 5:14)). Therefore, says the eunuch, Here is water, why not let me own the judgment of God? let me be buried here at once, on the spot. Thus he justified God. He owned the full redemption in the precious death of Jesus for him; and then he gave himself up as entirely dead with Him. All that he was as an Ethiopian, all that he was as a religious man (for he had been to Jerusalem to worship); yes, all he was as a child of the first Adam, he committed to the grave, buried with Christ. Thus his sins had been put away by the atoning death of Jesus himself had been put away by burial with Jesus. Baptism was a beautiful figure of this, and hence, when he came up out of the water, a Christian in all the power of the life of the risen Christ, what could he do but go on his way rejoicing?
Anxious Enquirer. Did you say the epistles bear out this double view; the death of Christ for us, and the believer’s death with Him?
Christian. If you turn to the Epistle to the Romans, you will find both these truths equally developed; yea, in these two things the righteousness of God is revealed. If you read carefully, you will find the death of Jesus for our sins is the theme up to Romans 5:1111And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. (Romans 5:11). Then, from Romans 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12), sin is the subject; and our justification from sin is by being dead with Christ. This is most plainly proved in Romans 6. Believing God — who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification—we are thus reckoned righteous before God. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now let us take this part first. Do you really believe God raised Jesus from the dead, having died for your sins? Did He thus declare your sins had been borne by His Son, and could He thus announce to you, through Jesus, the full and everlasting forgiveness of your sins? Do you believe God in this? Did He do this to give you peace, or to deceive you? Will He thus forgive you, and then on some dreadful day judge you for those sins again? Does not His very righteousness make this impossible?
Anxious Enquirer. Oh, I am sure God is true.
Christian. Very well, then; He announces to you, through Jesus, the forgiveness of sins; and it is true, that all who believe Him are forgiven. And it is true, “their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.” And while it is quite true that all this is proved to the believer, by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Jesus risen and ascended to heaven is the believer’s evidence, that his sins are put away forever. But He was also raised from the dead for the special purpose of being our ever-subsisting righteousness: in this sense He was raised for our justification.
Anxious Enquirer. That is deeply interesting: it does seem as if God had so completely met our case. I seem as if I did really believe the forgiveness of sins, my sins, through the death of Jesus. But I have still a sinful nature, and the more I try to be religious, the more troubled I am about sin.
Christian. Well, I am glad you have had this trouble; but do not you remember how the eunuch was delivered from this trouble?
Anxious Enquirer. I do not think I understand that part of it yet.
Christian. Then will you look over Romans 6 and just read it as a comment on the burial of the Ethiopian? He was delivered from himself, so to speak, by owning he was dead, and taking the place of death, with Christ. And in this chapter the true ground for the Christian is to know himself dead, crucified, buried. No question of religions medicine, but burial with Christ. He, and he only, who is dead, is justified from sin.
Anxious Enquirer. Do you mean the sin of my nature?
Christian. Undoubtedly that is what this chapter means throughout — dead with Christ. This is what we are to reckon ourselves to be. For this is just what God reckons. Our sins blotted out by His precious blood, and our old selves blotted out as dead with Him.
Anxious Enquirer. If I, as a sinful man, am thus blotted out, or crucified, how can I live at all?
Christian. My dear sir, hear the apostle. “Not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” This is most plain — if we have been crucified with Christ, we are also raised up from the dead in Him (Eph. 2:66And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6)). Do you thus justify God? Do you believe that if one died for all, then were all dead? Nothing could be a more complete deliverance than this, from sin, self, and law: for the law neither says, Thou shalt, or thou shalt not, to a dead man.
Anxious Enquirer. Stop a moment. Do you mean by this that I may break the law?
