All Things Are Naked and Opened
God wants us to come to a position of helplessness and nothingness so that we can throw ourselves upon His mercy and receive free salvation.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the necessity of recognizing our helplessness before God, likening it to an athlete defeated in the arena, stripped of defenses and utterly reliant on mercy. He illustrates that true surrender involves ceasing our struggles for self-improvement and instead, lying at the feet of Jesus, appealing for His grace. This state of vulnerability is not only the sinner's hope for salvation but also the Christian's path to a deeper spiritual life. By acknowledging our nothingness, we open ourselves to receive the free salvation and transformative power that Jesus offers. Ultimately, Simpson calls for a complete surrender to God's mercy as the key to spiritual renewal.
Text
The literal translation of that phrase in Hebrews is, "all things are stripped and stunned." Such is the force of the Greek words. The figure is that of an athlete in the Coliseum who has fought his best in the arena, and has at length fallen at the feet of his adversary, disarmed and broken down in helplessness. There he lies, unable to strike a blow or lift his arm. He is stripped and stunned, disarmed and disabled, and there is nothing left for him but to lie at the feet of his adversary and appeal to him for mercy.
Now this is the position to which God wants to bring us, where we shall cease our struggles and our attempts at self-defense or self-improvement and throw ourselves helplessly upon the mercy of God.
This is the sinner's only hope, and when he thus lies at the feet of mercy, Jesus is ready to lift him up and give him that free salvation which is waiting for all. This, too, is the greatest need of the Christian who seeks a deeper and higher life-to come to a full realization of his nothingness and helplessness and to lie down, stripped and stunned, at the feet of Jesus.
Sermon Outline
- The Meaning of 'All Things Are Naked and Opened'
- The Position to Which God Wants to Bring Us
- The Sinner's Only Hope
- The Greatest Need of the Christian
- Realizing nothingness and helplessness
- Lying down at the feet of Jesus
Key Quotes
“Such is the force of the Greek words.” — A.B. Simpson
“He is stripped and stunned, disarmed and disabled, and there is nothing left for him but to lie at the feet of his adversary and appeal to him for mercy.” — A.B. Simpson
“This is the sinner's only hope, and when he thus lies at the feet of mercy, Jesus is ready to lift him up and give him that free salvation which is waiting for all.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must come to a full realization of our nothingness and helplessness in order to receive God's mercy.
- Lying at the feet of Jesus is the sinner's only hope for salvation.
- A deeper and higher Christian life requires us to come to a position of helplessness and dependence on God's mercy.