God's Work Upon Minister and Convert
(No. 1774)
A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, APRIL 6, 1884,
BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
"'But rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared unto you for
this purpose to make you a minister and a witness both of these things
which you have seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto
you; delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom
now I send you, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to
light, and from thepower of Satan unto God, that they may receive
forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by
faith that is in Me.' Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision: but showed first unto them of Damascus, and
at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the
Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet
for repentance." Acts 26:16-20.
BEHOLD an amazing sight! Saul of Tarsus at the feet of Jesus of
Nazareth! Listen! The persecutor's voice is changed into that of an
enquiring disciple. He asks, "What will You have me to do?" If angels
sang with delight over a new-made world, their song must have been
seven times as joyous over a new-made Apostle! The change was
miraculous. At this distance of time we can hardly appreciate it, but
if we had been living in daily fear of our lives–if we had seen our
father or our brother dragged off to death by this ferocious enemy of
the Cross–and then had suddenly heard that he was converted to the
faith which he opposed, we would have cried, "Incredible!" For the
Ethiopian to change his skin, or for the leopard to lose his spots
would be little compared with this cruel Pharisee bowing himself in
lowly penitence before the Lord Jesus whom He had persecuted!
Do you wonder that when Saul came to Jerusalem and assayed to join
himself to the disciples, they were all afraid of him and believed not
that he was a disciple? My Brothers and Sisters, as in history, so in
the Grace of God, it is the unexpected which frequently occurs! The men
and women whom I expected to confess Christ long ago have not yet come.
I have seen Felix tremble, but I have not seen him converted. I have
seen Agrippa almost persuaded, but he is not yet a Christian.
Meanwhile, I have beheld a Saul of Tarsus, who, before, raged against
the Cross, bowing himself submissively before the Lord Jesus! Let us
never be discouraged, but let us expect to see signs and wonders in the
world of Divine Grace!
Though priestcraft is far too dominant in our land, we may yet hear
that "a great company of the priests" has believed in Christ. Though
free thought rides roughshod over everything, we may yet hear that the
boldest freethinkers have been made truly free and have felt the power
of His thoughts, which are as high above our thoughts as the heavens
are above the earth! Who knows, good Brother, but that son who has
caused you the greatest grief may yet give you the greatest pleasure?
Who knows but that one among your relatives who seems most decidedly to
take the wrong side may yet become a leader in the armies of Christ?
Hope on! Hope always!
Note with care how men are converted. I shall show you God's
preparation for it, in a work worked upon the minister, making him a
fit witness for the Truths of God. Then I shall speak upon God's work
worked in the convert in opening his eyes and turning him from darkness
to light. And, lastly, I shall call your attention to a work which must
be worked by the convert, himself, for Paul preached that they should
repent and turn to God and do works meet for repentance.
I. First, let us notice A WORK WORKED BY GOD UPON THE MINISTER. "It
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
"Faith comes by hearing." "How shall they hear without a preacher? And
how shall they preach except they are sent?" In order to the conversion
of the hearer, many processes must be experienced by
the preacher–he must be made, called, sent and, afterwards, delivered.
All the work of the Lord upon him is a work of Grace on behalf of those
who shall be converted by his means. The minister whom God sends is,
first of all, himself subdued and made to be obedient to the will of
his Lord.
While a man is a rebel, the Lord does not appoint him to act as an
ambassador. While he is dead in sin, He does not commission him to
preach the way of life. Paul was struck down to the earth–if he had
not, himself fallen, he would not have known how to lift up others whom
the Lord has laid low. There flashed into his face a Light above the
brightness of the sun. He declares, "I could not see for the glory of
that light." He remained blind for three days and this, also, was
necessary–for if he had not been shut up in that darkness, he would
not have been qualified to deal with others on whom the darkness of
conviction had settled. An experience of breaking down and of
soul-horror is necessary to prepare a man for later usefulness among
the convicted, the desponding and the despairing.
