Justification, Propitiation, Declaration
(No. 3488)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1915.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, ON LORD'S-DAY EVENING,
OCTOBER 9, 1870.
"Being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus: whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith
in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins
that are past through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at
this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier
of him who believes in Jesus." Romans 3:24-26.
I think, dear Friends, some of you will be saying, "There is that same
old Doctrine again that we are so continually hearing," and I am sure
if you do say it I shall not be surprised. Nor, on the other hand,
shall I make any sort of excuse. The Doctrine of Justification by Faith
through the substitutionary Sacrifice of Christ is very much to my
ministry what bread and salt are to the table. As often as ever the
table is set, there are those necessary things. I regard that Doctrine
as being one that is to be preached continually, to be mixed up with
all our sermons, even as, under the Law of God it was said, "With all
your offerings you shall offer salt." This is the very salt of the
Gospel! Indeed, it is impossible to bring it forward too often. It is
the soul-saving Doctrine–it is the foundation Doctrine of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ! It is that by which God is pleased to bring many into
reconciliation with Himself. As the schoolmaster takes care to ground
his scholars well in grammar, that they may get hold of the very roots
of the language, so must we be rooted and grounded in this fundamental
and cardinal Truth of God–justification through the righteousness of
Jesus Christ! Martin Luther, who used to preach this Doctrine very
vehemently and forcibly, yet declared that he felt as if he could knock
the Bible about the peoples' heads if he could by any means get this
Doctrine into them–for as soon after they had learned it, they forgot
it! Over and over, and over again must the Christian minister continue
to insist upon this Truth–that God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. And
forever and ever, as long as the world stands, must he continue to
repeat the Truth of God, that we are justified through the
righteousness of our Redeemer and not by any righteousness of our own!
I do not intend at this time to try and preach a sermon, but rather
give an "outline exposition" again of this Doctrine. And if you turn to
the text, I think we can very well divide it, and very properly, too,
into three parts, and head it with three words of, Justification,
Propitiation and Declaration. Justification–"Being justified freely by
His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Propitiation–"Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation though faith
in His blood to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins."
And then we come to the third–the Declaration–to declare His
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the
forbearance of God! To declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness,
that He might be just and the Justifier of him who believes in Jesus!
First, then, here is something about–
I. JUSTIFICATION.
The sense of this term is, in this place, and in most others, to
declare a person to be just. A person is put on trial, he is brought
before the judge. One of two things will happen–he will either be
acquitted or justified, or else he will be condemned. You and I are all
virtually before the judge and we are, at this moment, either acquitted
or condemned, either justified or under condemnation! It is not
possible that any one of us should be acquitted on the grounds of our
not being guilty, for we must all confess that we have broken the Law
of God thousands of times! It is not possible for any of us to be
declared just on the ground of our own personal obedience to the Law of
God, for to be just through our own obedience we must have been
perfect–but we have not been perfect! We have broken the Law, we still
continue to break it and, by the works of the Law, it is clear we
cannot be just–cannot be justified. The Lord, even the God of Heaven
and
earth, has planned and promulgated a way by which He can be just and
yet can declare the guilty to be just–a way by which, to use the words
of our text, He can be just and yet the Justifier of him who believes.
That way is simply this, a way of substitution and imputation. Our sins
are taken off of us and laid upon Christ Jesus, the innocent
Substitute, "For He has made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us."
Then, when this is effected, the righteousness which was worked out by
Jesus Christ is taken from Him and imputed–reckoned–unto us, so that
the rest of the text comes true, "That we may be made the righteousness
of God in Him." We are found in Him not having our own righteousness
which is of the Law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith.
You see, we did not keep the Law of God, but broke it. We were,
therefore, condemned! Jesus came and stood in our place, headed up the
whole race that He had chosen, became their Representative, completely
kept all the Law for them, also suffered the punishment due for all
their breaches of the Law, becoming a Substitute, actively and
passively obeying the Law and suffering its penalty! And now what He
did is imputed to us, while what we did by way of sin was of old
imputed to Him and He was made a curse for us–as it is written,
"Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree." If you ask me how this can
be a just thing to do, I reply, God has determined it and it is not
possible that He should have determined anything that was not just!
But, moreover, there was an original reason for it, for our first ruin
came upon us through our first parent, Adam. Our first fall was not our
doing, but the doing of the man who stood as our representative!
Perhaps had we, each one of us, at the first separately and distinctly
sinned, without any connection with him, redemption might have been as
impossible to us as we have reason to believe it is to fallen angels!
