The Method of Grace in the Gospel Redemption
by John Flavel
File 34
(... continued from file 33)
Sermon 32.
The Condemnation of Unbelievers, illustrated and applied.
John 3: 18.
-- But he that believeth not is condemned already, because he has
not believed in the name of the only begotten Son, of God.
Christ having discoursed with Nicodemus in the beginning of
this chapter, about the necessity of regeneration, proceeds to shew
in this following discourse, the reason and ground why regeneration
and faith are so indispensably necessary, viz. because there is no
other way to set men free from the curse and condemnation of the
law. The curse of the law, like the fiery serpents in the
wilderness, has smitten every sinner with a deadly stroke and sting,
for which there is no cure but Christ lifted up in the gospel, "as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness," ver. 14. Neither
does Christ cure any but those that, believingly, apply him to their
own souls. The result and conclusion of all you have in my text; "He
that believeth in him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is
condemned already," &c. In this clause which I have pitched upon we
find these three parts;
1. The sin threatened, viz. Unbelief.
2. The punishment inflicted, viz. Condemnation.
3. The immediate relation of the one to the other; "he is
condemned already."
First, Let us take into consideration the sin which is here
threatened, viz. unbelief; the neglecting or refusing of an exalted
and offered Jesus. Unbelief is twofold, viz. negative or positive.
Negative unbelief is the sin of the Heathens, who never had the
gospel among them, nor the offers of Christ made to them; these
cannot believe on him of whom they have not heard. Positive unbelief
is the sin of men and women under the gospel, to whom Christ is
actually opened and offered by the preaching of the gospel; but they
make light of it, and neglect the great salvation: receive not
Christ into their hearts, nor consent to the severe and self-denying
terms upon which he is offered. This is the sin threatened.
Secondly, The punishment inflicted, and that is condemnation: a
word of deep and dreadful signification; appearing, in this text as
the hand writing upon the plaister of the wall unto Belteshazzar,
Dan. 5: 5. a word whose deep sense and emphasis are fully understood
in hell. Condemnation is the judgement, or sentence of God,
condemning a man to bear the punishment of his eternal wrath for
sin; the most terrible of all sentences.
Thirdly, The immediate relation or respect this punishment has
to that sin of unbelief. The unbeliever is condemned already, i.e.
he is virtually condemned by the law of God; his mittimus is already
made for hell; he is condemned, as a sinner, by the breach of the
first covenant; but that condemnation had never been his ruin except
it had been ratified by the sentence of God, condemning him, as an
unbeliever, for slighting and rejecting the grace offered in the
second covenant. So that the believer is already virtually condemned
by both, as he is a sinner, and as he is an unbeliever; as he has
transgressed the law, and as he has refused the gospel; as he has
contracted sin the moral disease, and refused Christ the only
effectual remedy. He is virtually condemned, and will be,
sententially, condemned in the judgement of the great day. Unbelief
is his great sin, and condemnation is his great misery. Hence the
observation will be this:
Doct. That all unbelievers are presently, and immediately under
the just and dreadful sentence of Godly condemnation. John
12: 48. "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
has one that judgeth him. The word that I have spoken, the
same shall judge him in the last day." John 3: 86. "He that
believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of
God abideth on him."
Three things are to be opened in the doctrinal part of this
point:
1. What unbelief, or the not receiving of Jesus Christ is.
2. What condemnation, the punishment of this sin, is.
3. Why this punishment unavoidably follows that sin.
First, What the sin of unbelief, or not receiving Christ, is.
By unbelief, we are not here to understand the relics or remains of
that sin in the people of God, which is mixed with their imperfect
faith; for there is some unbelief still mingled with faith, in the
best of hearts: He that can say, Lord, I believe, has cause enough
to cry out with tears, help thou my unbelief. However, this does not
bring the soul under condemnation, or into the state of wrath; the
word condemns this unbelief in them, but does not condemn their
persons for this unbelief: But the unbelief here spoken of, is the
neglecting or refusing to take Christ as he is offered in the
gospel, and so is exclusive of the saving act and effects of faith.
