FEBRUARY 8TH, 1945
FEBRUARY 8TH, 1945
BELOVED BROTHER, — God is entitled, on the ground of propitiation, to present His grace to all men in Christ, and all who hear the gospel have the opportunity to receive it. If they do not receive it it shows that they love darkness rather than light. The responsibility rests on them. As Paul said at Antioch, “Since ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life”, Acts 13.
But it is well to bear in mind that if God did not work by effecting new birth not one person would believe the gospel or be saved. It is of God’s mercy that any are made willing to repent and believe the glad tidings; every believer knows it was so in his own case. Therefore it is always true that “No one can come to me except the Father who has sent me draw him”, John 6: 44. God’s sovereign mercy is the only hope of lost man.
Scripture does not speak of any being marked out to be condemned. Election is not presented in Scripture as shutting some out, but as ensuring that those chosen and called of God will come in. God is pleased that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in the Name of the risen Christ to all nations, and whosoever will may obey the gospel. But, alas! man naturally has no disposition to do so. The gospel when preached brings to light those in whom God is working, but if men persist in unbelief it proves that they are among those who perish. “Whosoever” remains true, but unbelief refuses to take advantage of it.
Matthew 10: 21 just brings out the intense enmity of the human heart to the name of Jesus, that even children would cause their parents to be put to death. Acts 16: 31 shows that saving grace is for a man’s house as well as himself, but the children will not be saved if they persist in unbelief. Every believing parent tells his children that they can only be saved in the same way that he was, but that it is God’s thought that the house should be linked with its head in [p. 342] believing. But if the children do not believe they will perish.
The “everlasting sin” was that of those who said that Jesus cast out demons by the prince of the demons. It was most manifestly by the Holy Spirit that He did so, and for those who attributed it to demons there was no forgiveness. It is doubtful whether this sin could be committed now, as there is not the same evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit as there was when the Son of God was here.
I trust these few words may be of help. If there is anything not clear, write to me again.
With much love in the Lord,
Yours affectionately in Him,
February 8th, 1945.