It may be that some young man present, this morning, is undergoing a
singularly severe discipline at the hands of the Holy Spirit. His sins
are exceedingly heavy upon him and relief does not come. A companion of
his who was awakened at the same time has found rest and is already
rejoicing in the Light of God–but this young Brother finds the
darkness thicken about him. Dear Friend, it may be that your deeper
conviction and more oppressive sense of sin are necessary because in
your future life you are to be made largely helpful to troubled hearts.
Do not think that everybody is blind for three days, as Paul was when
he did neither eat nor drink during all that time–but conclude that
some peculiar end is to be served by this remarkable experience.
Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened to receive the Truth of God, was not
thus blinded and troubled–but then she was not called to be an Apostle
to preach the Gospel from Jerusalem to Spain! The weapon which is to be
most used in battle must be more completely hardened than that which is
for peaceful service! Discipline in our own spiritual life is a part of
ministerial education which the chosen of the Lord shall not miss. See
then, how God may be working for the conversion of generations yet
unborn in the deep and painful experience of individuals who are now
being turned from darkness to His Light. See, my dear Hearer, what God
may have done already in the hearts of His chosen ministers to fit them
to become the means of your conversion! In order to slay your sins, the
shaft has been polished!
Another has groaned and wept and cried out in bitter agony, in order
that he may know how to speak a word in season to you. Each of the best
locks made by our eminent locksmiths is unique and by itself. And when
this is the case, each lock needs its own special key. So is it with
human minds–there is a peculiarity about each one. Certain minds will
never be reached until they come in contact with other minds
constituted on purpose to touch them! I know that there is a
suitability in my experience to affect many of my fellow men–and they
open to me when the Lord takes me in His hands and uses me as His key.
But I also feel that in all probability I shall never move certain
other individuals because my mental conformation excites prejudice in
them–I do not fit them and they will not permit me to be of use to
them. Thank God, He has other servants and by these, I trust, He will
accomplish good for those to whom I am an unsuitable instrument.
Assuredly I know that much of the experience through which I have
passed has not been with a view to myself, but with a view to those
persons to whom the Lord will make me His channel of blessing!
Consider, then, how gracious is the Lord thus to be working upon His
own servants with the design of saving some of you who are far from
Him.
The next preparation for the Lord's minister was that he should be
encouraged. The Lord Jesus said to him, "Rise, and stand upon your
feet." As much as to say–"You are forgiven, you are chosen, you are
beloved–therefore lie no longer prostrate, overwhelmed with fear. Give
not way to despondency. Resign yourself into My hands and be prepared,
with activity and diligence, to spend the rest of your life in doing
good. Arise, stand on your feet, for work is to be done at once which
will need all your courage and might!"
Men can hardly be very useful till they cease to be despondent,
diffident, depressed and become energetic and hopeful. Even good men
need to be braced up that they may rise to bold attempts and believing
labors for their Lord. Many are slow to take the encouragement which is
offered them and need to hear a voice, saying, "Shake yourself from the
dust, O captive! Rise and serve your God." I wish that I could speak to
any Brother here whose heart is true and right, and who has the power
to be exceedingly useful, but who has not yet the courage to proceed to
his proper work. O my Brother, rise and stand upon your feet!
"Alas," you say, "I have tried to do good, but I have seen no effects
following my endeavors. I have spoken to one or two about their souls,
but I have not yet won a heart for Christ." Did you really expect to do
so? I have noticed that
those who do not believe that they will be successful seldom are
so–but those who rise and stand upon their feet and manfully expect
that God will bless them are not disappointed. We are not to hope for
success because there is anything in us, but because God has promised
that His Word shall not return unto Him void! And if we, therefore, sow
in faith, a harvest will assuredly follow. Faith receives
promises–unbelief goes empty-handed. Arise, then, and stand upon your
feet!
Who knows but somebody who shall receive encouragement this morning
will, from this day, become the messenger of God to open the blind eyes
of others? The strengthening of the worker is as necessary a part of
God's work as the immediate operation of the Spirit with the message.
The vessel must be prepared for the Master's use and Grace is to be
clearly seen in the making and fitting of that vessel for so Divine a
purpose. The uplifting work being done, it remained that Paul should
now be made, constituted and ordained a minister–and to this end he
must see the Lord for himself. The Lord said, "I have appeared unto you
for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness."