First, It is exclusive of the saving act of faith, which (as
has been already declared) is the due receiving of Christ offered in
the gospel, consenting to take him upon his own terms. This, the
unbeliever will by no means be persuaded to do; he will be persuaded
to accept the promises of Christ, but not to accept the person of
Christ: He is willing to accept Christ in part, a divided Christ,
but not to accept Christ entirely, in all his offices. He will
accept the righteousness of Christ in conjunction with his own
righteousness; but he will not accept the righteousness of Christ as
the sole matter of his justification, exclusive of his own
righteousness: he is willing to wear the crown of Christ, but cannot
be persuaded to bear the cross of Christ. Thus Christ and
unbelievers part upon terms; God will come down no lower, and the
unbeliever will come up no higher; God will not alter his terms, and
the unbeliever will not alter his resolution; and so Christ is
refused, salvation neglected, and in effect the unbeliever chuseth
rather to be damned, than to comply with the severe terms of self-
denial, mortification, and bearing the cross of Christ. Thus it
excludes the saving act of faith.
Secondly, It is exclusive of the saving fruits and effects of
faith. Faith produces love to God, but the unbeliever does not truly
love him; "But I know you (saith Christ to unbelievers) that the
love of God is not in you," John 5: 42. Faith purifies the heart of
a believer, but the hearts of unbelievers are full of all impurity.
The believer overcomes the world, the world overcomes the
unbeliever: Faith makes the cross of Christ sweet and easy to the
believer, unbelief makes Christ, because of the cross, bitter and
distasteful to the unbeliever. Thus unbelief excludes both the
saving act and fruits of faith, and consequently bars the soul from
the saving benefits and privileges of faith, viz. justification and
peace with God.
Secondly, Next let us consider the punishment of this sin,
which is condemnation. Condemnation, in the general, is the sentence
of a judge awarding a mulct, or penalty to be inflicted upon the
guilty person. There is a twofold condemnation.
1. Respectu culpae, In respect of the fault.
2. Respectu poenae, In respect of the punishment.
First, Condemnation, with respect to the fault, is the casting
of the person as guilty of the crime charged upon him; condemnation,
with respect to the punishment, is the sentencing of the convicted
offender to undergo such a punishment for such a fault; to bear a
penal for a moral evil. This forensic word, condemnation, is here
applied unto the case of a guilty sinner cast at the bar of God,
where the fact is clearly proved, and the punishment righteously
awarded. Thou art an unbeliever, for this sin thou shalt die
eternally. Condemnation with respect to the fault, stands opposed to
justification, Rom. 5: 16. Condemnation with respect to the
punishment, stands opposed to salvation, Mark 16: 16. More
particularly,
First, Condemnation is the sentence of God, the great and
terrible God, the omniscient, omnipotent, supreme, and impartial
Judge, at whose bar the guilty sinner stands. It is the law of God
that condemns him now: he has one that judgeth him, a great and
terrible one too. It is a dreadful thing to be condemned at man's
bar; but the courts of human judicature, how awful and solemn soever
they are, are but trifles to this court of heaven, and conscience,
wherein the unbeliever is arraigned and condemned.
Secondly, It is the sentence of God adjudging the unbeliever to
eternal death, than which, nothing is more terrible. What is a
prison to hell? What is a scaffold and an ax, to "go ye cursed into
everlasting fire?" What is a gallows and a halter, to everlasting
burnings?
