A sermon preached on Friday, June 7, 1850 in
England
by the Rev. C. G. Finney
Translated and Modernized by Cliff Collins
“And she will bring
forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people
from their sins.”-Matthew 1:21.
From this passage, I will show.
I. Everybody needs to be
saved.
II. Jesus has undertaken
this work of salvation.
III. Why so many people fail to receive this salvation.
I. Everybody needs to be
saved.
This is a fact that is
universally observed. It is also a fact
that we are universally aware of. Every
man knows that he is a sinner, and as long as he is a sinner he cannot be
satisfied with himself. He cannot truly respect himself. He cannot have peace
of mind. He cannot have God’s favor. He not only cannot have these things, he
also knows that he should not have them. In other words, it is a fact of
universal experience that men are sinners, and that they must be saved from sin
before they can truly be happy, either in this world or in the world to come.
We are so created that
we cannot doubt that ultimate happiness is impossible unless we can be
delivered from that which we know to be a great curse in this world, and which
we also know will be our ultimate ruin, if we continue in it. As long as we are violating our own
consciences, we know that happiness is impossible. These facts are always assumed in the Bible, and their truth is
declared by the universal sentiment of mankind. But I must not dwell on this thought; the text announces the fact
that Jesus Christ has come into the world, and that His great business is to
save us from sin. This leads me to our
second thought-
II. Jesus has undertaken
this work of salvation.
“He shall save His
people from their sins,” therefore is His name called Jesus - the name Jesus
means ‘Savior’.
The most important thing
that mankind needs is salvation from sin. Strictly speaking, the term
‘salvation’ means deliverance or safety from some tremendous evil. Often, when
the word salvation is used in the Bible, it not only means deliverance but it
also includes the result of that deliverance, which is eternal happiness and
enjoyment in heaven with the people of God.
Thus, properly and
scripturally speaking, the term salvation means deliverance, both from guilt
and it's consequences. In this text,
the reason given for the name that was to be given to the child of Mary was,
that He should save His people from their sins, that He should be the one and
only savior for mankind, and that He should save man from both the guilt and
the punishment of sin. The Bible
represents Him as having given Himself to be the Savior of the world, as having
consecrated Himself to this end, as having died and opened a way by which
sinners could be saved. Even before this, the Bible represents Jesus as being
in a waiting attitude to accomplish this work; and as endeavoring to gain the
consent of God and man to comply with the natural and necessary conditions for
sinners to be saved. Because of all this, and because He possesses in Himself
all the fullness of power necessary to accomplish this work, He is able to save
from the guttermost to the uttermost all that will come to God by Him. The Bible represents Jesus as coming on this
great mission, and as devoting Himself exclusively to this work, and as having
fully secured this end. Now, whenever
people come into sympathy with Him, and seek what is His business to give and
knock at the door which it His business to open, the Bible represents Him as ready
and willing to do these wonderful things for them.
III. Why so many people
fail to receive this salvation.
That many fail to
receive salvation is a simple fact. But
the question is, why do they fail?
Well, first of all, many people fail to receive this salvation because
they will not abandon their reliance on themselves. It is the most obvious
thing in the whole world that many people are not living for God, but for
themselves.
Now, wherever people
live for themselves, it is obvious that they are not saved from sin, for what
is sin but living for self and not for God.
Self-seeking is the very essence of sin. Multitudes today are aware that
this spirit of self-seeking dwells within them. That the whole end and aim of their life is self-seeking, instead
of their first and most important purpose in life being the glory and honor of
God. Now, a man cannot be saved unless
he is justified, and he cannot be justified unless his sins are pardoned. This must be a condition of a sinner's
salvation.
Salvation consists in
being saved from sin; and the reason why a so many people are not saved is that
they are not willing to accept salvation on the condition that they must be
willing to give up their sins. If they
will not be persuaded to be saved from the their sins, and become sanctified;
if they will not give up and renounce their sin, they can never be saved. Many people will pray to God to save them,
but they really don’t want what they are asking for. They don’t mean what they
say. To get men to agree to give up
their sins is very difficult.
Now observe, if a man is to be saved at all
he must consent to it. His will must agree to God’s terms of salvation; and the
will is not moved by physical force. A
man must voluntarily consent to be saved, or Jesus himself cannot possibly save
him. Man is a moral agent. God treats
him as a moral agent. Therefore, in order to be saved, he must voluntarily
consent to give up sin, and have his mind brought into obedience with God’s
law.
Many are not saved
because they seek forgiveness while they do not forsake their sins. Some people will spend lots of time praying
for pardon while they continue to indulge in sin. Many are seeking to be saved
while they neglect the natural condition of their being pardoned. As long as
they continue in sin and indulge in a self-seeking spirit, it is naturally
impossible that they can be saved.
