THE USE AND PREVALENCE OF CHRIST'S NAME
A Lecture
Delivered On Friday, May 24, 1850
BY THE REV. PROFESSOR FINNEY,
OF OBERLIN COLLEGE, UNITED STATES,
AT THE TABERNACLE, MOORFIELDS.
The Penny Pulpit, No. 1,562.
[Last In A Series Of Three "Lectures On The Conditions Of
Prevailing Prayer."]
PART 3
“Until now you
have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be
full.”
(John 16:24)
In passing over
the Conditions of Prevailing Prayer, I mentioned one: that prayer should be
made in the name of Jesus Christ. In
speaking further on this subject from this passage:
I. I WILL TRY TO
SHOW WHAT IS IMPLIED IN ACCEPTABLY OFFERING PRAYER IN THE NAME OF CHRIST.
II. THE STATE OF
MIND THAT CAN ACCEPTABLY USE CHRIST’S NAME IN PRAYER IS INDISPENSABLE TO
PREVAILING WITH GOD.
III. THE REASONS
WHY WE ARE REQUIRED TO PRAY IN CHRIST'S NAME.
There is no doubt
that there is good reason why we are required to pray in Christ’s name. In this passage, our Lord was addressing His
disciples. While He lived, it was
natural that they could not clearly understand their relationship with God to
the degree that they could fully understand the reason for using Christ’s name
in prayer. We must try to determine our
real relationship to God’s government.
We
are outlaws, criminals under condemnation.
True Christians are not outlaws and criminals in such a sense that they
are under condemnation; still, they never come into such a relationship with
God that they can be accepted in their own name. In order to be accepted by God, they must always remember their
relationship with God, and their position to His government. When people are under sentence for any
capital offence, they are considered as outlaws; the government essentially
does not even recognize their existence as long they have that kind of
relationship with it. Because they are
outlaws, they are civilly dead, that is, the government essentially regards
them as dead; and, as far as it is concerned, to all intents and purposes, they
are not legally in existence. The
government has no relationship with them, and does not recognize their
existence. As far as the government is
concerned, they don’t exist.
This is the true
governmental position under God’s government.
This is the position in which the sinner stands, when viewed as a sinner
and separate from Christ. They are
criminals, and God, as head of the universe, only recognizes them as being cast
out, condemned to die, outlawed.
But, even when
people become Christians, they do not come into such a relationship with God
that they don’t need to come to Him through Christ. An unconverted man stands condemned; he is under sentence of
eternal death. Suppose he is convicted
of sin, convicted by his own conscience as well as by the law of God. The sentence is gone out against him. How can such an individual appear in God's
presence? Why, he has no access to
God! How can an individual, who has
been thrown into prison for a capital crime, have any connection with the
government of his country? He is
governmentally dead. The government has
every right to treat him as dead. While
he is in such a position, he can’t have any relations with the government
except as a dead man. Yet the head of
the government may have no ill-will or wrong feeling towards him. The head of
the government might even be disposed, if he could be in a position, to deal
with him as in individual. The head of
the government might even regard him as a living man, and as one for whom he
really likes and cares about. He might
do this as an individual; but, as the head of a government, he has a public as
well as a private character to maintain, and this he must not overlook. He cannot act as a mere private individual. Public reasons forbid him to do so. Whatever his private relations and feelings
may be, he must remember his public relations and character for the sake of the
public good.
Now, let us look
at such in individual as he stands before God, and is subject to His laws and
government. Such is the sacredness of
the governmental character and relations of the sovereign, that when the law
has pronounced sentence against him, there are laws that place the ruler and
the ruled in a particular relationship with each other. The ruler cannot justly overlook this relationship. Now, once the law pronounces sentence
against an individual, the government requires that the public character of the
lawgiver rise against him; and for the government, by any public act, to go
against this, is to depart from its principles, and to take up arms against the
law.
This is true with
human governments; and if this is true with human governments, are not the
reasons infinitely stronger in God’s government for maintaining His public
character, and being careful that He gives no opportunity for any individual to
draw a false conclusion as to His position?
