DISCOURSE: 1845
THE GOSPEL SECURES THE PRACTICE OF HOLINESS
Romans 6:1-4. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
WE are told that “the Gospel was to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness;” whilst to all who had an experience of it in their souls, it was both “the power of God, and the wisdom of God [Note: 1 Corinthians 1:23-24.].” The grounds on which the Jews and Greeks so greatly inveighed against it were various: its apparent contrariety to the revelation given by Moses rendered it offensive to the one; and its proposing to us a Saviour, who appeared unable to save himself, rendered it contemptible to the other. But there was one ground of offence which exposed it equally to the reprobation of all; and that was, the unfavourable aspect which it had in relation to holiness. Men of every religion were ready to cry out against it in this view: and therefore the Apostle, having stated the plan of the Gospel salvation with all possible clearness, takes up this objection, and gives an answer to it;—such an answer, indeed, as neither Jews nor Gentiles could have anticipated; but such as must approve itself to all whom God enables to comprehend it.
From the words of my text, I will take occasion to shew,
I. The supposed tendency of the Gospel to encourage sin—
The Gospel certainly, when stated as St. Paul stated it, has, to a superficial observer, this aspect—
[It greatly magnifies the grace of God in the salvation of fallen man. It sets forth that grace, in all its freeness, and in all its fulness. It offers salvation freely, “without money and without price.” It offers salvation through the righteousness of another, even the righteousness of our incarnate God and Saviour. It offers salvation by faith alone, without works; saying, “To him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness [Note: Romans 4:5.].” Nor does it make its offers to the most righteous only; but to all, not excepting even the vilest of mankind; saying, “Where sin hath abounded, grace shall much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, so shall grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord [Note: Romans 5:20-21.].”]
Hence men in every age have characterized it as licentious—
[In St. Paul’s day, many drew from his statements this inference, that, supposing his statements to be true, men might very safely “continue in sin, that so the grace of God,” in pardoning it, “might be the more abundantly displayed.” At this day also, wherever the Gospel is faithfully delivered, men bring the same objections against it. Because we offer salvation to the chief of sinners, saying, “All that believe shall be justified from all things [Note: Acts 13:39.],” we appear to them to make light of sin. And because we declare, that the good works of men make no part of a man’s justifying righteousness; and that the best work that ever we performed would, if relied upon in ever so small a degree, not only not add any thing to the work of Christ, but would invalidate and render void all that he ever did and suffered for us; we seem to make light of holiness; since we declare, that the evil we have committed shall never condemn, nor shall the good that we may do ever justify, the believing soul. Men cannot imagine what inducement we can have to practise good works, if they are not to justify us; or to abstain from sin, if it may so easily be blotted out by one simple exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence the whole Gospel appears to them a strange, unintelligible, and licentious doctrine; calculated only to mislead the simple, and palatable only to hypocrites and fanatics.]
But, in answer to all such objections, I will shew,
II.
The security it gives for the practice of universal holiness—
Doubtless, nothing but divine grace can secure the practice of holiness: and, to a man destitute of that sanctifying principle, all sentiments, of whatever kind, will be ineffectual for the purification of his soul. A man may profess the greatest regard for good works, yet not perform them; or he may profess the greatest regard for Christ, and not render to him the obedience of the heart: on the contrary, he may “turn the grace of God into lasciviousness [Note: Jude, ver. 4.].” But, so far as any principles can prevail, those of the Gospel, when embraced in their purity, will be found to produce holiness both of heart and life. So the Apostle declares, in answer to the objection before stated.
To enter fully into the Apostle’s argument, see what a man professes at his first entrance into the Church of Christ—
[He is “baptized into Christ:” into Christ, “as dying for his offences, and as raised again for his justification [Note: Romans 4:25.].” To the Saviour, so dying and so rising, he feels himself bound to be conformed; dying to sin, as He died for sin; and rising, like him, to a new and heavenly life [Note: ver. 8–11.]. His immersion, at the time of his baptism, represented this to him: and he, in submitting to it, pledged himself to seek the experience of this change in his soul, and never to rest till he shall have attained it. Christ, after his crucifixion, was buried: and in baptism the believer is “buried with Christ;” and engages to become as separate from all his former lusts, as Christ was from all the concerns of this perishing world. And the same power that wrought in Christ, to raise him from the dead, works effectually in his soul, to accomplish in him this wondrous renovation after the Divine image. “Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father;” and by the same glorious power the believer is enabled to “walk in newness of life.”
Now, all this a man professes in his baptism: he then, in the sight of God and of the world, acknowledges these to be his most decided sentiments, and his unalterable obligations. He declares, before all, that he owes every thing to Christ, and is bound to employ every faculty of his soul for Christ; “living altogether for that Saviour who died for him and rose again [Note: Romans 14:7-8.].”]