If a man should have
this same attitude towards his physical body everyone would clearly see how
foolish his conduct is. If he should
partake of things that make him sick and unhealthy, and then he wonders why he
is so sick when he wants to be healthy, people would not pity but blame
him. Now, the fact is, that many people
are seeking for those things the only come from holiness, and yet they
themselves are not sanctified. They
seek comfort while they refuse to be holy; thus neglecting to fulfill a natural
condition needed to obtain comfort and salvation. Many people fail to receive this salvation because they are
waiting for God to fulfill conditions that are naturally impossible for Him to
fulfill; conditions which they themselves must fulfill, and which God is trying
to persuade and influence them to fulfill.
For example: God cannot
repent for them. He cannot believe for them. Never! But these are natural
conditions of their salvation, and it is these very things that Christ is
persuading them to do. Now, they are waiting for God to do things that He will
never do, in fact, things that He cannot do, things that He is requiring us to
do for ourselves. Please listen to
me. God never requires us to do
anything that is impossible for us to do, nor does He accomplish for us those
things that we can do ourselves. Don't be shocked at this, because it is true.
Look! God requires us to repent. This
is an act of our own will and therefore He cannot repent for us. It is true that these things are sometimes
spoken of as being done by God. It is
said that He gives repentance, faith, and love, but He only does this in the
sense of persuading and motivating our minds to do these things.
Now, if anybody is
expecting God to do something that they must do themselves, they will never
receive eternal life. How many are
making the mistake of expecting God to have them? They are waiting for God to put repentance and faith into them,
and entirely overlooking the fact that repentance and faith are exercises of
their own minds.
Another reason why
people are not saved is that they say that they are waiting for the Holy Spirit
while, in fact, they are resisting the Holy Spirit. They pretend that they are waiting for the Holy Spirit to save
them and convert them. Listen. Every moment they wait they are grieving and
resisting the Holy Spirit. Now, what do
they mean by waiting, when they should be acting? From the beginning to the end He is the teacher. “No one can come
to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” (John 6:44) “All your children
shall be taught by the Lord.” (Is 54:13) “All things that the Father has are
Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.” (John
16:15) Here, the Bible represents the Holy Spirit as a teacher, and those who
do not yield when the truth is presented to them, are resisting and grieving
the Spirit. You remember the words of
our Savior to the Jews, “You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers
did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51)
Today, many are
resisting the Holy Spirit under the pretense of waiting for Him. The Divine influence is always waiting to
save you if you will comply with the necessary conditions; but if under any
pretense you neglect your duty, you will never be saved.
Another great difficulty
in the way of a sinner's conversion is that many are really seeking to be
justified in sin. They ask God to
pardon them, but they refuse to be sanctified. They seek Christ as their
justification only. They cleave to their sins. They are living in their sins,
and they seek to be justified rather than sanctified. Indeed, they refuse to be sanctified at all. Now this is very common.
Let me say that these
people truly think that the gospel is nothing more than a mighty system of
indulgences. They really believe that
men can partake of this salvation while they are indulging in a selfish lifestyle.
This spirit crept into the early Church. Many sadly abused the doctrine of
justification by faith. Even while some of the Apostles were still living, many
people came to regard the gospel as a system of indulgences, that men would be
justified in sin rather than saved from sin. Thus they took an entirely false
view of the gospel of Christ. You will
remember that the Apostle James wrote his epistle to denounce this wrong view,
and to guard the Christians against abusing the doctrine of justification by
faith. Some people think that James
rejected this doctrine altogether. This is not true; but because his epistle
was written to point out the importance of justification by works, he does not
give justification by faith the prominence that Paul did.
No man who lives in sin
can be justified, because no man can be pardoned who is living in any form of
sin. The Apostle tells you plainly that
those who commit sin are the children of the devil, and while they are living
in sin they cannot enjoy the privileges of the gospel. He does not mean that an individual cannot
be a Christian who falls under the power of temptation and occasionally
sins. The Apostle John also says,
“Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” (I John 3:6) “Whoever has been born of God
does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has
been born of God.” (I John 3:9) “He who sins is of the devil.” (I John
3:8) This is strong language, and if I
should affirm so strongly the need for holiness, you would think that I spoke
harshly; but it should be insisted on more than it is, that men cannot be
Christians unless they are holy.
The moral law is just as
binding on Christians today as it was on those to whom it was first given. Faith without love will never save man; but
let me say, that true faith is always true love. Every man who deliberately breaks the law, who lives in violation
of its precepts is a child of the devil and not of God. Let this be thundered in the ears of the
Church and the world.