Once convicted, the sinner comes before God. What can he do? He is
governmentally dead; and the whole race of man stands in that position before
God, condemned criminals, outlawed, under the sentence of death. God’s public character and relations are such
that He can’t have any fellowship; He can’t even allow them to take His name on
their lips without offense. He can only
regard them as criminals. If He acts contrary
to this, He forfeits the confidence of the universe. It is His public character and relation that makes it necessary,
that if sinners are to approach him, there must be a Mediator. They must come not in their own names; for
if they do He will not know, hear, or look at them. But if they can be so united to Christ that Christ may be the
petitioner, so that, from a governmental point of view, it is Christ, not the
sinner, that approaches God, the way is perfectly open. There is not, there cannot be, any approach
to God, but through Christ. Unless you
come to God through Christ; and, virtually, as Christ, in Christ's very spirit;
unless you can do this, God will not so much as look at you, or allow you to approach
His presence.
The sinner,
therefore, when he comes to God, must approach God in this way. He must put on Christ, appropriating to
himself all that Christ has done and taking to himself, as it were, the very
work of Christ, and come in the person and name of Christ, with Christ’s spirit. Then, the request he makes will virtually be
Christ’s own spirit making intercession.
The sinner will then be in Him; and, governmentally, united with Him.
The greatest sinner in the world, as well as the least, may come in this way;
only let them do this, and they are accepted because Christ is accepted. He lives in Christ, and is governmentally
regarded as being found in Christ. If
he comes repenting, believing, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, he is as
really, freely, and fully accepted as Christ Himself; for now he enters a state
of mind in which he really comes in Christ’s name. He now comes to be found in Christ, and, governmentally, he is
known as a part of Christ, one of Christ’s family, a member of Christ’s own
body, a part of Christ Himself. This is
how God’s government recognizes him.
May Christ now be
tossed aside? No way! Unless you live in the same state of mind,
unless you possess Christ, you are cast out.
The Bible everywhere teaches us this.
It will never be otherwise, throughout all eternity, since you will
always be found in Christ, and accepted only because of Him. This governmental relationship will always
exist; and the relationship of His saints to Christ will be the sole and only
reason they are received into heaven.
What Christ has done will save no one outside of Him. There is no dropping Christ’s name, His
intervention, and our relationship to Him, when we approach God.
This leads me to
say that the use of Christ’s name implies that we recognize our relationship to
God as sinners, truly abhorring ourselves and repenting. We must truly and fully concede to God the
complete justice and propriety of Him treating us as rebels, and refusing to
even look at us, unless we come to Him through Christ.
The use of His
name acceptably also implies a state of mind which can and does receive these
truths into the depths of our hearts.
Unless we truly renounce and abhor our own righteousness, and completely
give up all expectations of approaching God and prevailing in our own name, and
come to God in Christ’s name alone, we can never prevail with Him. Some say, “Why come in Christ’s name, rather
than in the name of Paul, or of Moses?”
What idea can a Unitarian have of Christ’s name, when he denies His
divinity and sacrifice? The Unitarian
cannot understand this. He professes
great love for God, and claims to worship “his heavenly Father”, and so
forth. I have heard a lot of this. What shall I call this garbage, but
garbage? I have heard them say they are
“fond of God, and God is fond of them”; but they have nothing beyond a type of
sentimentalism that is far from any recognition of their true relationship to
the Creator. This governmental
relationship must always be kept in view.
It must be an ever-present consideration, and to such a degree that it
will always influence us when we approach God.
There are thoughts
that possess our mind, and are always there, and have their influence, although
we may not always be aware of them.
Take, people who have children, for example. The fact that they have children always acts on them. Hours may slide by without them thinking
about their children; yet the fact that they have children is an influence
that’s always acting on them. When
people approach God, they must not only have an idea that they sustain certain
relationships to Christ; but, in order to approach God acceptably, they should
be clearly aware of this. When the name
of Christ is used, they should be fully aware why they use it. The idea of their governmental relations and
character without Christ must be important to them. Do not, for one moment, think of coming without Christ.