Now mark what aspect this profession must have on all his future life—
[I grant, that he may be drawn aside from the path of duty, and go back to all the evil courses from which he professes to have been delivered [Note: 2 Peter 1:9; 2 Peter 2:20.]. But, in the midst of all he must say, ‘This course of life does not proceed from my principles; nor is it in accordance with them. No: it is altogether in opposition to my avowed sentiments, and is one continued violation of my most solemn engagements. The Gospel is not to be blamed for what I do, any more than it was for the sins of Judas or of Peter, of Ananias or of Demas, or of any other person that ever dishonoured his Christian calling.’ In a word, the man who has been baptized into the faith of Christ bears in the face of the whole world this unequivocal testimony: “The grace of God, which bringeth salvation, teaches me, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, I should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world:” and, if it produce not this effect, the fault is in myself alone.
Now, I look upon this as a complete answer to the objection in my text. I admit that a person professing the principles of the Gospel may walk unworthy of them: but I utterly deny that the Gospel has any thing in it to encourage such a life: on the contrary, I assert, that a man’s entrance into the Church by baptism is an open acknowledgment that a very different life becomes him; and that he cannot depart from holiness without expressly contravening all his principles and all his obligations.]
Application—
1.
Is there now any one present who entertains the objection here made against the Gospel?
[Alas! there are many who will represent the preachers of the Gospel as saying to their hearers, “Only believe; and you may live as you please.” But methinks there is not one, amongst all this host of objectors, that believes his own statement. For it is a notorious fact, that those very persons, who decry our ministry as encouraging licentiousness, will, with the very next breath, cry out against us, as making the way to heaven so strait, that none but a few enthusiasts can walk in it. But, supposing them to be sincere, they only betray their own ignorance. St. Paul says in my text, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death?” No: they know nothing of the matter: they know nothing of the Christian’s principles; nor do they at all consider his obligations. The Christian never accounts himself free from the moral government of the law, though he knows himself free from its condemning sentence. On the contrary, he feels a thousand motives for obedience, which a mere self-righteous moralist has no idea of: and if a proposal were made to him to “sin, that grace might abound,” he would reply with indignation and abhorrence, “God forbid!” To you, then, I say, be diligent in your inquiries, and candid in your judgment. Where, amongst the self-righteous moralists, did you ever find such attainments in holiness as in the Apostle Paul? These attainments were the genuine fruit of his principles; as he himself has told us: “The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.].” Only receive the Gospel as he preached it; and it shall operate in you as it did in the Churches which were planted by him.]
2. Is there any one here who, by his conduct, gives occasion for this objection?
[That there is not any avowed Antinomian amongst us, I can easily believe: but are there not those who, by their ungoverned tempers, or their covetous practices, or their unholy lives, “give occasion to the enemies of religion to blaspheme,” and to “speak evil of the truths” which Paul preached? Ah! brethren, if there be one such person in the midst of us, let him remember what our blessed Lord has said: “Woe unto the world because of offences; for it must needs be that offences will come: but woe unto him by whom they come: for it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were cast into the midst of the sea, than that he should offend one of God’s little ones [Note: Luke 17:1-2.].” It is a lamentable fact, that one man who dishonours the Gospel by an unholy conversation, does more injury to the souls of men, than ten holy men can do them good. Every one, however blind to the excellencies of the godly, has his eyes open to behold the faults of those who profess godliness; aye, and his mouth open too, to report and aggravate all the evil that he has either seen or heard: for it is by this that worldly men seek to justify themselves in their contempt of a religion which is so disgraced. I charge you then, my dear brethren, guard against every thing which can produce these fatal effects; and beg of God rather to cut you off from the earth at once, than to suffer you to become a stumbling-block to the world, and a scandal to his Church.]
3. I trust there are those present who bear in mind and exemplify their baptismal vows—
[Yes, I hope there are amongst us many who “walk worthy of their high calling,” and “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour” by a holy and heavenly conversation. To such persons I would say, be steadfast in your course, and endeavour to “abound more and more.” And, that you may see what heights are to be attained, set the Lord Jesus Christ before you both in his death and resurrection; that, “being planted in the likeness of the one, ye may be also in the likeness of the other [Note: ver. 5.].” What had he to do with the cares or pleasures of this world, when he was “buried” in the grave? Or when has a moment’s intermission of his services to God occurred, since his resurrection from the dead? Let this, then, be your pattern, both in your death unto sin, and in your living unto righteousness: and, as you acknowledge yourselves to have “been bought with a price, seek and labour to glorify Him with your bodies and your spirits, which are his [Note: 1 Corinthians 6:20.].”]