42 The Sinner's Obstinacy
The Sinner’s Obstinacy "You will not come to me, that you might have life." John 5:40 So spoke Jesus to the Jews of old — and the words are applicable to multitudes now. The Lord Jesus Christ alone has power and authority to give life to sinners. He says, "I, even I, am Jehovah; and beside me there is no Savior" (Isaiah 43:11).
Man is condemned for sin, and miserable through sin; he is wicked and weak, having neither will nor power to deliver himself; and without a Savior — his eternal destiny will be fearful. But divine mercy has provided, employed, and sent the Lord Jesus into the world, that we may have life through him. He alone has power, authority, or love sufficient for the work; as being the self-existent, omnipotent, and omnipresent God. He can reverse the sentence of death which is passed; he has power to forgive sins; and authority to bestow a title to everlasting life. And he invites sinners to come to him that they may live. There is no receiving everlasting life but by coming to Jesus, because all power is in his hands; he has power over all flesh to give eternal life to as many us the Father has given him (John 17:2).
He has made promises to the coming sinner, and "this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life" (1 John 2:25). He is so willing to bestow this blessing, that when talking with the woman at Jacob’s well he said, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water" (John 4:10). The same kind invitation he constantly held out to the Jews — but they would not ask: the same invitation is now held out to us, and whoever will may come, and take of the fountain of the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17). Those who hear the Word and come not, are accounted enemies — enemies to God, and enemies to their own souls. Coming to Jesus does him honor, and ensures the salvation of the soul.
Man is . . .
so depraved,
so blind to his own best interests,
so buried in sin —
that he would rather die at a distance from Jesus, than come to him and live. His darkened understanding sees no beauty in Him though he is "the chief among ten thousand," and "altogether lovely." The slumbering conscience apprehends no danger, and therefore allows the man to go on without disturbance. The carnal affections loathe spiritual things, and are fixed upon forbidden objects. The depraved will chooses . . .
sin rather than holiness;
death rather than life;
Satan rather than Jesus;
the world rather than God;
and Hell rather than Heaven! The whole man is such a mass of inconsistency, that he calls evil good, and good evil; puts darkness for light, and light for darkness; bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter (Isaiah 5:20).
Such being the state of man, though we threaten with all solemnity, exhort with all earnestness, and invite with all affection — it is in vain, unless God puts forth his power, and creates the sinner anew in Christ Jesus! But does this form an excuse for him? Oh, no! Wickedness, deliberate wickedness never can be an excuse. He will not have Jesus to reign over him. He will not have life; he prefers death in the error of his ways. It aggravates his sin. If it was merely weakness, we might pity him, and say he cannot; but it is wickedness, and therefore he must be blamed, for he will not come.
He hears of his danger — but he disregards it; he hears the invitation to come to Jesus for life — but he treats it with contempt. Hereby his condemnation is increased and confirmed; and God is more than justified in his eternal punishment. O sinner, how will you face the Judge at last! To hear him say, "I offered you life — but you refused it; I sent you my Word — but you rejected it; you despised my sufferings, trampled upon my blood, closed your ears to my servants, and now reap the due desert of your deeds."
You cannot be admitted to Heaven under such circumstances, for "the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9). This is your character; you were born in sin; you went astray from the birth; you slighted the Savior; and you have no righteousness to justify you before God. Oh, may the Lord convince you of your need of righteousness; lead you to see the beauty and perfection of the righteousness of Jesus, and give you the possession of it by believing! Without this you cannot enter into the kingdom of God, where peace, holiness, and pleasure reign. It is impossible — for the justice of God is opposed to it; the holiness of God forbids it; the law of God is against it; the gospel of Christ will not allow of it; the nature of Heaven and its employments prevent it; and the decree of God is, that none shall enter there but those who are washed, and sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11). "There shall in nowise enter into it anything that defiles, neither whatever works abomination, or makes a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life" (Revelation 21:27).
God now comes near to you in providence, in his Word, in his ordinances, in convictions, in the loss of friends and relatives, and by personal afflictions; but you say unto him, "Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of your ways" (Job 21:14).
God’s presence on earth you have felt to be disagreeable; you have manifested your dislike to it; you have rebelled against the light; you have hated . . .
his holiness, which is the glory of his nature;
his justice, which is the perfection of his government;
his love, which is the Heaven of his saints; and
his requirements, which are the delight of his angels. His presence has filled your guilty conscience with dread; the idea of his holiness has perplexed and made you unhappy; and you would not come to Jesus, his "express image," that you might have life. You preferred distance from God, and ignorance of God — to his presence and the knowledge of him: though you have often heard that "This is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17. 3).
Instead of loving God, you were in love with sin, carnal delights, and the present evil world. Instead of seeking fellowship with God, you loathed it, and would gladly have fled from his hand. You had no fear of God before your eyes; no esteem of the love of God; no gratitude for the mercies of God; no relish for the company of the saints of God; but you said unto God, "Depart!" by your neglect, indifference, and carelessness.
How awful the sinner’s state; he has said to God, "Depart;" and Jesus will soon say to him, "Depart — you have lived and died in sin; you slighted and rejected the gospel; you despised me and my people; you loved and served your lusts; you were enemies to true godliness; you would not come unto mo, that you might have life; therefore, Depart! Depart . . .
from me, whom you rejected;
from Heaven, which you despised;
from rest, which you fondly expected;
from peace, which you once refused; and
from the saints, whom you have contemned.
Depart from me into . . .
fire,
consuming fire,
devouring fire,
everlasting fire,
the tormenting worm will never dies;
the pit where you are to be confined is bottomless;
the fuel can never be consumed;
the pain will never end;
the smoke of the torment will ascend up forever and ever.
Go with the devil, who tempted and deceived you; whom you believed before God and his ministers; whom you served in preference to me; with whom you trifled and sinned; who now shall forever torment you.
Depart, you are CURSED. You are cursed of God, cursed by me, cursed by angels, cursed by saints — depart and curse yourselves. The law curses you, and the gospel joins with the law in cursing you. You are cursed in body, cursed in soul, and cursed forever. You are cursed with a comprehensive curse, a dreadful curse, an irreversible curse! Oh, how unspeakably dreadful must this be! Reader, does it not make your ears tingle, and your heart quake?
Oh, come, then, to Jesus, that you may have life: so shall you escape this dreadful doom! He is still waiting to be gracious; he is still exalted to show mercy. "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whoever will, let him take the water of life freely!" (Revelation 22:17).