Thirdly, Condemnation is the final sentence of God, the supreme
judge, from whose bar and judgement there lies no appeal for the
unbeliever, but execution certainly follows condemnation, Luke 19:
27. If man condemn, God may justify and save; but if God condemn, no
man can save or deliver. If the law cast a man, as a sinner, the
gospel may save him as a believer: but if the gospel cast him as an
unbeliever, a man that finally rejects Jesus Christ, whom it offers
to him, all the world cannot save that man. O then what a dreadful
word is condemnation! All the evils and miseries of this life are
nothing to it. Put all afflictions, calamities, sufferings, and
miseries of this world into one scale, and this sentence of God into
the other, and they will be all lighter than a feather.
Thirdly, In the next place, I shall shew you that this
punishment, viz. condemnation, must unavoidably follow that sin of
unbelief. So many unbelieving persons as be in the world, so many
condemned persons there are in the world; and this will appear two
ways.
1. By considering what unbelief excludes a man from.
2. By considering what unbelief includes a man under.
First, Let us consider what unbelief excludes a man from; and
it will be found, that it excludes him from all that may help and
save him. For,
First, It excludes him from the pardon of sin, John 8: 21. "If
ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." Now he that
dies under the guilt of all his sins, must needs die in a state of
wrath and condemnation for ever. "For the wages of sin is death,"
Rom. 6: 23. if a man be saved without a pardon, then may the
unbeliever hope to be saved.
Secondly, Unbelief excludes a man from all the saving benefits
that come by the sacrifice or death of Christ. For if faith be the
only instrument that applies and brings home to the soul the
benefits of the blood of Christ, as unquestionably it is, then
unbelief must of necessity exclude a man from all those benefits,
and consequently leave him in the state of death and condemnation.
Faith is the applying cause, the instrument by which we receive the
special saving benefit of the blood of Christ, Rom. 5: 25. "Whom God
has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood." Eph.
2: 8. "By grace are ye saved through faith." So then if the
unbeliever be acquitted and saved, it must be without the benefit of
Christ's death and sacrifice, which is utterly impossible.
Thirdly, Unbelief excludes a man from the saving efficacy and
operation of the gospel, by shutting up the heart against it, and
crossing the main scope and drift of it. Which is to bring up men to
the terms of salvation. To persuade them to believe, this is its
great design, the scope of all its commands, 1 John 3: 23. Mark 1:
14, 15. John 12: 36. It is the scope of all its promises; they are
written to encourage men to believe, John 6: 35, 37. So then if the
unbeliever escape condemnation, it must be in a way unknown to us by
the gospel; yea, contrary to the established order therein. For the
unbeliever obeyeth not the great command of the gospel, 1 John 3:
28. Nor is he under any one saving promise of it, Gal. 3: 14, 22.
Fourthly, Unbelief excludes a man from union with Christ, faith
being the bond of that union, Eph. 3: 17. The unbeliever therefore
may as reasonably expect to be saved without Christ, as to be saved
without faith. Thus you see what unbelief excludes a man from.
Secondly, Let us next see what guilt and misery unbelief
includes men under, and certainly it will be found to be the
greatest guilt and misery in the world. For,
First, It is a sin which reflects the greatest dishonour upon
God, 1 John 6: 10. "He that believeth on the Son of God, has the
witness in himself. He that believeth not God, has made him a liar;
because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."
Secondly, Unbelief makes a man guilty of the vilest contempt of
Christ, and the whole design of redemption managed by him. All the
glorious attributes of God were finally manifested in the work of
redemption by Christ; therefore the apostle calls him "the wisdom of
God, and the power of God," 1 Cor. 1: 23, 24. But what does the
careless neglect, and wilful rejection of Christ speak, but the
weakness and folly of that design of redemption by him.
Thirdly, Unbelief includes in it the sorest spiritual judgement
that is or can be inflicted in this world upon the soul of man; even
spiritual blindness, and the fatal darkening of the understanding by
Satan, 2 Cor. 4: 4. of which more hereafter.