It is plain from these Words that the right way to make ministers is
for the Lord Jesus Christ to appear to them. We have heard of making
men into ministers, but we have no belief in the result of such a
manufacture. If one man makes another man a minister, he will be very
badly made–and the sooner he is broken up, again, the better! The
fabrication of man is not fit to be an instrument for the Lord! All the
laying on of hands and all the fitness that can be given in College or
University cannot possibly make a minister apart from the Revelation of
the Son of God to the heart. If God intends to use any man, he must be
as much the creation of God as are the heavens and the earth.
The means which the Lord uses for the true preacher's education and
ordination are here displayed before us. It is by Christ's appearing to
the man that he is prepared to preach the Lord Christ among men. Our
Lord's appearing to a man operates two ways–first, it makes him
willing to be a servant, for that is the meaning of the word,
"minister." When the renewed mind beholds the Lord, it adores Him and
cries out, "What will You have me do?" A sight of the Glory of Christ,
of the love of Christ, of the sufferings of Christ forces a Believer to
render onto the Lord all that lies in his power of cheerful service.
Who that has beheld the unrivalled beauties of Jesus can refuse Him
honor? Having seen You, O my Lord, I become, forever, Your servant, and
feel it a privilege to minister to the very least of Your redeemed
according as You may appoint!
The same heavenly vision qualifies the Believer to act as a witness for
Jesus. We cannot bear witness to that which we have never seen. Hearsay
is of small value–we must see for ourselves. Christ must appear to His
elect servant or he will not be able to go forth and tell what he has
seen. The true Prophet is a Seer–he sees and, therefore, speaks. "We
speak what we know, and testify what we have seen." If you have had no
vision, hold your tongue, for you have no message. But if you have
seen, then tell carefully only what you have seen, adding nothing to it
and taking nothing from it. Your message is that which God has revealed
to you by His Holy Spirit in His Word and in your own spiritual
experience.
See then, dear Friends, that in order to the conversion of those who
are not yet saved, the Lord Jesus has been at work upon others, making
them fit to be servants and witnesses. And He has used, as His chief
means of instruction, the revealing of Himself. This is instructive,
for it gives us a clear indication as to the best method of
accomplishing the salvation of those around us. Beloved, if you want to
win souls, follow up this line of things. Soul-winning is generally
accomplished not by argument, but by testimony. The best minister is a
witness-bearer. "Butler's Analogy" is one of the most notable works in
defense of Revelation and it is eminently calculated to impress the
student with the truthfulness of our holy religion.
But I should like to know whether there ever was a man, woman, or child
truly converted to the Lord Jesus by "Butler's Analogy." I do not think
so! Nor do I depreciate the work on that account, for it has other uses
which it admirably serves. This, however, I am certain of, that a
little book like the "Dairyman's Daughter," by Leigh Richmond, which is
not worthy, for a moment, to be compared with "Butler's Analogy" as a
display of intellectual power, has led thousands to saving faith in the
Lord Jesus! That little biography of a peasant girl, a mere nothing as
to thought compared with the wonderful, "Analogy," has brought tens of
thousands to the Savior's feet, where the other has brought few, if
any!
What is the reason? The "Analogy" is a very clear and admirable
argument, but the "Dairyman's Daughter" is a witness of what has been
seen, tasted and handled by one like ourselves. Heads are won by
reasoning, but hearts are won by witness-bearing. Our line of thought
should be that of David–"I will declare what the Lord has done for my
soul." Paul frequently repeated the story of his own conversion, for he
knew of nothing more likely to convince and convert. I
do not believe that people will ever be converted by gaudy rhetoric.
Poetical expressions are too fine to draw men away from sin to
holiness–men do not come to Christ on the back of Pegasus!