Christian. Break the law! my dear sir? Dead men do not break law. The moment I try to be alive under it, I shall break it. The apostle declares he found it so. If I am dead, I am not under it, and therefore sin shall not have dominion over me. The utmost curse of the law had been fulfilled in the death of Jesus for them that were under law. And now, as reckoned dead with Him, I repeat, dead men are neither under law nor do they break it. Nay, this very argument is used by the Holy Spirit, our being reckoned dead and risen with Christ as the reason why sin shall not have the dominion over us. All this was strikingly illustrated in the eunuch. Christ had died for his sins. He was now dead and buried with him; and as a new creature in the risen Christ he went on his way rejoicing. Old things had passed away — both his sins and himself — and all had become new, a new life, a new self, so to speak, a new creation, and all of God. Do you believe we are so bad? Do you believe God is so good? Can you say, In me, that is, in my flesh, my old self, there dwelleth no good thing. Let me be buried as a vile sinner. I have not a little finger fit to live. Vile, dead, corrupt, bury me out of sight. Oh never to look at myself again! All bad. “Here is water; what doth hinder?” Now henceforth let Christ be all. Can you say, My all? Job said, I am vile. The eunuch said, Let me be buried.
Anxious Enquirer. Well, I never saw such a complete riddance of self.
Christian. It is God’s riddance, and the only one. The eunuch saw it at once. Now it takes (through false teaching) many a long year fairly to give up old, vile, black self, and then go on rejoicing. While I am seeking righteousness by keeping the law, I do not believe God a bit. I am saying, I am not bad enough for the coffin, let me have the doctor. Had the rabble shouted at me, “Away with Him! Crucify Him! He is not fit to live,” they would have judged rightly. And they shouted at my holy Substitute. In Him I will rejoice. He died for me. I die with Him.
Anxious Enquirer. Do you mean, then, that if I am dead to sin, and no longer looked at as alive in the flesh, or old vile nature, that therefore there is no sin in me, or no evil nature left in me?
Christian. Oh dear, no! far from that. Such a thought, such confusion, would destroy if possible the very gospel. The fact is, that though I am not in the flesh, or under the dominion of sin, yet it is true that “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3). And “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye might not do the things that ye would [as it should be translated]. (Gal. 5). All this is solemnly true, that vile nature is never mended: that old heart is never changed. But this does not alter the blessed fact, that God hath given the believer a new nature and a new heart. Oh is not the thought of sin terrible! It makes the oldest Christian groan to look at it, as we see in the type of Hezekiah, after long years of patient, prayerful victory; yet at last, when he looked at a boil, picture of what the flesh is spiritually, he says, “O LORD, I AM OPPRESSED; UNDERTAKE FOR ME.” And then what words — “What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it” (Isa. 38). Yes, dear anxious enquirer, if you put yourself under law with a hope to be better, you will sink in despair. But God hath spoken to you, and He hath done it. Our blessed Jesus has undertaken for us, and He hath done it. Do you believe this? Then cannot you, with Paul, say, “I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord?” (Rom. 7:2525I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:25)). I do again ask, Do you believe God, both as to the announcement of forgiveness of sins through the death of the Lord Jesus; and justification from sin, as passing through death with Him into resurrection? He having been judged for your sin as well as sins — made a sacrifice for sin? (Rom. 8:88So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:8)).
Anxious Enquirer. I never felt so stripped before -I see I am nothing but sin. It must be all Christ, or I am everlastingly lost.
Christian. That is most true. But has He not undertaken the whole thing for you, sins and sin? Has He not done it? Does He not show you His hands and His feet? What does He say? “Peace unto you.”
Anxious Enquirer. He is just the complete Savior for me.
Christian. Thank God, He is; and there is a completeness in Him I have not yet spoken of. If there is nothing but sin in you, that is, in your flesh; and you, as a sinful man, are judged and condemned to death, how are you to stand in everlasting righteousness before God?
Anxious Enquirer. That is a point indeed. Do tell me how God has met it.
Christian. God has raised Jesus from the dead for our justification. Jesus is our subsisting righteousness. For God hath made Him to be this to us, even “Wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)). Oh, the gift of God! oh, the riches of His grace! Look up by faith to the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens: the glory of God shines in the face of Jesus our righteousness (2 Cor. 4:66For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 4:6)). Do you want another?
Anxious Enquirer. Enough! Enough for God, enough for me. Let me now think of Jesus, my all. He is God’s gift for me and to me. I do believe God.
