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THE NECESSITY OF FAITH IN CHRIST
A FAITHFUL minister will find many occasions of rectifying the views and dispositions of his hearers; nor will he fail to improve the opportunities that occur of leading them to a more intimate acquaintance with their Lord. Some of the followers of John the Baptist having heard of the popularity of Jesus, were envious of his success, and jealous for the honour of their own teacher. But this holy man answered their complaints with much wisdom and humility; and having, in the strongest terms, given his testimony to the Divine mission of Jesus, he confirmed his word with the solemn declaration which we have just read. This record contains the sum and substance of the Gospel. It sets before us,
I. The one condition of our salvation—
We do not mean to say that there is any thing to be done, whereby we are to earn or merit heaven (in this respect our salvation has no conditions except those which were performed by Christ) but that,
We must believe in Christ in order to obtain salvation—
[The duty here enjoined is not so easy as men generally suppose. If it merely imported a consent to the truth of Christianity, it might then be performed without any difficulty or self-denial. But to “believe on the Son of God” is, to believe, that he is the only, and the all-sufficient, Saviour of our ruined race. If we do not feel our need of him; if we be not convinced that we can never obtain salvation by any works of our own; if we do not make earnest application to him at a throne of grace; and if we do not trust altogether in his blood and righteousness, we cannot believe aright. This, and nothing less than this, is the condition of our acceptance with God.]
Nor is there any other condition so suitable as this—
[We may be ready to think that the performance of good works were a much fitter condition than faith. But if salvation were by works, no flesh living could be saved; because no man ever has kept, or ever can keep, the whole law of God. Nor should we be at all more safe, if sincere obedience were the term of our acceptance; because as no man has perfectly fulfilled the law, so no man has done all that he might have done; in many instances we might have mortified our sinful dispositions more, and approved ourselves more diligent in the discharge of our duty. Besides, if we were saved by any works of our own, we should have whereof to glory, and might ascribe, even in heaven itself, the honour to ourselves. Whereas the appointment of salvation by faith secures happiness to the most unworthy, if really penitent; and necessitates all to give the glory of their salvation to God alone.]
The Baptist having thus made known the condition of our acceptance with God, proceeds to declare,
II. The state of those who comply with it—
About this, which might have been thought a dubious point, no doubt whatever is expressed. The believer has,
1. A title to eternal life—
[There is not any title whatever to an earthly inheritance so secure as that which the believer has to heaven. He has the promise of Jehovah. He has a covenant sealed with Emmanuel’s blood, and confirmed with the oath of God himself—and, provided he can appeal to God respecting his unfeigned reliance on the Lord Jesus Christ, he may put in his claim even at the bar of judgment, and demand, if we may so speak, all the glory of heaven as his unalienable inheritance. God hath said, “He that believeth shall be saved;” and if we only prove our performance of the condition, we need never doubt the fulfilment of God’s promise.]
2. The beginning and earnest of it in his soul—
[The life which a believer has in his soul is of the same kind with that which he shall possess for ever. He has the same reconciliation with God, the same delight in him, and the same sense of his favour. The Spirit of God that is within him is often called “an earnest” of his inheritance; because that Spirit, in his enlightening, sanctifying, and comforting influences, is a foretaste of heaven, and a pledge, that the soul possessed of it shall in due time enjoy all the glory and felicity of the heavenly world. He has only to wait the appointed hour, and his abode shall be in the presence of his God, where nothing that can trouble or defile him shall ever enter. Say, brethren, could an angel from heaven announce to you more joyful tidings than these?]
But it is not thus with all. Widely different is,
III. The state of those who do not comply with it—
Here we may observe the same strength of assertion as in the former case. The text positively affirms, that
They shall not enter into heaven—
[Unbelievers often seem as confident of obtaining eternal happiness as if all the promises of God had been made to them in particular. But they will be awfully disappointed as soon as ever they enter into the invisible world. “They will knock at the gate of heaven, crying, Lord, Lord, open to us: but he will answer them, Depart from me, I never knew you.” A flaming sword will prohibit their entrance into Paradise, and an impassable gulf be fixed between them and the celestial spirits. This is the declaration of God, nor can it ever be reversed.]
They shall be made eternal monuments of God’s wrath—
[They will not be persuaded that God is angry with them; and because they feel not his judgments now, they think they never shall. But God even now is filled with wrath against them; and they are preserved only as condemned criminals in a dungeon, till the hour appointed for their execution shall arrive. God’s eye is ever upon them, not for good, but for evil. He views them as guilty of the most flagrant disobedience [Note: Ὁ ä å ἀ ð å é è ῶ í is contrasted in the text with ὁ ð é ó ô å ý ù í .]. He regards them as contemners both of his majesty, and of his mercy. He is incensed against them for “trampling under foot his dear Son, and doing despite to his Spirit.” And soon the wrath, which even now “abideth on them,” “shall come upon them to the uttermost.”]
Application—
[Let all inquire seriously whether they do indeed believe — — — Let those, who have not hitherto come to Christ as lost and perishing sinners, guard against those workings of self-righteousness which would keep them from him — — — And let “those who have believed be careful to maintain good works” — — —]