Now, it is very common
for people to overlook this great truth, and fall into the worldly mindedness
and sinful practices of those around them.
Many are not saved
because they think the gospel does away with God’s moral law; that it virtually
repeals it. Now, the gospel does not do
away with the moral law. What did Paul
say? “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the
contrary, we establish the law.” (Rom 3:31)
The gospel was designed to set aside the penalty of the law for all who
will be persuaded to return to obedience, and yield that love and confidence
that the law requires. Today, if
ministers even try to say anything about obedience to the law, people cry out
against it as being legal preaching! If
they are roused up and urged to do what the law of God requires them to do,
they tell you “I don't want to hear that, I want the gospel!” Now such people don’t know anything about
the gospel! They make Christ the
minister of sin! They seem to think
that Christ came to justify them in their sin, instead of saving them from it.
Another reason why men
are not saved from sin is because they truly view justification in sin, as a
means to save them from it! In support
of this ridiculous idea, they will even quote Scriptures.
They find justification
in the atonement. Now, we cannot
receive this work of Christ if we think that we can be justified while we
remain in our sins! Justification in
sin is impossible! Now, how can a man
be pardoned and justified before he repents and believes! It is impossible! He must be in a state of obedience to the law of God before he
can be justified! The fact is, there is
a very great mistake among many people on this subject. They think that they must persuade
themselves that they are justified even though they are not, and can never be
until they forsake sin and do their duty.
Next, many seek hope
rather than holiness; instead of working out their own salvation, they seek to
cherish a hope that they will be saved.
Again, they try to persuade themselves that they are safe, while their
very own hearts condemn them. Those who
seek salvation often fail because they seek it selfishly; not so much because
they hate sin and want holiness as because they desire personal happiness, or
personal honor, by being held up as very pure and good people. Because they
seek sanctification for some selfish reason, they do not abandon their
sins. Some individuals are content
living in sin as long as they can indulge in a hope, or get others to indulge
in a hope for them. If they have
certain feelings, which lead them to hope that all will be well with them on
judgment day, they are perfectly satisfied, and have no desire to be saved from
sin.
Let me conclude with
some remarks.
1) No person has any
right to hope for eternal life unless he is aware of the presence of the Spirit
of Christ living within him; unless he is free from those sinful habits that
wicked men indulge in; unless he is free from the same self-seeking spirit of
doing business that characterizes the men of the world. How can a man in such a condition expect or
hope for eternal life? How can any man
believe that he is justified before he is sanctified? I do not mean to say, that a man is not in any sense justified
before he is sanctified; but, as a matter of fact, a man is not eternally safe
unless he is saved from sin. He has no
right to expect to get to heaven unless the work of sanctification is going on
in his soul. It is easy to see from what has been said, that many people regard
the doctrine of justification by faith as the whole gospel. That’s what they
think about it!
Now, why is
justification the gospel to them? Why
is it good news? Why is it not good
news that Christ will also save them from sin?
How come the only good news they want to hear is the good news that will
justify rather than sanctify? Christ is precious to them, not so much because
He came to save them from sin, but because He came to forgive, to die for their
sins, and to justify them! Something is
very wrong here! Does it not show that when people lay more stress on
justification than on sanctification, that they are more afraid of punishment
than of sin? That they are more afraid
of the consequences of sin than of the sin itself? If they can only get rid of the penalty of sin, they would be
satisfied.
2) It is certain that
where this principle takes possession of the mind, the individual is more
interested in being pardoned than in being made holy. It is better news to him that Christ will justify him, than that
Christ will save him from his sins.
Talk to him about his sins; preach to him about his sins; require him to
become holy; present Christ as his sanctification, and that is not the
gospel! Let me say, that there are
multitudes who have focused their views into that one point; that Christ has
died to save men from punishment. All
ideas about Christ being the believer's sanctification, or that sanctification
is a condition of salvation, is completely lost sight of. There is no emphasis placed on the doctrine
of sanctification.
Christ is precious to
many because He saves from wrath rather than because He saves from sin; more
because He justifies than because He sanctifies. Now, I guarantee that, whenever this is true, there is a sad
defect of character. What is the true
spirit of the children of God? Why, it
is this: they feel as if they must get rid of sin, no matter what the
cost. They don't want to be saved in
their sins; they feel that to live in their sins is hell enough. They hate themselves because of their
sins. They must flee from their
sins. They would not wish to be saved
at all, if they could not be saved from sin.
They are ready to say, if the gospel cannot save me from sin, it is a
failure, for this is what I so desperately need.