To use this name
acceptably implies that you are aware of your character and relations, of
Christ’s character and relations, of God’s character and governmental position,
and our character and governmental position.
Now, unless our mind realizes that it really means what it ought to mean
when using Christ’s name, it does not use Christ’s name acceptably. We are to use His name knowing why we use
it. It also implies the most complete
confidence in Christ’s influence at his Father’s court; an entire confidence
that by coming to God in His name, we will really obtain what we ask in His
name.
When people truly
use the name of Christ, there is a very important sense in
which they pray for Christ. I do not
mean by praying for Him, that Christ needs to be prayed for like a sinner, like
one who needs forgiveness or some favor from God; but that the Church belongs
Christ. God gave the world to Christ in
such a sense that every favor bestowed on them is regarded, governmentally, as
bestowed on Him. The saints are
Christ’s servants. This is Christ’s
world in such a sense, that when the government of God grants anything to the
inhabitants of this world, it gives it through Christ. It is said that prayer will be continually
made for Him, that is, for His benefit.
(Psalms 72:15)
II. THE STATE OF
MIND THAT CAN ACCEPTABLY USE CHRIST'S NAME IN PRAYER IS INDISPENSABLE TO
PREVAILING WITH GOD.
To pray in His
name, we must pray something for ourselves, because we do not own ourselves, so
technically, we can’t really own anything.
The fact is, we are Christ's and everything belongs to Him. Therefore, when we seek anything in Christ’s
name, we seek it for Him. We are
Christ’s servants; and as children, we belong to Christ. If we want anything for ourselves, separate from
Christ, to glorify ourselves, we can’t have it; but if we want it for His sake,
because we belong to Him, and ask it as something to be given to us only
because we belong to Him, then we can have it.
Suppose, for example, we pray for something, and ask it simply to
satisfy ourselves. We ask selfishly
“that we may consume it on our lusts”.
We have no right to come and use Christ’s name to obtain things for ourselves;
things that don’t belong to Him. We are
not authorized to use His name that way.
We are not authorized to make use of His name to get things simply to
please ourselves, and not to please Him.
Many view the Gospel and Christ’s name in such a light that they think
they can use Christ’s name to get whatever they selfishly desire. But Christ has never given us permission to
use His name that way. In fact, unless
we ask for these things, recognizing the fact that we belong to Him, and that
whatever we ask for, even our daily bread, is to be used for His glory; we
cannot expect an answer to our prayers.
The very air we breathe is to be inhaled for Him; the clothing we wear
is to be worn for Him; and unless we really come to see ourselves asking for
things for Christ’s sake, we cannot expect an answer to prayer.
What is meant by
the phrase “for Christ's sake”? Do you
mean for your sake, in Christ’s name?
Don’t you know that you belong to Christ, and have no right to approach
God unless you approach Him in Christ's name?
If, however, you overlook this fact, or think it’s not important, no
wonder you don't prevail. You have no
right, as I have said, to pray at all, unless you pray as for Christ, recognizing
the fact that all you are and have are His.
If you want the Spirit of God that you may use the grace received for
Him, you may have it; but you must have a single eye towards His glory.
We must also
remember, that for God to give anything to the inhabitants of this world without
Christ, would be inconsistent with His position. God promises things to Christ, who distributes them to His children;
all the promises are in Christ to the glory of God, and we must recognize this
if we would use Christ’s name properly, and expect the promises made through
Him to be fulfilled. These promises are
all yea and amen in Christ Jesus. God
is infinitely sincere in giving these p romises to Christ, who receives them
and gives them to men. They are given
in the utmost good faith, so that coming in His name it is, “Yes, yes; as often
as you please, if you really come in Christ’s name, you may approach Me with
the utmost confidence and boldness”. We
are infinitely welcome. There is no
reason to hesitate. You are thoroughly
welcome to as much as you want, just be sure you come meaning what you should
mean in using Christ’s name.