But inasmuch as the first sin was in connection with the federal
headship of the first Adam, it became possible and right that there
should be a salvation through a second federal headship, even Jesus
Christ, the Second Adam. "As by man came death, so by Man also comes
the resurrection from the dead." As by man sin came into the world and
the race perished, so by the second glorious Man, Christ Jesus, Divine
Grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life! But you need not
question the justice of the plan. The Sovereign against whom you have
offended deigns to accept it–and what God accepts we need not hesitate
to rely upon! If the offended One is satisfied to proclaim us just, we
may be perfectly satisfied with what He shall do toward us, for if He
justifies, who can condemn? If He acquits, who dare accuse? We may
boldly say, if once we are acquitted, "Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect?"
Now notice what the text says of this plan of Justification. It tells
us that, as far as we are concerned, it is given to us freely/Being
freely justified, God forgives the sinner's sins gratis, freely–not on
account of any repentance of his, meritoriously considered–not on the
ground of any resolutions of his which might bribe the Eternal
mind–not on account of penance, or suffering endured or to be endued,
but He puts sins away freely because He chooses to do it–for nothing!
Without money, without merit, without anything that could move Him but
His own grand Nature, for He delights in mercy–"Being freely
justified."
And then to make it still clearer, it is added, by His Grace, which is
not a tautology, though it is a repetition. We are justified, not by
any debt due to us, not because God was bound to justify, but because
out of His own abundant love and rich compassion He freely makes the
guilty to be pardoned and the unrighteous to be justified by the
righteousness of Christ! I know it has been said by some that we make
out that there is no such thing as free pardon and free justification
because we set the righteousness of Christ as the procuring cause of
both. I grant you we do! But we equally strenuously hold the pardon to
be free, and the Justification to be free, though it is through the
Redemption that is in Christ Jesus– free to us, free so far as the
heart and mercy of God is concerned–and only through
Redemption–because God must be just, He must be righteous, He cannot
separate sin from the penalty! He is a Sovereign, but He never, in His
Sovereignty, violates righteousness! And it would be a sovereign act of
unrighteousness if He passed by sin without awarding to it the
punishment which He threatened should follow it–an act which it is not
possible for God to do, for He must be just and He has, Himself
declared He will by no means clear the guilty! Still, the justification
is free to you, free to every soul that will have it, free to every man
that believes in Jesus!
Now note this justification is put before you as being through the
Redemption, which is in Christ Jesus. There is a price paid–it is
through the Redemption. There is an intervening suffering and an
intervening obedience. We are not justified freely without Redemption,
nor justified by His Grace without the intervention of the atoning
Sacrifice. Oh, how men labor to get rid of this! There are certain
persons who think themselves philosophic, who will do all they can to
throw dirt into the face of this Doctrine of Substitution, but it is
the very soul, head, foundation, corner, and keystone of
the entire Gospel! If it is left out, I hesitate not to say that the
Gospel preached is another gospel, which is not another, but there are
some who trouble you–
"In vain the guilty conscience seeks Some solid ground to rest upon.
With vain desire the spirit breaks, Till we apply to Christ alone! Till
God in human flesh I see, My thoughts no comfort find. The holy, just,
and sacred Three Are terrors to my mind! But if Emmanuel's face
appears, My hope, my joy, begins! His Grace forbids my slavish fear,
His love removes my sins."
We cannot give up the Doctrine of Redemption, the redemption which is
in Christ Jesus! This is it, Soul–listen to it–you are justified
freely, but it cost the Savior dearly! It cost Him a life of obedience!
It cost Him a death of shame, of agony, of suffering–all immeasurable!
There was your cup of wrath which you must drink forever, and which you
could never drain to the bottom! It must be drunk by someone! Jesus
drinks it, sets the cup to His lips, and the very first drop of it
makes Him sweat great drops of blood falling to the ground! But He
drinks right on, though head, and hands, and feet are all
suffering–drinks right on, though He cries, "My God, My God, why have
You forsaken Me?" Drinks right on, I say, until not one black drop or
dreg could be found within that cup and, turning it upside down, He
cries, "It is finished! It is finished," as He gives up the ghost. At
one tremendous draught of love, the Lord has drunk condemnation dry for
every one of His people for whom He shed His blood! "Justified freely
by His Grace through the Redemption which is in Christ Jesus." There
was a Redemption by substitutionary suffering, a Redemption by
vicarious obedience, a Redemption by interposition of Christ on our
behalf–
"To bear, that we might never bear His Father's righteous ire."