Now, who does not know
that the true Christian is more afraid of sin than of punishment? Yes, a great deal more! They hate sin; and when they fall into sin,
they are ready to curse themselves; and all the more because Christ is so
willing to forgive them. The man in
this frame of mind will never look on the gospel as simply a gospel of
justification.
3)
Whenever the doctrine of justification becomes more prominent in the church
than sanctification, there is something wrong. It is a sign that a radical error has crept into the church. There is a danger of the church losing all
true ideas of what the gospel really is.
In this day and age the doctrine of sanctification is kept very much in
the background. Now, why is this? While there is so much said about
justification, there is very little said about personal holiness. So much is said about a Savior who
justifies, as if the gospel was meant simply to save men from punishment.
Now, while it is true
that the gospel presents salvation from punishment, and the promise of eternal
life through Jesus Christ, I know that its chief relation to men is to save
them from their sins, to become their sanctification.
4) The true state of men
can always be known by the great absorbing idea that is in their minds. A man's character reflects the end for which
he lives. Now, a man who lives in any
sin, any form of self-pleasing and self-seeking, cannot be a Christian; because
the true idea of the gospel is that, for a man to be a Christian, he must be
devoted to God, and thoroughly withdrawn from all forms of sin and
iniquity. He must be devoted to God,
living for God, living for the same end that God lives; sympathizing with
Christ, and with everything that is good.
This is the character of every true Christian. This is the true concept of Christianity, and the closer
individuals approach this standard the greater is their hope of salvation, and
the further they depart from this standard the greater is their chance of being
lost forever.
There are a great many
people whose aim is to get peace of mind, and who are constantly crying
"peace" to others, when there is no peace.
5) Now, let me say that
you can have no real, true peace unless you have complied with all the
conditions of the gospel. You cannot
have that peace of God that passes all understanding, while you are in an
unsanctified state; and if you think so, you are deceiving yourself. Now, let me ask you, are you aware that this
“peace of God” rules in your heart? If
I am not greatly mistaken, there are many people here tonight who have been
trying for years to find true happiness, but who, after all, are in such a
state of mind that they don't know if they are pardoned. They have no real confidence in their own
piety. Now, how can they have real
peace of mind? Peace of mind comes from
sanctification, and this they have never obtained. Let an individual who has been placing his trust in justification
be at the point of death, and does he feel happy and resigned, having a full
confidence that he shall go to heaven?
How often do we hear such people exclaim on their deathbeds, “I am
undone, I am not
prepared.” Why are you not prepared? A short time ago you were indulging the
comfortable hope that you were a Christian, and now you cry out in fear, lest
you should lose your soul. How can this be?
There is a great
delusion in the minds of men on this subject. They think that they have a very
comfortable hope, but it is in the absence of piety; and when death stares them
in the face they discover that they have no confidence in religion, or any
ground of hope.
People who do not like
to have their hopes tested, or their souls searched, blind themselves to the
true state of their souls. The more
hope is tested, if it is a good hope, the more consoling and satisfactory it becomes. The man who is seeking to be sanctified
desires to be searched so that he may not rest on an uncertain and unsafe
foundation. He is more afraid of sin than of anything else. He is more ready to
forsake sin than anything else in the world. He would rather forego any earthly
good than have anything to do with sin.
Now, don't say that this is extreme, because it is a universal
truth. If religion implies supreme love
of God: if we supremely love any being, we shall supremely delight to please
Him. This is a universal characteristic of the children of God.
Now, if this is true,
what shall we say of the great many professing Christians who give the highest
possible evidence that self-indulgence is the chief end of their lives? They wait to be saved, not from sin, but in
it. But while they live in sin they
never can be saved! Before hope can be
cherished, the conditions of salvation must be fulfilled: you will never be
saved at all unless you are saved from sin - remember that! You must become holy in order to become
happy. Fulfill the conditions; become
holy, and then your peace shall flow like a river. Give up your sins, give your heart to God, and trust that the
peace that passes all understanding shall rule in your hearts.
Believer in Christ, the
Lord has set you apart for Himself, separated you from the rest of the world.
But you are only set apart as “holiness to the Lord.” (Ex 28:36) This must be
written plainly on your life; and if the Lord has written His name on you, you
are safe. And let me say to every one
here, don't you expect to be forgiven, don't you expect to be pardoned, unless
you will consent to be separated from your sins, and have the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ written on your hearts; unless your prayer is, “O Lord, write your
law on my heart and make me holy.”
Receive His name on your forehead and His law in your heart; give yourself up to Him, body, soul, and spirit. I promise you, as the Lord lives, as Jesus lives, you will understand what is the salvation of God. Will you do it tonight?