We should also
recognize the fact, that there are so many good reasons for using Christ’s
name, that, for God to promise us anything in any other way, or encourage us to
approach Him in any other way, would forfeit His governmental position. The true idea of faith in Christ is a
heart-recognition of the fact that God is, outside of Christ, “a consuming
fire” to us; but in Christ, we are as safe and as welcome as Christ
Himself. We may come to His house, to
the mercy seat, yes, to His very feet, with every possible freedom. It is impossible that the angels themselves
should be more welcome. We may rise
above the angels, and approach even nearer, perhaps, than they are allowed to
do. If we only clothe ourselves with
Christ as with a garment, renouncing and abhorring self, there is no language
that can express the fullness and the freedom with which we can approach Him,
and receive as largely as we can ask or think, in fact, exceeding abundantly
above all that we can ask or think.
To use Christ's
name acceptably also implies that you do it in faith. By faith, you must rely completely on Christ, trusting in Him as
your wisdom, sanctification, and redemption, expecting that He will accept you
as freely and as fully as He has promised.
The truth is, that to truly accept Christ implies a great deal more than
is often supposed. I have been struck
with the extent to which Christ is lost sight of, in many of His relationships,
and has come to be viewed simply as a Savior, for whose sake our sins are
forgiven. Many have lost sight of His
sanctification and justification.
“What”, said a doctor of divinity to me, a few years ago; “What? Christ, the second person in the Trinity,
our sanctification? I never heard of
such a thing!” Well, now, I can’t tell
you how shocked I felt. Never heard the
Apostle Paul say, “Who, of God, is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption”? (I Cor
1:30) No man understands what it is to
put on Christ thoroughly and properly; until he has learned something more than
Christ sustains to him only the relationship of Savior.
Finally, it
implies truly and universally depending on Him. Men are dependent on him, but there is a difference between being
dependent, and depending. Every sinner
in the world is dependent on Him, but sinners don’t really depend on Him, in
the sense of depending on His name. We
must come to depend, not on our prayers, or our state of mind, or our
feelings. We must not depend on anything
we have done, or ever expect to do at all; but we must depend on Him, truly understanding
that such is our relation to God, that we can only expect to be accepted as we
are found in Him, that we must put on Christ to even approach God.
III. THE REASONS
WHY WE ARE REQUIRED TO PRAY IN CHRIST'S NAME.
Our relationship
to God’s government, when viewed outside of Christ, is the relationship of a
sinner under sentence for a capital crime, “condemned already”, and
governmentally regarded as dead. There
are two senses in which sinners are represented in the Bible: first, “dead in
trespasses and sins”, which describes the unconverted; secondly, they are
civilly dead, viewed by the government as outlaws under the sentence of
death. These are facts that no one can
dispute. If a man is a sinner, the law
of God has condemned him, and the sentence of death is already out against
him. You can no more deny this than you
can deny your own existence. There is
not one moral agent in the world who does not know that, as far as God’s law is
concerned, he is regarded as an outlaw and a rebel. He can no more doubt or deny this than he can doubt or deny his
own existence. These facts are not only
revealed in the Bible, but are most clearly revealed to our own hearts; our own
conscience testifies to this truth.
Now, if we don’t
believe what God says on this subject, we make Him a liar; and if we don’t
believe our own nature, we make Him a liar again; for we must not overlook the
fact that God is the author of our own nature as well as the author of
Bible. Does your conscience accuse you
of sin? It is as truly a revelation
from God as anything can be. It is
God's own testimony in the sense that God has given us a power by which we
irresistibly condemn ourselves; He has implanted within us a law which, when we
sin, irresistibly compels us to condemn ourselves. This is God’s own voice and revelation; and he who disbelieves it
is guilty of making God a liar. If,
then, we approach Him in our own name, we virtually deny the truth of these
things, and pour contempt on His governmental relations and the sacredness of
His character. The truth is, that His
character and governmental relations are such that God can accept no one who
violates or overlooks these relationships.
Approaching God in
our own name is a complete insult to the majesty of God, as Governor of the universe. We must not overlook these solemn facts, so
plainly revealed to us, both in His word and in our hearts. Anyone who would approach God in his own
name is a deluded wretch, rushing rudely into the face of his Maker.
