Post by martinmarprelate on Feb 10, 2024 18:25:23 GMT -5
An excerpt from Gospel Life, a series of sermons by John Owen, published with modernized text by Banner of Truth (ISBN 978-1-80040-326-0). Highly recommended!
In all our walk with God we are to humble ourselves by submitting to the law and rule of His grace. This is the way that He has revealed to us in which He will walk with sinners. The apostle tells us often of the Jews who had wished to walk with God: they had ‘a zeal for God.’ This is how he himself had been in his days as a Pharisee (Phil. 3:6). He was ‘zealous for God’ (Acts 22:3), and so were the Jews ‘I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God’ (Rom. 10:2). And they pursued righteousness, the ‘law that would lead to righteousness (Rom. 9:31). They took pains ‘to establish’ their righteousness (Rom. 10:3). What more could be required in order to walk with God than a zeal for Him, for His laws and ways, and for a diligent effort to maintain righteousness before Him? How few there are who attain this much! What reputation such people gain in the world!
Yet, says the apostle, they do not succeed in walking with God nor in obtaining that righteousness. Why was that? Because in their attempt to walk with God they did not submit to the law of His grace. They went about seeking to establish their own righteousness and did not submit to the righteousness of God. What righteousness is that? It is the righteousness of faith according to the law of grace (Rom. 1:17). ‘They did not pursue it by faith, but as it were based on works’ (Rom. 9:32). The foundation of all this is described in the next verse. We find there two different effects of Christ on different people. Some stumble over Him and so are not able to walk on with God. Who are these? Paul tells us in v.33. Others are not ashamed. Who are they? Those who believe, and so submit to the law of God’s grace. Clearly then, men may labour to walk with God and yet still stumble and fall, because they fail to humble themselves before the law of His grace.
Let us see the how this may be done, and what it requires:
The basis of the whole of a man’s obedience must be this: that in himself he is a lost, hopeless creature, an object of wrath, and that whatever he may obtain of God, must be obtained by way of mere mercy and grace. It is to this apprehension of himself that proud man (who longs to feel that he has something of his own) must submit. God abhors everyone who approaches Him while trusting to any other basis. Out Saviour Christ has revealed to men what they are, and what they must be, if they will come to God by Him. ‘I came,’ He said, to save that which is lost’ (Matt. 18:11). ‘I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners’ (Matt. 9:13). Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick’ (Matt. 9:12). ‘I came into this world,’ he said, ‘that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind’ (John 9:39). In summary, He said, ‘If you intend to have anything to do with God through Me, you must see yourselves as lost sinners: blind, sick, dead: so that whatever you obtain must be obtained by way of grace alone.’
How was this instruction followed by Paul? Do you wish to understand the basis of His obedience? We are shown it in 1 Tim. 1:13-15. ‘I was like this and like that; I am the foremost of sinners; “But I obtained mercy.” It is only on account of mercy and grace that I have anything from God.’ This principle he emphasizes further in Phil. 3:7-9: ‘All is lost, all is rubbish; Christ is all in all.’ The proud Pharisees could not submit to this. It is the main issue in many of their disputes with the Saviour. To be lost, blind, nothing – they could not endure hearing this. Were they not the children of Abraham? Did they not do such and such? To be told that they were lost and nothing could only be the result of envy. And on this rock, thousands dash themselves in our days. When they are convicted that there is a need to walk with God (as, at one time or another and by one means or another, most men are), they set out to fulfil those duties which they have neglected, and that obedience which they think is acceptable, continuing in that course while that conviction remains. But they do not humble themselves to fulfil this part of the law of God’s grace – to be vile, miserable, lost, cursed, hopeless in themselves. They never make a thorough work of this. They lay the foundation of their obedience in mud, which should first have been dug out, and they stumble at the stumbling-stone in their very first attempt to walk with God.
In all our walk with God we are to humble ourselves by submitting to the law and rule of His grace. This is the way that He has revealed to us in which He will walk with sinners. The apostle tells us often of the Jews who had wished to walk with God: they had ‘a zeal for God.’ This is how he himself had been in his days as a Pharisee (Phil. 3:6). He was ‘zealous for God’ (Acts 22:3), and so were the Jews ‘I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God’ (Rom. 10:2). And they pursued righteousness, the ‘law that would lead to righteousness (Rom. 9:31). They took pains ‘to establish’ their righteousness (Rom. 10:3). What more could be required in order to walk with God than a zeal for Him, for His laws and ways, and for a diligent effort to maintain righteousness before Him? How few there are who attain this much! What reputation such people gain in the world!
Yet, says the apostle, they do not succeed in walking with God nor in obtaining that righteousness. Why was that? Because in their attempt to walk with God they did not submit to the law of His grace. They went about seeking to establish their own righteousness and did not submit to the righteousness of God. What righteousness is that? It is the righteousness of faith according to the law of grace (Rom. 1:17). ‘They did not pursue it by faith, but as it were based on works’ (Rom. 9:32). The foundation of all this is described in the next verse. We find there two different effects of Christ on different people. Some stumble over Him and so are not able to walk on with God. Who are these? Paul tells us in v.33. Others are not ashamed. Who are they? Those who believe, and so submit to the law of God’s grace. Clearly then, men may labour to walk with God and yet still stumble and fall, because they fail to humble themselves before the law of His grace.
Let us see the how this may be done, and what it requires:
The basis of the whole of a man’s obedience must be this: that in himself he is a lost, hopeless creature, an object of wrath, and that whatever he may obtain of God, must be obtained by way of mere mercy and grace. It is to this apprehension of himself that proud man (who longs to feel that he has something of his own) must submit. God abhors everyone who approaches Him while trusting to any other basis. Out Saviour Christ has revealed to men what they are, and what they must be, if they will come to God by Him. ‘I came,’ He said, to save that which is lost’ (Matt. 18:11). ‘I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners’ (Matt. 9:13). Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick’ (Matt. 9:12). ‘I came into this world,’ he said, ‘that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind’ (John 9:39). In summary, He said, ‘If you intend to have anything to do with God through Me, you must see yourselves as lost sinners: blind, sick, dead: so that whatever you obtain must be obtained by way of grace alone.’
How was this instruction followed by Paul? Do you wish to understand the basis of His obedience? We are shown it in 1 Tim. 1:13-15. ‘I was like this and like that; I am the foremost of sinners; “But I obtained mercy.” It is only on account of mercy and grace that I have anything from God.’ This principle he emphasizes further in Phil. 3:7-9: ‘All is lost, all is rubbish; Christ is all in all.’ The proud Pharisees could not submit to this. It is the main issue in many of their disputes with the Saviour. To be lost, blind, nothing – they could not endure hearing this. Were they not the children of Abraham? Did they not do such and such? To be told that they were lost and nothing could only be the result of envy. And on this rock, thousands dash themselves in our days. When they are convicted that there is a need to walk with God (as, at one time or another and by one means or another, most men are), they set out to fulfil those duties which they have neglected, and that obedience which they think is acceptable, continuing in that course while that conviction remains. But they do not humble themselves to fulfil this part of the law of God’s grace – to be vile, miserable, lost, cursed, hopeless in themselves. They never make a thorough work of this. They lay the foundation of their obedience in mud, which should first have been dug out, and they stumble at the stumbling-stone in their very first attempt to walk with God.