Reader, a word with you. I was traveling lately in France. One of my fellow-passengers to Paris was an intelligent Roman Catholic. The subject of our conversation was the case of Miss Saurin. I said to him, “What is your thought, or what is the thought of Roman Catholics, as to all the degradation and misery endured in a monastery or nunnery?” “Well, sir,” said he, “we are all sinners.” “That is most true,” said I. Then said he, “We believe sin must have its punishment.” “I believe the same in my very heart,” said I. “Very well, then, we believe the more suffering for sin we have in this world, the less we shall have in the next.” I thought this was very fairly put. I then said, “You Roman Catholics, then, do not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?” “Oh dear! yes, sir,” said he; “we certainly believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” “Impossible,” said I “Let me explain. Do you believe that Jesus is the infinite person of the Son of God? Then the sacrifice that He offered once for sins must be, like Himself, infinite. Let me illustrate what I mean. Suppose I speak of an infinite line passing through all space. Now, if you said you could add a yard to that line, would not that be a frank denial of the fact that the line is infinite? If you spoke of adding a foot, or an inch, or the breadth of a hair of your head to it, would not that deny that it was infinite? Can anything be clearer than this, that you cannot add to that which is infinite? Now, the infinite Son of God gave Himself an infinite sacrifice for sins to God; for if He be infinite, then His work on the cross must be infinite. But if you talk of adding to this infinite death of the cross, you must by this really deny that the sacrifice was infinite; and if the sacrifice was not infinite, then He who offered it, even Himself, could not be infinite. And thus every act of suffering for sin; every mass, as a sacrifice for sin; every thought of purgatory, as a future state of suffering for sin, as an addition to the atoning death of Jesus for our sins who believe, is a distinct denial that Jesus is infinite in his person and work, and therefore a denial that Jesus is the Son of God.”
My friend did not feel the full force of all this at the moment, and wanted to fall into discussion as to which was the right church. “Oh, no,” said I, “let you and me have no angry discussion at all. It is the question of your soul’s salvation that is on my heart. You are a finite creature, a man, a fallen sinful man. God knows you, and knows how often you have tried to be righteous, and how very dreadful you have found sin to be. You have heard mass, you have determined to be better; but, after all, how terrible is death and judgment to you, when you really think of it! You, I say, are a finite man God has given His infinite Son. Now, the infinite must cover the finite. Can you think of this — that God gave, in pure love, His own Son to bear the believer’s sins? Infinite sacrifice, forever perfecting all who believe God in this infinite gift. Has the infinite Son of God thus died for us? And dare you deny it, and seek to add a mass, or suffering here or hereafter, to this work of Jesus on the cross?”
All desire for angry discussion was now gone. My friend began to see how God had met the need of the poor finite by the death of the Infinite, and that the Infinite must cover the finite. Very sweet to his soul was the announcement of God by Paul in Acts 13:3838Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: (Acts 13:38): “Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” It is God that speaks to you, my reader, in these words; Do you believe God? “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Now if we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God -infinite in His own person — then in this scripture we must see the infinite love of God to us and the infinite sacrifice for our sins. Do you believe this? What perfect peace this gives. If the love of God be infinite to us, then do we need the intercession of saints or angels? Can anything add to the infinite love of God? Is not every prayer to Mary, the mother of Jesus, a denial that Jesus is the Son of God? Jesus Himself is the infinite expression of that love — the very manifestation of the love of God to us. Oh yes, I know all this is denied by men. But do you believe God? And if God sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, is not that propitiation infinite? Can any mass, sacrament, or work add to that which is infinite? Impossible! for Jesus is the Son of God. But God sent His Son to be this. Will you deny this? Will you doubt this? Note, the mass is a direct denial of this. It pretends to add to, or to prolong, that which was once -forever — accomplished, and is infinite. And note, every doubt of the human heart is also, in its very essence, a denial of the infinite propitiation for our sins. Oh how suited to each other, the darkness of Rome, and the darkness of the human heart. If I owed twenty shillings, and a friend, without asking, sent twenty pounds to pay it, could I beg of some one to go and intercede for me with that friend and beg of him to send me a few shillings towards the twenty shillings? or could I think of adding a shilling of my own, to make twenty pounds pay twenty shillings? And yet it is thus we treat God. We go to Mary, or the saints, to entreat God to save us, and thus deny that He has sent Jesus the Son of God to be the infinite propitiation for our sins, or, which is quite as bad, we try to add a little feeling, or repenting, or doing, or a little faith, or love, or supposed holiness, or something else, to the one infinite sacrifice for sins. I say this is as bad. It is the same thing in principle as the mass, purgatory, or human intercession. All this reasoning, doubts the sincerity of the infinite love of God, in sending His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
God, in sending His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, has done that to which nothing can be added, and from which nothing can be taken away.
