Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Feb 1964

We need to be clear and definite in our gospel preaching en the need of the New Birth and of a New Creation. The Lord's words to Nicodemus, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (or anew)" (John 3.7), and Paul's words to the Galatians, "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (or creation)" (Galatians 8.15) are fundamental to this dispensation of grace.

The truth of the new dispensation which was about to dawn with all its heavenly illumination staggered Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews and the teacher of Israel, as Paul's teaching staggered multitudes of the Jews both in Jerusalem and in foreign cities. But many of these Jews had not the receptive and submissive spirit of Nicodemus. Paul's teaching in the synagogues raised the most ardent opposition and led to Jewish blasphemy and persecution. Indeed most of the persecution that Paul suffered came from the Jews. We have only to read Luke's accounts in the Acts to see how he suffered in Galatia at their hands, and also in Thessalonica and Beroea and elsewhere. His words to the Thessalonians show how clearly he understood God's wrath which they had brought upon themselves nationally by their unbelief and hardness of heart. We have only to recollect what befell millions of Jews in central Europe in our own time to see how awfully the judgement has been fulfilled that they passed upon themselves before Pontius Pilate, "His blood be on us, and on our children" (Matthew 27.25). Pilate, alas, could never wash the blood stains from his own hands by water, but, as he washed his hands, he said, "I am innocent of the blood of this righteous Man: see ye to it" (verse 24). He did wrong and he knew it. The words of Paul to the Thessalonians are these:

"Who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drave out us, and please not God, and are contrary to all men; forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; but the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost" (1 Thessalonians 2.15, 16).

Why was it that they maintained this attitude of bitterness in the face of the freeness of the gospel, that salvation was not of works but of God's free grace? They would no doubt acknowledge that they were sinners of a sort, but not such as are sinners of the Gentiles. The Jews would not accept that basic teaching of Paul,

"For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that He might have mercy upon all" (Romans 11.82, see also Romans 3.9, 28; Galatians 3.22).

The Jews clung to the fact that they were Abraham's seed and of the house of Israel, and therefore their place before God was one of privilege, and they would not accept that as sinners in God's sight there was no difference between them and the Gentiles.

Besides this, they would not accept the teaching of John the Baptist, who proclaimed, "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world'." (John 1.29), nor would they accept that of the Lord,

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3.16).

Their attitude was that the Christ who was promised was their Messiah, and

the thought of the Gentiles sharing like blessings with them on a new basis other than that of the law was unacceptable to the Jews. Nevertheless their own

Scriptures showed that while the Messiah would work for the Jewish people, He would also be the Salvation of God for the Gentiles:

"It is too light a thing that Thou shouldest be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My Salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49.6).

Their bigoted outlook and violent attitude is seen when Paul addressed the Jewish crowd from the stairs of the castle in Jerusalem. They listened to him until he said what the Lord told him, "Make haste, and get thee quickly out of

Jerusalem:because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning Me ...

...Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles" (Acts 22. 18-21). Upon this they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live" (verse 22).

Two things are necessary in all gospel preaching, (1) on the one hand, to

proclaim the utter depravity of man and his inability to save himself, and (2) on the other, the all-sufficiency of Christ and His finished work of atonement to save all that believe, apart from works. Let the gospel preacher be clear in his proclamation on these points. Salvation was completely finished by Christ without the aid of men and is offered to all as a gift to be received by faith (Acts 4.12; 16.80, 81; Ephesians 2.8, 9). Salvation is not obtained through being a member of any church, Roman, Greek, protestant of whatever name. It is not obtained by works added to the work of Christ before conversion, neither is it paid for after conversion by works on a kind of hire purchase system. Salvation is a gift to the believing sinner and ever remains so, for who could attempt to pay for so great a gift? Whether we think of salvation, it is a gift (Ephesians 2.8, 9), or eternal life, it is a gift (Romans 6.28), or righteousness, it is a gift (Romans 5.17).

The proven charge of Paul, as given in Romans 3.9-18 is not simply that of an apostle's message peculiar to the New Testament, but he cites passages from the Old Testament as proof texts that all men are under sin, that there is none righteous and none that doeth good, no, not so much as one, and this applies to all men throughout all time.

If proof were needed of what is alleged as to man's state by nature, no greater proof could be cited than that of the murder of the Son of God by crucifixion at Golgotha outside Jerusalem. Pontius Pilate, Herod Antipas with the Jewish people and all whom they represented, and still represent, were guilty of the darkest deed and greatest crime ever perpetrated. Have men of this world changed in their attitude to Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews? Have the Jews changed in their attitude to Him? Alas, neither has changed in attitude to Christ.

But the believer may truly sing,

"Our Lord is now rejected,

And by the world disowned:

By the many still neglected,

And by the few enthroned."

But such is the strangeness of the way in which God's love to man has been

manifested, that it is by Christ crucified that His love flows out to mankind. Here is the message for the preacher. What is it? It is Christ, the divine answer to the sinner's need and to the need of a world of sinners.

When the message gushed, as living waters from a fountain, from the lips of Peter on the day of Pentecost at the beginning of this dispensation it was concerning Christ:

"Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified" (Acts 2.86).

This message concerning Christ pricked the hearts of many and they cried out, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

Following the great persecution against the church at Jerusalem, which began on the day that Stephen the martyr was killed, "Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the Christ" (Acts 8.5), and we are told that "there was much joy in that city" (verse 8). The effect was similar when Philip joined the chariot of the Ethiopian eunuch who was reading Isaiah 53, "And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus" (Acts 8.35), and at the end of the chapter we are told that the eunuch "went on his way rejoicing". He saw Philip no more, but he had Christ, the Hope of glory (Colossians 1.27).

Paul preached the same message to the Corinthians. As he approached Corinth his purpose was not to use oratorical powers in what he had to tell them. He wrote later of his coming among them, "1 determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2. 1-2). This was God's remedy for the Corinthians in their low moral condition, and it is so still, and will ever remain God's remedy for men. God has no other, and if men reject His Christ, then they must perish and the fault will be their own, for Christ died for all.

J. Miller | Feb 1964
Jottings