Do you understand this, Sinner? Do you understand this? If you do not,
then God help you to grasp it now, for it is a thing of the present–is
it not here a present participle?–being justified freely, that is,
now, justified now! O Sinner, you are now condemned, but if you now
will look to Jesus standing as the Victim in your place. If you will
nowtrust in Jesus dying in your place–you shall nowbe just, your sins
shall nowbe forgiven–the righteousness shall nowbe yours and you shall
know the meaning of that text, "There is, therefore, now no
condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit." Do you see, then, what justification
means? Oh, may you enjoy it! It will make you leap for joy if you do!
And now the second word is–
II. PROPITIATION–a reference here to the Mercy Seat, the covering
in–in our own words it is a reconciliation, a something by which God
is propitiated–an Atonement by which God and man are made one, a
propitiation–a something which vindicates the injured honor of God,
which comes in to make amends to the Divine Law for human offenses.
Now concerning this propitiation, let us speak, and may the Holy Spirit
give us utterance. You say, O Sinner, "How shall I come before God? How
shall I draw near to the Most High God?" What would you give to be
saved? All that you have, you would freely present–if you had bullocks
and sheep upon a thousand hills and their blood could cleanse you–you
would pour it out in rivers! You ask again, "What is the propitiation I
can bring?" God tells you. Here He tells you that He has provided a
Propitiation in the Person of His dear Son. And I would have you notice
first of all who it was that provided it–whom God had set forth.
Admire the love of this–that the God who was angered, is the God who
finds the Propitiation! Against God the sin was leveled! God Himself
finds the way of being gracious towards sinners. How safe it must be to
accept a Propitiation who God, the offended One, Himself proposes!
Notice next that it is said that God has set this forth. The margin has
it, "Has foreordained it." The Atonement of Christ is not a new
idea–it is an old determination of the Most High and it is no close
secret! God has published it–set it forth. By His Prophets in His
Word–by His preachers in all your streets–God has set forth Christ to
be the Propitiation for human sin! It is His own arranging, His
own–and the publication to you tonight is by His own authority! Oh,
regard this and you who seek His mercy leap to think that it comes to
you certified in such a way!
But then notice that the main point in this Propitiation is the blood.
"Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in His blood." Some cannot bear to hear about the blood of Jesus
and yet, under the old Law it was written, "It is the blood which shall
make atonement for sin." And again, "Without shedding of blood there is
no remission," and again, "The blood is the life thereof," and again,
"When I see the blood, I will pass over you," that is to say, that
which makes Atonement for human sin is not the life of Christ as an
example–nor the actions of Christ as a vindication of
righteousness–but the suffering of Christ–the death of Christ.
Everyone knows that this is what is meant by the blood. In the
blood-shedding, Jesus suffered! His body suffered–inwardly His soul
bled, His spirit suffered–His soul-sufferings were the soul of His
sufferings! Then came death. Death was the penalty of sin. Jesus died,
literally died–and the heart's blood came forth, mingled with water
from His pierced side. God is pleased to pardon us because Jesus
suffered–and the main point of comfort is the Cross–the Cross of the
Crucified, the dying Savior! Do not let your minds wander away from
this, you that are seeking peace with God. Your hope is not so much at
Bethlehem as at Calvary. Your consolation is not to be found in the
Second Advent but in the First Advent–and the death that closed it.
You are not to look to Christ in His Glory for your comfort, but to
Christ in His humiliation! Christ in His expiatory sufferings as your
only hope! The blood, the blood, the blood–it is there the
propitiation lies–and to that our faith must turn our eyes. It is so.
Yes, it is so–
"My sins deserve Your wrath, my God! Your wrath has fallen on Your
Son!"
My sins turned away Your face–You have turned away Your face from Him.