Fourthly, Unbelief includes a man under the curse, and shuts
him up under all the threatenings that are written in the book of
God; amongst which, that is an express and terrible one, Mark 16:
10. "He that believes not, shall be damned." So that nothing can be
more evident than this, that condemnation necessarily follows
unbelief. This sin and that punishment are fastened together with
chains of adamant. The uses follow:
Inf. 1. If this be so, then how great a number of persons are
visibly in the state of condemnation! So many unbelievers, so many
condemned men and women. That is a sad complaint of the prophet, Isa
53: 1: "Who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed?" Many there be that talk of faith, and many that
profess faith; but they only talk of and profess it: There are but
few in the world unto whom the arm of the Lord has been revealed, in
the work of faith with power. It is put among the great mysteries
and wonders of the world, 1 Tim. 3: 16. That Christ is believed on
in the world. O what a great and terrible day will the day of
Christ's coming to judgement be, when so many millions of
unbelievers shall be brought to his tribunal to be solemnly
sentenced! They are (as my text speaks) condemned already; but then
that dreadful sentence will be solemnly pronounced by Jesus Christ,
whom they have despised and rejected: Then shall that scripture be
fulfilled, Luke 19: 27. "These mine enemies that would not that I
should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me.
Inf. 2. Hence be informed how great a mercy the least measure
of saving faith is: for the least measure of true faith unites the
soul to Jesus Christ; and then "there is no condemnation to them
that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8: 1. Not one sentence of God against
them. So Acts 13: 39. "By him all that believe are justified from
all things." The weakest believer is as free from condemnation as
the strongest; the righteousness of Christ comes upon all believers
without any difference. Rom. 3: 22. "Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Christ Jesus unto all, and upon all them that
believe; for there is no difference." It is not imputed, as it is in
inherent righteousness; one man has more holiness than another: The
faith that receives the righteousness of Christ may be different in
degrees of strength; but the received righteousness is equal upon
all believers: A piece of gold is as much worth in the hand of a
child, as it is in the hand of a man. O the exceeding preciousness
of saving faith!
Inf. 3. How dreadful a sin is the sin of unbelief, which brings
men under the condemnation of the great God. No sin startles less,
or damns surer: It is a sin that does not affright the conscience as
some other sins do, but it kills the soul more certainly than any of
those sins could do: For, indeed, other sins could not damn us, were
it not for unbelief, which fixes the guilt of them all upon our
persons. This is the condemnation. Unbelief is the sin of sins, and
when the Spirit comes to convince men of sin, he begins with this as
the capital sin, John 16: 9. But more particularly,
First, Estimate the evil of unbelief from its object. It is the
slighting and refusing of the most excellent and wonderful person in
heaven or earth: the vision of Christ by faith is the joy of saints
upon earth: the vision of Christ above is the happiness of saints in
heaven. It is a despising of him who is altogether lovely in
himself, who has loved us and given himself for us.
It is a rejecting of the only Mediator betwixt God and man
after the rejecting of whom there remains no sacrifice for sin.
Secondly, Let the evil of unbelief be valued by the offer of
Christ to our souls in the gospel: It is one part of the great
mystery of godliness that Christ should be preached to the Gentiles,
1 Tim. 3: 16. That the word of this salvation should be sent to us,
Acts 13: 26. A mercy denied to the fallen angels, and the greatest
art of mankind, which aggravates the evil of this sin beyond all
imagination. So that in refusing or neglecting Jesus Christ are
found vile ingratitude, highest contempt of the grace and wisdom of
God; and in the event, the loss of the only season and opportunity
of salvation, which is never more to be recovered to all eternity.