Approaching
God our own name pours contempt on God’s authority, and virtually denies the wisdom
and need of His method of accepting us.
Bear in mind, that a merciful disposition on the part of God, is no
reason why He should accept people holding certain relations. Suppose the Queen felt compassion for a
certain rebel, so much so, indeed, that in her private quarters she really
wept; and suppose when he heard this, he tried to force himself on her,
regardless of the sacredness of her quarters.
Just because she has compassion on him, can he force himself into her
presence? No, indeed! The same is true with God; these
relationships must not be lost sight of.
The good of society, as well as individual interest, demand they should
not be overlooked, but well pondered; and every act of both parties should have
reference to these relationships. This
is true under God’s government; and if, as I have said, it is necessary in
human governments to recognize these relationships, is it not infinitely more
true under God’s government?
These truths
appear everywhere within and without.
They appear on the pages of inspiration and in our minds. It is clear that outside of Christ, God can
have no relationship with sinners who are under sentence, condemned outlaws,
rebels whom God is pledged to destroy unless they can find a Mediator. To come without Christ is a virtual denial
of the need for this. To come without
Christ is to appear at the feast in our own filthy garments instead of wearing
His righteousness. Under the Old Testament
dispensation, many truths were taught in an impressive manner. There were the holy vestments in which the
high priests were obliged to appear before God. Without them, they were not allowed to approach God. Therefore, we must throw Christ over us as a
robe. This is the lesson the ceremony
was designed to teach.
Not to use
Christ's name is to contemn the advocacy of Christ. In other words, God has made Christ our advocate, and to approach
God without Christ is to thrust Him aside and become our own advocates. It is to have low and blasphemous concept of
God’s relationship to us as Creator.
The real saints under the Old Testament dispensation understood this
method of approaching God. Daniel
prayed for the Lord’s sake. He and all
the real saints doubtless understood the way of approach as pictured in the Old
Testament types. We can account for the
fact that there is now so little prevailing in prayer, because comparatively so
few use Christ’s name properly. They
have no definite idea why they use His name.
In their hearts, they are really in a state where they don’t put on
Christ as to make a proper use of His name.
I have often feared that multitudes of people use Christ to pray
selfishly. In their supplications, they don’t see themselves as belonging to
Christ, and as deserving answers to their prayers for Christ’s sake.
When men do this,
they make use of Christ’s name, just like a man would make use of his master’s
name to get money to spend on himself.
A clerk or agent takes a check, goes to the Bank, and draws money, not
for himself, but for his employer. Yes,
he is going to use the money himself; but notice, he uses it in the name and
for the sake of his employer. He
doesn’t use it to further his own private interests, but the interests of his
master. Now, if we would come to Christ
properly, we must regard ourselves as His servants in this sense, wanting what
we want, and obtaining what we obtain for the purpose of serving Him and
glorifying His name. As long as we
separate ourselves from Him and seek things for ourselves, we shouldn’t wonder
why our religion profits us so little, or that Christ’s name, on our lips,
accomplishes nothing! To refuse to come
in Christ’s name is as effective a hindrance to our prayers being answered as
if there was no Christ at all. Who does
not believe that if a man neglects or refuses to use Christ’s name, in the
sense in which He requires us to use it, it is just as effective a bar to his
acceptance as if there had been no Christ?
The same reason that requires Christ’s intercession for us; requires
that we should recognize these reasons, and always, on our approach to God,
have respect for them.