Argument which appeals only to the intellect is poor fuel with which to
kindle the fire of love to Christ! Even sound instruction will not
suffice without personal witness to vivify and support it. To convince
men of the truth of a statement is one thing–to convict them
ofpersonal sin is another thing–and to convert them is a step still
higher! Bear witness to what you know, to what you feel, to the power
of Christ to pacify the conscience and to change the life! Bear, I say,
your witness to Jesus, and you will have done that which God will bless
to the opening of the eyes of the spiritually blind.
Further, dear Friends, the man who is to win a soul for Christ must be
continuously instructed of God. He is to be a witness not only of those
things which he has seen, but also of those things in the which the
Lord will yet appear unto him. The discipline and intuition which our
Lord vouchsafes to His servant, when he begins his witness, will not
suffice him for the whole of his life–he must continue to be taught
that he may continue to teach. You who wish to win souls for Jesus–and
I know many of you do–must always sit at His feet, yourselves. Your
eyes must always be fixed upon your Master, so that His dear Image may
photograph itself perpetually upon your heart.
Our message, if it is to daily win souls for Jesus, must come to us
daily. The manna of last year, where is it if we have hoarded it? In a
day it bred worms–where is it after many days? As the manna fell fresh
and fresh each morning, so must we, each day, learn more and more of
Him. We should strive each day to obtain a closer, more tender, more
experimental view of Him. We must feel our sinnership more deeply and,
therefore, recognize more fully the power of His precious blood. We
must grieve over our corruption more bitterly and, therefore,
understand better the power of the renewing Spirit who cleanses the
heart. We need to live upon Jesus hourly so that we may talk of the
Tree of Life with the flavor of its fruit upon our palates.
It is poor work to talk of a Savior whom we have not communed with for
months–but it is blessed to come forth from His Presence to describe
His beauties! Oh to live in Christ and love Christ–and then to preach
live sermons from live texts! Even the dead in sin will feel the force
of so vital a ministry! God the Holy Spirit must work all this in those
whom He prepares to be the implements of His gracious work. Herein He
shows much love to sinners who as yet care nothing for His operations.
But where all this is done, there yet remains something more, namely,
that God should constantly preserve His messenger; as He said to Paul,
"Delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I
send you." Paul's life was always in danger and yet never in real
peril, for the Lord was His Keeper. He was daily delivered unto death
and yet he was immortal till his life-work was complete! They stoned
him and supposed that he was dead–but he rose up and began to cheer
the Brethren! Till his time came and his work was finished, the stormy
sea could not drown him! The beasts of Ephesus could not devour him!
The mob could not kill him–even sworn conspirators could not slay him!
When he had finished his course, he submitted his neck to the
headsman's sword. But till that moment, he was delivered out of the
mouth of the lion and guarded from perils of robbers, perils of rivers
and perils by false brethren. So shall every true servant of Christ be
kept as with a garrison from all evil. We do not, nowadays, run risks
of the kind which beset the Apostle, but ours are more subtle and
insinuating–yet the true servant of God shall be preserved from all
evil. He shall be kept from the pride which comes of visible success
and from the despondency which comes of apparent failure. He shall be
delivered from the temptations common to man and from the peculiar
temptations which compass him as a minister of Christ. He shall be
delivered from the strife of tongues and from the tumult of the people.
If God has sent him, the devil cannot withstand him–he shall perform
his mission in the conversion of those whom the Lord intends to save. I
earnestly invite you to look at this portion of the machinery of Grace,
for some entirely overlook it. Conversion is a very simple business and
yet if I were to say that the heavens, the earth and all things that
are, and are to be, are made subservient to its accomplishment, I
should not go too far! Everything is laid under commission to save the
chosen! Each elect soul might say, "You have given commandment to save
me."
I have known the Lord bring men to Himself not only by His ministers,
but by the simplest things and most common events. A young woman,
utterly careless and godless, returned to her room one night where she
had left her lamp burning, but, lo, it had gone out and she was in
darkness! As she sought for the lamp she remembered the parable of our
Lord and the cry of the foolish virgins, "Our lamps have gone out." She
reflected that her lamp had gone out because she had forgotten to put
oil in it that morning–and then and there, under the power of the Word
of God–she knelt down and
gave her heart to Christ! A funeral knell, a tempest, a faded flower, a
picture–have all been God's means of bringing His banished home to
Himself!