Inf. 4. If this be the case of all unbelievers, it is not to be
admired, that souls under the first convictions of their miserable
condition, are plunged into such deep distresses of spirit. It is
said of them, Acts 2: 27. "That they were pricked at the heart, and
cried out, men and brethren, what shall we do?" And so the jailer,
"He came in trembling and astonished, and said, Sirs, what must I do
to be saved?" Certainly, if souls apprehend themselves under the
condemnation and sentence of the great God in all tears and
trembling, their weary days and restless nights are not without just
cause and reason. Those that never saw their own miserable condition
by the light of a clear and full conviction, may wonder to see
others so deeply distressed in spirit. They may misjudge the case,
and call it melancholy or madness: but spiritual troubles do not
exceed the cause and ground of them, let them be as deep and as
great as they will: And, indeed, it is one of the great mysteries of
grace and providence; a thing much unknown to men, how such poor
souls are supported from day to day under such fears and sorrows as
are able, in a few hours, to break the stoutest spirit in the world.
Luther was a man of great natural courage; and yet, when God let in
spiritual troubles upon his soul, it is noted of him, ut nec vox,
nec calor, nec sanguis superesset; he had neither voice, nor heat,
nor blood appearing in him.
Inf. 5. How groundless and irrational is the mirth and jollity
of all carnal and unregenerate men? They feast in their prison, and
dance in their fetters. O the madness that is in the hearts of men!
If men did but see their mittimus made for hell, or believe they are
condemned already, it were impossible for them to live at that rate
of vanity they do: And is their condition less dangerous because it
is not understood? Surely no; but much snore dangerous for that, O
poor sinners, you have found out an effectual way to prevent your
present troubles; it were well if you could find out a way to
prevent your eternal misery: But it is easier for a man to stifle
conviction, than prevent damnation. Your mirth has a twofold
mischief in it, it prevents repentance, and increases your future
torment. O what a hell will your hell be; who drop into it, out of
all the sensitive and sinful pleasures of this world! If ever man
may say of mirth, that it is mad; and of laughter, what does it! He
may say so in this case.
Inf. 6. Lastly, what cause have they to rejoice, admire, and
praise the Lord to eternity, who have a well-grounded confidence
that they are freed from God's condemnation? "O give thanks to the
Father, who has delivered you from the power of darkness, and
translated you into the kingdom of his dear Son," Col. 1: 13.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for if you be freed from
condemnation, you are out of Satan's power, he has no more any
dominion over you. The power of Satan over men comes in by virtue of
their condemnation, as the power of the jailer, or executioner, over
the bodies of condemned prisoners does, Heb. 2: 14. If you be freed
from condemnation, the sting of death shall never touch you; for the
sting of death smites the souls of men with a deadly stroke, only by
virtue of God's condemnatory sentence, 1 Cor. 15: 55, 56. "The sting
of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." If you be
freed from condemnation now, you shall stand with comfort and
boldness at the judgement seat of Christ in the great day; and
verily in this thing is the love of God perfected, 1 John 4: 17. O
it is a privilege in which the grace, mercy, and love of God shine
forth as clearly as the sun when it shineth in its full strength.
And certainly you will find cause to lie at the feet of God,
astonished and overwhelmed with the sense of this mercy, when you
shall find yourselves free from the condemnation of God, whilst many
others, as good as you were, are still under condemnation. Yea,
yourselves freed, and many of your superiors in the world still
under the curse, 1 Cor. 1: 26. Yea, yourselves freed, and others
that sat under the same means of grace, and had the same external
advantages as you had, still in chains, 2 Cor. 2: 16. O brethren!
This is a marvellous deliverance; look on it which way you will,
your ransom is paid, and not a penny of it by you; it cost you
nothing to procure your pardon; your pardon is full, and not one sin
excepted out of it that you ever committed. You are freed, and Jesus
Christ condemned in your stead to procure your discharge; your
pardon is sealed in his blood, and that for ever; so that you shall
never any more cone into condemnation. "He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life," John 5:
24.
Let them that are so delivered, spend their days on earth in
praise and cheerful obedience; and, when they die, let them not
shrink away from death, nor be afraid to take it by the cold hand,
it can do them no harm. Yea, let them close their dying lips with -
Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ.
The Method of Grace in the Gospel Redemption
(continued in file 35...)
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