I have often
feared that many use His name without knowing why they do so; they do it simply
as some kind of formula. Perhaps they
have never so much as asked what state of mind was required to use Christ's
name properly. I fear some people
simply think that ending their prayer with the phrase “for Christ's sake”, or
“in Jesus’ name” is enough. But this is
a serious error. If we come in Christ’s
name, we may claim as our due whatever God has promised to Christ. Now, Christ has rendered great service to
God’s government, and because of this, we, as his children, are to have the
full benefits. We must not think that
what Christ has done has simply made it possible for God to forgive us. Christ has rendered the most important
service to the government of God that can be conceived. He has placed God’s character, government,
and relations, and the entire question of revelation in such an aspect, as to
give the whole universe a great deal of new light on the subject. He has halted the progress of rebellion, and
established the authority of God over all creation. Angels sinned, and God exercised the law on them. Man sinned, and who knows where it might
have ended, if it wasn’t for Christ’s intervention. He has done that which amply entitles Him to receive gifts for
men (see Eph 4:8), to bestow gifts on those for whom He died. The government of God can well afford to let
Him do so, seeing how wonderfully He rebuked sin and revealed the Divine
character. He has done such a great a
thing by His death, that the government of God can well afford to dispense favors
to all who belong to Him; and they are bestowed as freely as they can flow
forth from a heart of infinite love.
In Himself, God is
disposed to do all He can in behalf of His creatures; and our greatest
governmental obstacle has been completely removed by Christ. He has also, so wonderfully magnified the
law and made it honorable, that, instead of there being an obstacle in the way,
there is now a direct invitation from God to come to Him, that He may come out
and show the infinite largeness of His heart, by giving Christ’s people all the
riches of His glorious kingdom. So
that, as I have said, the head of the very government which stood in the way,
now invites us to come to Him, that the deep tides of His love and salvation
may burst forth; that His grace may infinitely abound, like a sea with neither
shore nor bottom, whose waves flow on with endlessly. The door is open wide to every sinner.
We are never
limited in God, but only in our own hearts because of our skimpy faith and
limited confidence. Christ, as our
representative, became poor so we might become rich. The Divine government can now well afford to come forth, because
of Christ’s unspeakable services, and the glorious Head of that government can
let His compassions flow to sinners. He
may now use language towards us that would not be proper for Him to use if it
wasn’t for what Christ has done. Christ
now offers you His righteousness and mediation to you, as guilty and condemned
as you are, and deserving to be cast out.
In spite of all this, He has opened the door wide, that now, instead of
standing in the Court of the Gentiles, in the Court of the Hebrews, or even in
the Court of the Priests, the veil is rent, and access is free to the
mercy-seat itself, where the cherubim and seraphim stand amidst a flood of
glory.
Put on Christ,
then, and come, confessing your sins, renouncing your own righteousness,
recognizing God’s governmental relations.
Oh, come! Come right up to the mercy seat! God invites you to come, if you will do so in the way I have
described. No one is a Christian until
he believes; until, in fact, he does the very thing I am now exhorting you to
do. Believe in Christ, that is being a
Christian. Do you say, Has Christ died
for me? Yes, He died for you as truly
as if there were no other sinner in the universe. Do you say, “Can I have access to Him in my own behalf, clad in
the filthy rags with which I have been trying to cover myself”? Yes!
Do as blind Bartimaeus did! That
poor blind man sat by the wayside; great multitudes were thronging along, some
in front, some behind, crowding around the Savior. Bartimaeus naturally asked what all the commotion was about, and
he was told it was Jesus passing by. He
had heard of Him and cried out loud, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
They told him to be still; as if what he was doing was wrong. But he would not be silenced. He believed Jesus would restore his sight;
and he lifted up his voice above all the noise, “Jesus,” he cried out, “Son of
David, have mercy on me!” Christ stopped.
“What is that?” Why, a blind
man. “Bring him here.” "What will you have me to do?” “Lord, that I might receive my sight.” He would not be kept away. He threw himself on Christ in faith, and
instantly received the desire of his heart. (see Mark 10:46-52)
Now, sinner! Why don’t you follow the example set
here? I wish I had more time. Oh, that Christians would only understand
what they could have by prayer if they really use Christ's name properly! You are either infidels, or you believe that
you will receive what you pray for in Christ’s name. Now, do you get what you ask?
Ask yourselves that question, “Do you get what you ask for”? Do you prevail with God? Do you use Christ’s name effectively? Do your families know that God hears and answers
your prayers? Can you honestly say, “I
believe God hears me”? If you can, I am
glad. But if you can't, remember you
are not using Christ’s name properly.
He will not hear you until you do.