My sins deserved death–He has died. My sins deserved to be spit
upon–to be mocked–to be cast out as felons. All this He has endured
as if He were my sin, and is it not so? "He has made Him who knew no
sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in
Him." Brothers and Sisters, I do declare my conscience never knew any
peace until I understood this Truth of God, but ever since then I have
no Rock I build on but this–Christ in my place, and I in Christ's
place! I am safe in Him and He was chastened, bruised, wounded, slain,
instead of me! He it is. Propitiation through the blood. But the text
says, " Through faith in His blood." So, then, this shows you that no
propitiation has had any effect with regard to us until we have faith
in the blood! I can never know that God has blotted out my sin until I
have faith! And what is faith but trust? And then, when I trust the
blood of Jesus, my sin is all forgiven me in one moment. When I humbly
rely upon my Savior's finished work, "Though sins were as scarlet, they
become as wool; though they were red like crimson, they are whiter than
snow." Do you know–I hardly know how to talk about this Truth of
Propitiation. It makes my heart so leap for joy that I cannot find
words to tell you! I do know that I, and that you, and that every
Believer under Heaven is as clear before God of every sin as if he or
she had never sinned! And is accepted before God as if his whole life
had been perfect obedience–and all because that Propitiation blood and
the dear merits of our once Crucified, but now Glorified Redeemer
stands in our place! If I might have a perfect righteousness of my own,
I would not–I would sooner have my Lord's, for my righteousness, were
it perfect, were but the righteousness of a man–but His is the
righteousness of God and man, God-Man! Oh, it is not merely immaculate
and complete–it overflows with merit!Truly I say again, could we have
a righteousness of our own, it were wise to leave it and to have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ wrapped about us by an act of faith, that
we might forever stand not only accepted, but, "accepted in the
Beloved." Why, it is the very glory of the acceptance that the
acceptance comes to us in Christ!
Thus have I dwelt as well as our short time allows upon the
Propitiation. And now a word about–
III. THE DECLARATION.
The great objective, it appears, of the Redemption, and of the Gospel,
is to show how God is just and yet the Justifier of such as believe.
And Paul very properly divides the effect of Christ's death into two
parts. First, he says that that death declared God's righteousness as
to the sins that were past, through the forbearance of God.
Before our Savior came into the world, there had passed over the world
some thousands of years. Our chronology talks about four thousand
years. I do not know that. I never did believe in the chronology which
is appended by human judgment to our Bibles. It may be, or it may not
be correct. However, it may be four thousand years. During that time a
very large number of sinners lived and a large number of sinners were
saved. The transgressions of the Patriarchs, the transgressions of
Israel under the Law, were remitted and these persons were justified by
faith, and accepted–but how? There had been no offering of blood.
True, the bullocks and the lambs were offered, but these could never
put away sin. These were brought often, as if to show that the work was
not done. The text tells us that this was through the forbearance of
God. In the foresight of the Atonement to be offered, God
remitted–passed over, as the word is–the sins of
those of His children who lived before Christ was sent–before the
penalty was endured by the Substitute! It is a glorious thought, this
Atonement of Christ acting forward, before it was finished, before it
was presented–and multitudes entering Heaven and enjoying happiness as
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the saints did, when, as yet not
a drop of that blood which saved them had been shed, not a pang of the
agony which made up the Atonement had yet been endured! Now had God
passed over all this sin, and no Atonement was, after all, presented,
His justice would not have been declared. But our Savior ultimately
coming and suffering, all was a declaration of the righteousness of God
concerning the sins that were past. It was proven that He had in His
mind's eye this great Sacrifice when He passed by sin–that He had not
unjustly remitted it without demanding the penalty.
But then the Apostle gives us the other half of the great result of
Christ's death! He says, "To declare, I say, at this time, His
righteousness." That is, today–while we read this passage. "To
declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness, that still as for us
who live after the Passion, He might be just and the Justifier of him
who believes in Jesus." The atoning Sacrifice of Christ looks forward,
and will look all down the ages till He comes!–
"His precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Is saved to sin no more."
All the sins of His people, both past and present and to come, were
laid on Christ–the whole mighty mass of all the sin of all His people
that ever have believed, or ever shall believe on Him–all were
transferred to His head and laid on Him! And He suffered for them all.
And He made an end of all their transgressions and brought in
everlasting righteousness for them all! Here is the grand Truth of God,
the grandest Truth of Inspiration!
Now I shall spend the last few minutes of our time in reminding you
that I have not, Beloved, been beating about the bush, nor preaching to
you a Doctrine that may or may not be true! I have not been holding up
to you some angle of an eccentric creed. Behold before you that which
will be a savor of life unto life, or of death unto death! Not with
words of man's wisdom, but in simplicity have I tried to tell you God's
way of pardoning and justifying men. At your peril reject it! As you
shall answer for it before my Master's bar in that day when He shall
summon you to give an account, oh, I beseech you by the living
God–accept the Propitiation which God sets forth! Here are no harsh
terms! Here are no rigorous conditions! There stand the words, "Believe
and live!" As it is written, "He that believes and is baptized shall be
saved: He that believes not shall be damned." I have told you what this
believing is. It is an unfeigned act of reliance upon the Incarnate God
suffering in your place. If you believe on Him, or trust Him, that is
the indisputable evidence that He was a Substitute for you–that the
load of your guilt is gone–that the stone that lay at the door is
removed and you are saved! Go not about, I pray you, to seek another
righteousness. All the righteousness you need, Christ presents you
freely with! Do not say that you are guilty–it is true you are–but
this mode of salvation was meant for the guilty! Object not because you
feel unfit. All the fitness that is needed is that you do but confess
you are unfit and take freely what God presents you! No sin of yours
shall ruin you if you believe, but no righteousness of yours shall save
you if you will not believe!