I am constantly meeting with instances of individuals who, for years,
were careless, irreligious, dissipated and vicious. And yet, though
they rose one Sabbath morning to waste the day as usual–by some
circumstance or other they were induced to hear Mr. Moody, or to turn
in here, or to attend a theater service–and then and there the Lord
met with them! That God who could control the crowing of a cock to work
conversion in His servant, Peter, has servants everywhere–from the
highest angel to the tiniest insect! It is delightful to think that God
can put any man or any creature into commission to carry out His
purposes of love!
Is it not a wonderful proof of His great love, that He thus makes all
things subservient to the salvation of men, and especially that He
creates ministers–and leads, trains and fits them to become the
spiritual parents of others? Oh, Sinners, how glad I should be if you
would think of yourselves, for you see how practically God thinks of
you!
II. And now, secondly, we come to describe THE WORK WHICH IS WORKED IN
THE HEARER when God is
saving him. It usually begins by illumination–the Lord sends His
servant "to open their eyes." Men are born blind and continue blind
till, by the power of Jesus, sight is given to them. Opening the eyes
of the mind is not an operation which usually demands much time. In
Paul's case we read, "Immediately there fell from his eyes as it had
been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was
baptized."
The mind sees the Truth of God all of a sudden. The aspect of
everything is altered and the man has obtained a new faculty. What a
blessing it will be if the Lord has sent me to any of you this day,
that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit! A
film shuts out the light from your souls, so that you grope as blind
men, but the Lord can remove it at once. Perhaps you are ignorant. If
you did but know the Truth, you would see by its light. Oh, that the
Holy Spirit may teach you! Or your education and your surroundings have
placed a film of prejudice over your eyes–if a candid, child-like
spirit were given you, you would speedily see! Or possibly some
favorite sin is like a cataract upon the eyes of your conscience and
you cannot see the evil of sin, or the beauty of holiness, or the
desirableness of being renewed. The Lord can take away these scales!
Oh, that the Lord would cause you to see sin in its true colors and
holiness in its own splendor!
Or it may be that unbelief darkens your soul. Those who will not
believe cannot see the salvation of God. What a difference is made by
Divine illumination! A moment ago the man was in the dark, but now he
is brought into marvelous light! He was not in the dark because the sun
was set or the shutters were closed, but because he was blind. What
matters how bright the day when the eyes are sealed? If the light that
is in us is darkness, no outside light can be of use to us. Jesus came
on purpose to give eyes to the blind and by a single word of the
preacher, or a text of Scripture, or a verse of a hymn, the Lord can
cause the darkened mind to enter upon the life of light and
discernment–"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened."
The next thing which the minister is made to do is conversion–Paul was
sent "to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan
unto God." Much depends upon the direction in which a man's face is
turned. Here stands a blind man with his face to the darkness–if he
goes forward, he advances into blacker night! How necessary, then, is
that work of the blessed Spirit by which men are turned completely
round and their front is reversed! The darkness is now behind the
convert and the light is ahead, so that every step he takes, he
advances towards the Light of God which increases upon his vision as he
nears it! He loves the Light! He seeks it! He sighs to get nearer and
nearer to it–he runs towards it that he may read everything by its
aid–and he turns away from darkness, which is now dreaded by him as an
Egyptian plague. He has not received all the Light he desires, but one
thing he knows–whereas he was once blind, he now sees!
What a blessed turning is that which makes us face truth, goodness, God
and Heaven–and leave ignorance, sin and Hell behind! The soul is
brought into a new element–the Light of God is its life in which alone
it flourishes and bears fruit–darkness is its death in which it
shivers, pines and withers. As the soul is brought into a new element,
so is it also brought under a new government. Translation has taken
place. The man is translated from the power of darkness into the
kingdom of God's dear Son, or, as our text has it, "from the power of
Satan unto God." Notice the man is turned "from the power of Satan,"
the tyrannical dominion and crushing grasp of the evil, cunning,
malicious, hateful Prince of
fallen angels. Once he was hopelessly under that power, but now he has
clean escaped from the slavery of the devil and has come into the
liberty of a child of God!
