THE LAW, THE PROMISES, AND THE GOSPEL
[p. 78] THE LAW, THE PROMISES, AND THE GOSPEL
It was after the reading of the law and the prophets that Paul stood up to preach the gospel. The law and the prophets were excellent in their place, but they did not meet the need of a sinner. The law brought home to men the knowledge of sin, and the prophets contained promises of grace and blessing to come. But neither the law nor the prophets really met the condition of men.
“By the law is the knowledge of sin”. The law is the probe which shows the depth of the wound; it is the plumb-line which shows the crookedness of the wall; it is the candle which reveals all the filth and corruption of a sinner’s heart; it is the sharp eye which detects the disease; it is the judge who passes sentence of “Guilty before God” upon every member of the human family.
Then the prophets took it for granted that it was all over with man on the ground of law-keeping, and they were full of promises of future blessing on the ground of grace. The law had nothing but judgment for a sinner; the prophets had a promise of salvation for him. But a promise of deliverance is a very different thing from being delivered. The English residents in Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny, surrounded by thousands of foes who thirsted for their blood, had a promise of deliverance which, no doubt, filled their hearts with hope painful by its intensity, but it was a very different thing when they beheld their foes fleeing before the impetuous onslaught of the 78th Highlanders. Deliverance promised is a great thing, but deliverance accomplished is vastly greater. The prophets brought a promise of salvation, but the gospel declares that the promise has been fulfilled.
[p. 79] This is of great importance. For lack of seeing it many are strangers to the joy and peace of the gospel. “Of this man’s seed hath God according to promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus”. “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus” (verses 23, and 32, 33). The Spirit of God insists upon the fact that the promise has been fulfilled. Many a one will say, “I am trusting to the promises”. Well, it is good if their faith has laid hold of God’s grace in any measure, but there is a more excellent way. Indeed, those who talk thus will generally confess to having doubts and fears, more or less. They are really hoping for salvation instead of enjoying it. It cannot be otherwise. If someone promises you a book that you want you look forward with hope to the time when you will get it. You trust to the promise and hope for its fulfilment. But when the promise is fulfilled you cease to hope, and you enjoy that which was promised.
In the prophets we find many promises of salvation, such as, “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); and again, “All the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52: 10); and again, “It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (Isaiah 25: 9). So in Old Testament times it was “good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3). This was what Simeon and Anna were doing (Luke 2); but when the aged saint received the infant Jesus into his arms he said, “Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ... for mine eyes have seen thy salvation”. The promise was fulfilled: God had raised up a Saviour.
It is not now a question of promises but of a Person. “All [p. 80] the promises of God in HIM are yea, and in HIM, Amen”. Whatever promises of God there are, all are fulfilled in the Son of God. The value of a promissory note does not lie in the bit of paper, but in the person who has engaged himself thereby, and so salvation does not lie in the promises but in the PERSON who is the fulfilment of them all.
God has raised up a Saviour — JESUS — and is now sending out glad tidings concerning Him. “Whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent”. If you have no fear of God before your eyes, you will care little for His salvation. But to those who have entered into fellowship with the dying thief — who addressed his railing comrade with the words, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing we are in the same condemnation? and we indeed justly” — the message of salvation is a joyful sound. Never was lifeboat more valued by the drowning, or fire-escape more welcomed by the inmates of a burning house than the message of salvation is valued and welcomed by the sinner who really fears God. If you want to know what it is to fear God read Psalm 51.
The rulers of Judaea had no thought that they were fulfilling the Scriptures when they condemned the Son of God. So far as they were concerned, they were gratifying the envy and hatred of their own wicked hearts, but God made the stormy wind of their evil passions to fulfil His word. They numbered Jesus with the transgressors, and appointed Him to death, though they found no cause of death in Him. Pilate said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person”; the dying thief bore witness, “This man hath done nothing amiss”; the Spirit of God declared that He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth; and even Judas had to confess, “I have betrayed innocent blood”. But in thus condemning the guiltless they were fulfilling the Scriptures. It was the will and purpose of God that Christ should suffer all that was written of Him, otherwise men would have had [p. 81] no power against Him at all. As it was, they fulfilled the prophets in condemning Him, and “having fulfilled all that was written of him, they laid him in a sepulchre”.
“But God raised him from the dead”. His atoning work was done: He had suffered for sins and died for sinners, and now God raised Him to be a Saviour in resurrection. He is now beyond the reach of Satan, beyond the touch of sin, beyond the power of death, in resurrection triumph, and this is the essence of the gospel.
The promises could refer to no other than Christ. The “sure mercies of David” were connected with One who was not to see corruption — One who was to be “as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds” (2 Samuel 23: 4, 5). And now the light of that cloudless resurrection morning has come. Death’s dark night, which for a brief space enveloped the anointed One, has passed for ever, and He has risen as the Sun of an endless resurrection day. Death has won no spoil from Him; corruption — the emblem of death’s victory — touched Him not. Blessed, victorious Saviour, well may sinners bow at Thy feet!
Now we get the proclamation of grace. “Be it known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins”. The grace that is thus presented to men can only be measured by the Person in whom it is set forth. If we think of His glory, His greatness, all His perfections, the infinite value of His atoning death, and His resurrection triumph, we may find sufficient cause and ground in Him for this blessed proclamation. Merit or excuse we have none. The accumulated burden of our sins might justly sink us to the lowest hell. But in Him we find One who is a propitiation for the whole world. On the ground of what He is, the forgiveness of sins can be universally proclaimed.
“[p. 82] And by him, all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses”. The law could not justify a sinner, but the grace of God justifies freely “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3: 24). Will you not receive this forgiving and justifying grace? Will you not receive by faith the blessed Person in whom it is presented? He is placed before you in His attractiveness, and in His divine suitability to meet your need, that you may believe on Him and be saved. God puts no barrier between you and Christ;
“All the fitness He requireth,
Is to know your need of Him”. (208:2)
Let none persuade you that God is reluctant to bless, or that He needs to be moved to be gracious by long repentance and many prayers. Nay, verily, it is He who by His blessed gospel, and by the gracious strivings of His Spirit, is ever seeking to move men to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And when man’s stubborn will yields to grace, and he confesses, “I have sinned”, there is joy in the presence of the angels. God is a Justifier and a Saviour God, and He delights to be known as such by His poor fallen creatures. If it were not so there would have been no risen Saviour — no proclamation of repentance and remission of sins among all nations beginning at Jerusalem (Luke 24: 47).
“By him, all that believe are justified from all things”. The divine clearance of the believer is perfect and unqualified. It leaves no unsettled questions behind, and therefore no element of unrest or uncertainty in the soul. “All things” covers the whole sinful history of the one who believes, with every particular detail of that history. Who can lay a charge against one of whom God declares that he is “justified from all things?” Of what avail are ten thousand accusing voices if God justifies? (Romans 8: 33).
But bright lights cast dark shadows, and if this pardoning [p. 83] and justifying grace be slighted it leaves the soul under greater condemnation. Take heed, then, to this solemn warning, “Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets; Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye will in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you”. God has wrought in the greatness of His grace, and has caused His gracious work to be declared unto you for the acceptance and obedience of faith. Be not a despiser of that grace, I beseech you, for it is still true that “whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed”.