CCXLV
Heb. 12:25—"See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven."
Jesus still speaks to us in the gospel.
What a privilege to hear such a voice, with such a message!
What cruel sin to refuse Jesus a hearing!
Here is a most urgent exhortation to yield him reverent attention.
I. There is need of this exhortation from many considerations.
1. The excellence of the word. It claims obedient attention.
2. The readiness of Satan to prevent our receiving the divine word.
3. Our own indisposition to receive the holy, heavenly message.
4. We have rejected too long already. It is to be feared that we may continue to do so; but our right course is to hearken at once.
5. The word comes in love to our souls; let us therefore heed it, and render love for love.
II. There are many ways of refusing him that speaketh.
1. Not hearing. Absence from public worship, neglect of Bible-reading. "Turn away from him."
2. Hearing listlessly, as if half asleep, and unconcerned.
3. Refusing to believe. Intellectually believing, but not with the heart.
4. Raising quibbles. Hunting up difficulties, favouring unbelief.
5. Being offended. Angry with the gospel, indignant at plain speech, opposing honest personal rebuke.
6. Perverting his words. Twisting and wresting Scripture.
7. Bidding him depart. Steeling the conscience, trifling with conviction, resorting to frivolous company for relief.
8. Reviling him. Denying his Deity, hating his gospel, and his holy way.
9. Persecuting him. Turning upon his people as a whole, or assailing them as individuals.
III. There are many causes of this refusing.
1. Stolid indifference, which causes a contempt of all good things.
2. Self-righteousness, which makes self an idol, and therefore rejects the living Saviour.
3. Self-reliant wisdom, which is too proud to hear the voice of God.
4. Hatred of holiness, which prefers the wilful to the obedient, the lustful to the pure, the selfish to the divine.
5. Fear of the world, which listens to threats, or bribes, or flatteries, and dares not act aright.
6. Procrastination, which cries "to-morrow," but means "never."
7. Despair and unbelief, which declare the gospel to be powerless to save, and unavailable as a consolation.
IV. Refusing to hear Christ, the highest authority is despised. "Him that speaketh from heaven."
1. He is of heavenly nature, and reveals to us what he has known of God and heaven.
2. He came from heaven, armed with heavenly authority.
3. He speaks from heaven at this moment by his eternal Spirit in Holy Scripture, the ordinances and the preaching of the gospel.
4. He will speak from heaven at the judgment.
He is himself God, and therefore all that he saith hath divinity within it.
V. The doom to be feared if we refuse Christ.
Those to whom Moses spake on earth, who refused him, escaped not.
1. Let us think of their doom, and learn that equally sure destruction will happen to all who refuse Christ.
Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
The murmurers dying in the wilderness.
Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.
2. Let us see how some have perished in the church.
Judas, Ananias and Sapphira, etc.
3. Let us see how others perish who remain in the world, and refuse to quit it for the fold of Christ.
They shall not escape by Annihilation, nor by Purgatory, nor by Universal Restitutions.
They shall not escape by infidelity, hardness of heart, cunning, or hypocrisy. They have refused the only way of escape, and therefore they must perish for ever.
Instead of refusing, listen, learn, obey.
Instead of the curse, you shall gain a blessing.
Our blessed Lord is represented as "now speaking from heaven" to Christians generally; and even if we were, contrary to all just reason, to confine the reference to the persons to whom the Epistle was immediately written, he is said to speak to multitudes who never saw or heard him in the days of his flesh. This could be only by the agency of inspired men, whose commission to teach and command "in the name of Christ" was proved by miracles. Those miracles they attributed to him, as is plain from many passages in the Acts and the Epistles. Thus Christ stands in the very position of power, authority, and action, continually ascribed to Jehovah in the Old Testament, speaking by his prophets. "This," observes Michaelis, "is saying of Christ the greatest thing that can be said."—Dr. J. Pye Smith.
We seem to have done with the Word as it has passed through our ears; but the Word, be it remembered, will never have done with us, till it has judged us at the last day.—Judge Hale.
A nobleman, skilled in music, who had often observed the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Cadogan's inattention to his performance, said to him one day, 'Come, I am determined to make you feel the force of music; pay particular attention to this piece." It was accordingly played. "Well, what do you say now?" "Why, just what I said before." "What! can you hear this and not be charmed? Well, I am quite surprised at your insensibility. Where are your ears?" "Bear with me, my lord," replied Mr. Cadogan, "since I, too, have had my surprise. I have often, from the pulpit, set before you the most striking and affecting truths; I have sounded notes that might have raised the dead; I have said, 'Surely he will feel now,' but you never seemed to be charmed with my music, though infinitely more interesting than yours. I, too, have been ready to say, with astonishment, 'Where are his ears?' "
One of the modern thinkers had been upholding the doctrine of universal salvation at a certain house with much zeal. A child who had listened to his pestilent talk was heard to say to his companion, "We can now steal, and lie, and do wicked things, for there is no hell when we die." If such preachers gain much power in this country we shall not need to raise the question of a hell hereafter, for we shall have one here.—C. H. S.
Announcing the torque multiplier on Amazon
Ongoing Free item strategy:
Try this link: https://www.logos.com/free-book
Now this link: https://www.logos.com/free-ebook
Next try this link: https://www.logos.com/free-audiobook
Try these Logos Bible Software Discount codes
CF2YV6LK
CHALLENGESUCCESS
WORDBYWORD
Christianity Through Its Scriptures
Christianity Through Its Scriptures
- Furnished by Rick Livermore Webmaster220
- San Juan Capistrano California –
- Read the current issue of the Capistrano Dispatch here:
- https://www.picketfencemedia.com/thecapistranodispatch/current-issue/
Publisher Information
This blog post was furnished by Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog
other blogs by the same person:
No comments:
Post a Comment