To the Lord whom he had forgotten, he has turned, so that he thinks of
Him, cares for Him, trusts in Him. His heart, his desire, his longing,
his hope all look toward his Savior! He longs to become more and more
like his God and to enjoy more and more the favor of the great Father!
What a blessed turning this is–from the power of Satan to the power of
God! Happy are the men who are the means of converting their fellows in
this fashion! Somebody says, "Well, I know there is such a fact as
conversion, but I do not understand how it can be performed in a
minute." I reply that I do not understand how regeneration, which is
the secret cause of conversion, could occupy so long as a minute!
Should not goodness rule at once?
Two men are fighting and we beg them to stop. Do you recommend them to
stop gradually! Shall they take an hour or two over it? Why, they might
kill one another in that time! A fire is about to consume your
house–do you say to the firemen, "Put it out gradually"? If my house
were on fire, I should long to see the flame quenched at once! If
anybody held a pistol at my head I should not say, "Take it away by
degrees." I would wish him to remove the revolver at once. Yet all
these things are matters which could be prolonged over a space of time
without such risk as would be involved in a slow process of conversion!
Changes of mind such as are necessary to conversion had need be quick
when sin is to be forsaken, for every moment deepens the guilt.
I grant you that in many persons, conversion appears to be gradual, and
many things lead up to it as by an inclined plane, but as to the new
birth and the reception of the Divine life, there is a distinct line of
demarcation–on that side of the line all is death–and on this side of
it all is life. I cannot tell you when any one man crosses that line,
but there must be an instant when he does so! It may seem a very
gradual process by which a man who was dead comes to life, but, for
certain, there is a point at which he left the dead and became
alive–and that point God sees very clearly even though we do not. Life
to the body may at first be perceived only by some painful tingling
sensation, or a gentle attempt at breath-ing–but there is a sharp
division between life and death though we may not perceive it. The
outward appearance of life may become gradually visible, but there must
be an instant–and no more–in which life enters and death ends.
Conversion may be effected by the power of the Holy Spirit in less time
than it takes me to tell you of it. The man being regenerated
straightaway turns to his God. Oh, that the Lord would work such a
marvel of power here under our eyes! It can be done! I preach with the
full conviction that it will be done! He who turned me to Himself has
sent me to turn others in the name of Jesus by the power of His Spirit.
Together with conversion comes complete forgiveness. Read the
passage–"that they may receive forgiveness of sins." When a man turns
to God, it is a proof that God has turned to him! When he hates his
sins, the Lord has put them away–as soon as ever he confesses and
forsakes them, they are blotted out forever. The complete turning of
his mind from darkness to the Light of God is a proof to the convert
that God, the righteous Judge, has turned away His wrath from him.
When the love of sin has gone, the guilt of sin has gone, also. Full
conversion carries with it full pardon. The same moment that we receive
Christ, we "receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them
which are sanctified." Think of that! Oh, that you may all know what it
means! What a blessing to become an heir of God! Yet in the moment of
forgiveness, we receive power to become the sons of God. We are put
among the children–and the children's portion is our portion. All that
belongs to the sanctified belongs to you, poor Sinner, the moment you
turn to God, through faith in Christ Jesus–yes, all that belongs to
the glorified belongs to you, for, though as yet you cannot pass the
golden gate, nor join in the celestial song–yet the glory is yours,
reserved for you till the day of God's appointment!
Be of good cheer, if you are, indeed, turned from darkness to
light–you have obtained an inheritance among them that are sanctified!
What more do you need? To what choice company is a sinner introduced
when he believes in Jesus! He, alas, was only fit to herd with the
profane, or to make his bed in Hell with devils! But now he obtains an
inheritance among all them that are sanctified! He is a freeholder
among the burgesses of the New Jerusalem! What a wonderful procession
it would be if all those who are sanctified could pass before us now!
Martyrs–their noble army! Confessors– their goodly fellowship!