This is God's way to save men. Will you set up another? Will you dare
play Antichrist with Christ? He has declared His righteousness in the
Substitution of the Savior. Do you fail to see that righteousness, or
seeing it, will you not admire it? Will you not adopt the plan which
manifests it? Accept it, Sinner! It is all a Brother's heart and voice
can say, accept it! Oh, if you knew the joy it would bring you, you
would accept it now! I bear my witness personally. Burdened with sin,
utterly lost, as much as you, I heard this gladsome news! I heard the
message which said, "Look unto Me and be you saved, all you ends of the
earth." I did look. I was as unfit as you–as undeserving as you–but
the moment my eyes caught sight of the great Surety on the ground of
Gethsemane, bleeding for me, and on the Cross dying for me–I saw that
if God had punished Him for me, He could be just, and yet never punish
me! No, that if Christ were punished in my place, to punish me after
Christ had died for me would be injustice altogether! And tonight I
hide myself beneath the wings of Jesus, the great Surety, and my only
shelter in the storm–
"Rock of Ages cleft for me Let me hide myself in Thee."
In His pierced side my soul does find a shelter from the blast of
Divine Wrath. It is peace now.'lt is joy now! It is salvation nowwith
me! Why should not it be so with you? You did not come here to find
Him. No, but God brought you here to find you! Is it not written, "I
will call them a people who were not a people, and her beloved who were
not be-
loved." "I am found," He says, "of them that sought Me not." Oh, may He
be found by you tonight! You did not know the way to be saved–you do
know it now. Do not add to your guilt by knowing what you don't
practice, but now, NOW trust Him! Oh, may the Holy Spirit work faith in
you. "'Tis but a little faith," says one. Little faith will save you,
but Christ deserves great faith! Oh, He is a true Christ–He cannot
lie. Oh, can you not lay hold of Him? Do you see but the hem of His
garment? Is it but a raveled thread that hangs out? Touch it, touch it
with your finger and you shall be made whole! What if you cannot
believe as you should? Believe as you can! Say with him of old, "Lord,
I believe; help You my unbelief." Lift up the cry of the publican, "God
be merciful–be propitiated'towards me, a sinner! Jesus, I will have
You! Have me!"
The Lord grant it, and may many in this place be saved tonight, to the
praise and the glory of His Grace wherein He has made us accepted in
the Beloved. Amen and amen!
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: JOHN15:1-17.
Thus speaks the Lord Jesus–Verse 1. I am the true vine. Many questions
have been raised about which is the true Church. The Savior answers
them, "I am the true vine." All who are united, really united, to the
ever-living Savior are members of the true Church. Find them where you
may, if they are one with Christ, they are His–they are parts of the
Divine Vine–they belong to His Church.
1. And My Father is the vinedresser It is the Father's province, by the
Holy Spirit and by the works of Providence, to see to the prosperity of
the Church. "My Father is the vinedresser." All preachers, all teachers
are but, so to speak, the pruning tool in the hand of the great
Vinedresser. "My Father is the vinedresser."
2. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away. It is a
necessary part of vine dressing to remove the superfluous shoots. Too
much wood making which does not lead to fruit bearing is but a waste of
strength. And so in the Church there are those that bear no fruit and,
for a while, they appear to be fresh and green–and they who are the
under vinedressers dare not take them away. But the Father does
it–sometimes by removing them by death, at other times by permitting
them openly to expose their own character until they are amenable to
the discipline of the Church and are removed.
2. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit, He takes away and every
branch that bears fruit–What of that? "He purges it (prunes it) that
it may bring forth more fruit." "I cannot understand," said one to me
the other day, "why I am so very sorely afflicted. I have been
searching myself to discover what sin can have been the cause of it."