This is what we testify, “That the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God.” This perfect love casteth out all fear. I am not aware that there can be any middle place, between receiving this witness of God, or making Him a liar. If I doubted my friend, who had paid his twenty pounds, to meet my debt of twenty shillings — if I said There is one short and I must make it up, what would you call this? Would it not be making him a liar? “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Is it not a momentous question — do you believe God? Surely this is the first question to settle. Let me put the question slowly. Do you believe that God gave His Son to die the infinite sacrifice for your sins? Do you believe that God raised Him from among the dead, to be your righteousness? Do you believe that God hath given to you eternal life, and this life is in His Son? “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” Have you on the testimony of God this eternal life? Are your sins put away by an infinite propitiation for sins? Can you look up by faith to heaven, and say, That glorious, infinite Son of God is my everlasting righteousness? Salvation is wholly of God. “Sent His Son!” Could He love you more? could anything add to, or increase that love? Then it is not infinite. And “God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” Do you say, Must I not serve God? How can you serve God until you believe Him? For “This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” Did Israel serve God before they were redeemed from Egypt?
Look at the beautiful order, in the ease of the man whose eyes Jesus had opened. “Do you believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshiped Him” (John 9:35-8). If you, my reader, now see Jesus, the infinite Son of God, once offered the infinite sacrifice for your sins, now your righteousness and eternal life, your happy place is now a worshiper forever cleansed. Forever sanctified, you need no priest on earth; no mass or intercessor. An infinite Savior can leave nothing incomplete. Rest on Him, your great High Priest, passed into the heavens. You will find His present, tender, gracious, loving, priestly care, as perfect as His one offering on the cross. Yes, He is crowned with glory, having tasted death; and perfect through sufferings, as the Captain of our salvation.
The more we see our need, the more do we also see how God has met all, in the gift of His own Son.
Do, you say, Well, I do believe God. Then can you say, I am saved with an everlasting salvation? If one be true the other must; for all who believe God are justified from all things. It must be so; the Infinite must cover the finite. Oh! give up the thought of adding a rag to the infinite robe. Let Christ be all.
What! has some one taken up this little paper who despises and rejects this infinite love? Do you know that God is about to give all such up to “strong delusion, that they all might be damned who believed not. the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness?” (2 Thess. 2). I warn you, if you reject Christ, there is no folly you may not at once fall into. What a spectacle of late in London even — five hundred poor deceived souls, having rejected Christ, and the complete salvation through Him, have openly declared their faith in a farthing candle to light them through the dark valley of the shadow of death. What a sign of the times! Gross darkness, and open infidelity, fast settling upon the face of the people! May God awake you, and reveal His love to you as manifested in Jesus the Son of God! Let me beg of you, take the Word of God, as it is indeed the Word of God; human tradition has made it of none effect to multitudes; but only those who really regard it as God speaking to them in Christ the Son, can form any idea of its divine preciousness and comfort. Take this one verse, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Could anything give more absolute certainty to the believer than this? Believing God, who sent Jesus, we have passed from death unto life; have everlasting life; shall not come into condemnation. Did it ever occur to you, that if you are a believer all this is true to you?
One word more. Do not misunderstand the illustration of the twenty pounds paying with certainty the debt of twenty shillings, as though something short of the infinite sacrifice could have met the sins of the finite creature. No: such is sin in the sight of God, that nothing short of the death of His Son could atone for it. But He has atoned for it by His death on the cross, forsaken of God, and the announcement of forgiveness through that infinite sacrifice is a fact and a certainty.