Prophets and Apostles and ministers of the Word, of whom the world was
not worthy! What a joy to be numbered among them!
We are so numbered as soon as we take upon ourselves to trust ourselves
with Jesus. We are akin to the perfect! Where they dwell we dwell!
Where they die we shall die and where they live forever we shall live,
for our inheritance is
with all them that are sanctified! Oh, Brothers and Sisters, it is
worth living, is it not, to become servants of God in any form, so as
to introduce our poor sinful fellows into such society as this? May the
Lord prepare all Believers to deliver the life-giving message, that
they may bring many heirs of wrath to be heirs of Heaven! And all this
has for its certificate and mark of genuineness these words–"By faith
that is in Me." Those words are not merely appended to sanctification,
though it is worth noticing that sanctification is by faith, since so
many look at it as if it were by effort rather than by believing. But
the whole process of salvation is by faith!
The preacher is to preach in faith. Dear Friends, you that teach in the
Sunday school, do you always teach in faith, believing that God will
save your children? You, dear Brothers, who are going to hold a service
in the streets, are you going to do it in faith? If not, you need not
do it at all, because nothing will come of it. Without faith it is
impossible to please God–and if He is not pleased with what you do–no
saving result can follow. All work is true when it is worked by faith
in Jesus. Men's eyes are opened through their believing in Jesus–that
is the great means of illumination. They are turned from darkness to
light by God's giving them faith in Jesus. By faith they receive
forgiveness of sins and the Divine inheritance. It is all of faith from
first to last.
May God work it in your souls! I feel pleased, at times, to dig down to
the old granite formation which underlies the Gospel. You know there
are certain topsoil Truths which we have to plow, and out of which we
raise harvests for the Lord. But every now and then, when things go
rather hard with our little farm, I like to dig down to the underlying
rock. Salvation is of the Lord and He is Omnipotent and works out His
eternal purposes. The child of God can get oil out of this flinty rock,
for God will save His own elect, and all the skeptics in the world
cannot prevent the operations of the Holy Spirit from being effectual!
His purpose shall stand and He will do all His pleasure. His miracles
of Grace shall be worked and all the devils in Hell shall not be able
to prevent them. Neither skeptics nor fiends can hinder, even for a
moment, the eternal purpose of God which must and shall be
fulfilled–and this is it–"He shall see of the travail of His soul,
and shall be satisfied." This work in the hearts of men He must and
will carry on to His own praise and Glory–let who will, say no to Him.
III. Now, I close by the last point, which is A WORK WHICH MUST BE DONE
BY THE HEARER HIMSELF.
This text speaks of Paul being an instrument in the hands of God of
opening men's eyes and turning them to God, that they may receive
pardon and so forth–in all of which they seem to be passive. But in
this later verse they are called upon to be active–"That they should
repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance." Paul was
commanded to go and do such-and-such things in the power of the Spirit,
but when he commenced to do them, it was by telling men that they
should repent.
God gives repentance, but men must, themselves, repent. We are created
thinking, intelligent beings and we are saved as such. If we were
blocks of wood or masses of iron, God could carve or mold us most
readily, and then He would have done no more than men commonly do with
such materials. But if we remain free agents and yet the Lord works His
will upon us, it is an amazing miracle–worthy of the Lord who works
it! Never let us forget either the free agency of man or the purposes
of God! God leaves us free agents and yet, in Infinite Wisdom, He
accomplishes His purposes and fulfils His decree! Grace reigns not over
slaves, but over obedient children. The will of the Lord is done and
yet the responsibility and freedom of men are left untouched!
How the Lord does this I do not know. He has never deigned to explain
His Infinity to us, nor need we desire that He should. It is a great
blessing to have something to wonder about. I had rather have reasons
for adoration than temptations for indulging my pride! Dear Hearer, if
you would be saved, you must repent! It is not the work of God the Holy
Spirit to repent for you, but to lead you to repent. The Holy Spirit
has nothing to repent of and it is not a work which can be done by
proxy. We cannot give you repentance as a doctor may inject morphine
under the skin–it must be your own act and deed, your own feeling and
emotion. You cannot be saved unless you personally turn from sin–it is
the work of God's Holy Spirit to bring you to do so, but you have to
repent with your own heart and mind.