Now, Beloved, if that is your question, tonight, there may be a sin to
be put away and, if so, God forbid that I should prevent your
searching! But remember, on the other hand, affliction is no evidence
of sin, but oftentimes of the very contrary! It is the fruit-bearing
branch that gets the pruning. You are so good a branch that God would
have you better. You have such capacities for bearing fruit that He
wants to see those capacities developed. The lapidary does not place
upon the wheel the stone that is not precious, but that which is, and
so your affliction is no mark, therefore, of your lack of Grace, but of
your having it! "Every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it
may bring forth more fruit."
3. Now you arepruned. For so it should be.
3. Through the Word which I have spoken unto you. While Christ was with
His disciples, He kept His vine continually pruned by the Word which He
spoke. That word cut off the non-fruit-bearing branches, for we read
that after that saying there were some that went back and walked no
more with Him, for they said, "'This is a hard saying; who can bear
it?" That was the Word of God pruning off the useless branches! And
there were others who were grieved by His Words. These were good
people, and it did them good. It was a godly sorrow that led to
bringing forth fruits meet for repentance.
4. Abide in Me and I in you. There is the great canon of the Christian
life! Hold fast to Christ. Not only live with Him, but live in Him.
"Abide in Me." And oh, let Jesus not be merely your companion now and
then, on holy occasions, but let Him abide in you! Make your heart a
temple–let Him find His sweetest rest–His home, in you!
4. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the
vine; neither can you, except you abide in Me. It is keeping in Christ,
then, that is the vital matter! There is the root of the whole
business, to be one with Jesus by vital union, deriving the sap of our
life entirely from Him!
5. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in
Him, the same brings forth much fruit. This double abiding gives a
double harvest! Christ in Me, and I in Christ–I must be fruitful. Oh,
Beloved, look well to this. I am afraid we get at a distance from
Christ. There is more danger of this in old professors than there is in
young beginners. The young beginner is often warm of heart. The very
novelty of the thing keeps him near his Master, but oh, take care of
slackening! You that have been pilgrims a long time, take care of
slackening! It is so easy to grow cold in this cold world–and it is so
hard to maintain the holy spiritual fervor, without which there is no
spiritual health.
5. He that abides in Me, and I in Him, the same brings forth much
fruit, for without Me you can do nothing. Not "you will do less," or,
"you will do least," but you can do nothing–nothing good, nothing
spiritual, nothing acceptable, if severed from Jesus!
6. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is
withered: and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they
are burned. And oh, how many come to this end! They seemed to be all
that the fruit-bearing branches are, but they were never saved souls,
for saved souls always bring forth fruits of righteousness! Their
salvation is proved by their fruitfulness. But though these appeared to
be all that the others were, after a while they were discovered and
cast into the fire and burned.
7. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you. My very words. You
must treasure up Christ's teaching. You must obey His precepts. If you
do this, "You shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you."
In this Chapter we are taught once or twice that the power of prayer
depends very much upon the closeness of our communion with Christ– and
the completeness of our obedience to Him. We are saved by faith in the
Redeemer, but the joy of salvation, the very dignity and glory of it,
will only come to those men and women who jealously watch themselves,
and zealously obey their Lord and Master.
8. 9. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall
you be My disciples. As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.
What a glorious word! I scarcely know a text more deep, more full than
this. After the same manner as God the Father loves the Son–after that
same sort does the Son love us! Hear the words again, "As the Father
has loved Me, so have I loved you; continue you in My love." He
confirms us in it and bids us live in the enjoyment of
it!
10. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love. You shall
know it. You shall live in it–it shall be the air you breathe.
10, 11. Even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His
love. These things have I spoken unto you that My joy might remain in
you. Christ would have His people happy–happy, however, with a holy
joy which is not, therefore, a dim and second-rate joy. It is the very
joy of Christ God's people are to enjoy!
11-16. That My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be
full. This is My commandment, That you love one another, as Ihave loved
you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life
for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knows not what his
master is doing: but Ihave called you friends; for all things that
Ihave heard of My Father, Ihave made known unto you. You have not
chosen Me, but Ihave chosen you, and ordainedyou, that you shouldgo and
bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatever you
shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you. A second
time He puts this remarkable prevalence of prayer side by side with
walking in the Lord's commandments! Oh, you that miss success in your
life and work, may you not trace your failure to your forgetfulness of
God? Shall God do your will, if you will not do His? Shall He wait on
you, if you will not wait on Him? Will He not (must you not expect that
He will) walk contrary to you if you walk contrary to Him? May His
Spirit make you pure in life, for then shall you be successful at the
Mercy Seat!
17. These things I command you, that you love one another. Jesus, send
us this spirit of love, we beseech you!