Observe this carefully. You have sinned and you must repent of it and
turn from it. You must undergo a change in your mind about everything.
You think little of sin–you must thoroughly change your mind on that
matter! You think little of Christ–your mind must be totally changed
upon that point! You must loathe sin and grieve over it! There can be
no forgiveness unless there is a confessing and forsaking of sin.
Remember your child's verse and attend to it–
"Repentance is to leave
The sins we loved before
And show that we, in earnest, grieve
By doing so no more."
This is demanded of you by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"The times of this ignorance God winked at, but now commands all men
everywhere to repent."
The next thing necessary is that you turn to God. Your prayer may be,
"Turn me, and I shall be turned," but the command is, "Turn you, turn
you, why will you die?" God will turn you, but you have to willingly
yield and thus turn yourself! A number of texts indicate that there can
be no turning of a man's heart to God by any force put upon him– the
turning which God grants us is a perfectly willing and delighted
turning on our part–we do it as freely as if there were no such thing
as the Grace of God operating upon us! And yet we do it because Grace
is sweetly working in us to will and to do. We cannot take you by the
ears and drag you into Heaven. No person can be unwillingly holy, or
unwillingly happy, or go to Heaven unwillingly! The great turn needed
is to turn to God.
Now you turn away from Him. You do not like to think of Him–this
morning you have heard quite as much as you can bear–and you will try
and forget it and so turn away from God. Would not it be grand news for
some of you if there were no God, no Law, no judgment to come, no
Heaven, no Hell? It would create in you a sense of liberty, would it
not? But as for some of us, it would be slavery to us and the worst
calamity that could possibly happen, for we should have lost our joy,
our comfort, our all! O Sirs, you must turn to God–thinking of Him,
trusting Him, loving Him, longing for Him, living for Him, delighting
in Him! Your aversion must be removed by conversion–God the Holy
Spirit will work this in you, but you must become willing in the day of
His power. What do you say to this? If you live and die without this
turning, you must be turned into Hell! I dare not set before you any
other prospect.
And then, to conclude, it is added they must do works meet for
repentance, for wherever there is true faith there will be
corresponding works. Now what are, "works meet for repentance"? They
are such as these–restitution if you have wronged anyone.
Reconciliation if you are at enmity with anyone. Acknowledgment if you
have spoken falsely. Giving up of evil habits and an earnest endeavor
to be pure and holy. If you run into temptation willfully–that is not
a work fit to go with repentance! If you commit, again, the sin which
you have committed before, and return to it as a dog to its vomit–that
is not a work meet for repentance! If you live in neglect of the means
of Grace. If you disregard the Sabbath. If you neglect prayer. If you
omit the study of God's Word–these are all not works that will agree
with repentance! If you live wholly for yourself and your own personal
aggrandizement, that is not a work meet for repentance.
But if you do, indeed, repent, you must pray the Lord to change your
whole life. "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature"–that is
the whole of it–you must be new from head to foot, new in every
thought and word and deed. The saved man is a creation and none can
create him but God, Himself! Oh that we may, each one of us, feel His
transforming power, that we may henceforth, "work out our own salvation
with fear and trembling, for it is God which works in us to will and to
do of His good pleasure."
After all, it comes to this, Will you have Christ or not? Dear Hearers,
I would like to press that question home upon you. I pray that you may
be enabled to say, "I will put my trust in Him. I will at once accept
Him as my Lord and Savior." I am afraid you get so used to my voice
that it does not strike you, now, as it used to do. But still, the
Truth of God is the same, whoever speaks it. If I talk nonsense, forget
it! But if this is the Truth of God to which you are listening, I
implore you to attend to it! Do not hear it and say, "Oh, yes," and
then go away and think no more of it!
May God grant you Grace, at once, to really repent, to turn to God and
to do works meet for repentance, through faith which is in Christ, for
His dear name's sake. Amen.