Difference between revisions of "Argument 1."
(Created page with "====Argument 1.==== <p>He who does not love Christ—is not in Christ. </p> <p>He who is not in Christ—is in his sins. </p> <p>He who is in his sins is accursed—therefore...") |
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Latest revision as of 23:41, 4 March 2020
Argument 1.
He who does not love Christ—is not in Christ.
He who is not in Christ—is in his sins.
He who is in his sins is accursed—therefore he who does not love Christ, is accursed; and being found so when he comes, shall be cursed at his coming. He who has no sincere love to Christ—has still his old heart and his old love remaining in him. He who has his old heart—is not in Christ: "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new!" 2 Corinthians 5.17.
Can you be in Christ—and have not the love of Christ in you?
Can you be in Christ—and your heart turn away from Christ?
Can you be in Christ—while your heart is set against Christ?
Is not your heart set against him, while you have no love for him?
Can there be any union, where there is no love and affection?
Does not hatred keep at the greatest distance, and maintain the widest separation?
If you are not in Christ—can you bring forth any fruit pleasing unto God? "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine—no more can you, unless you abide in me." John 15.4. And if you bring forth no fruit—shall you not be cast into the fire? "If a man abides not in me—he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned!" John 15.6. Are you such as shall be cast into the fire, and flames of Hell—and are you not in a cursed, dangerous, and miserable condition? Can a bad tree bring forth good fruit? If it does not bring forth good fruit—is it not fuel for the fires of Hell? "And now also the axe is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree which does not bring forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire!" Matthew 3:10.
Has not the rain of heavenly doctrine dropped upon you—and yet you bring forth anything but briars and thorns, when you have no love to Christ? And are you not then rejected, and your final end be to be burned? And is then the curse far from you? "Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed, receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned!" Hebrews 6:7-8. And when you come to that end—will you not then acknowledge yourselves to be anathema— cursed by God?
Argument 2.
He who does not love Christ sincerely, is under the curses of the law . Therefore he who does not love Christ, is accursed. For if all the curses of the law lighting and abiding upon a man, will prove a man an accursed man—then the man who has no sincere love to Christ, must be that man! For though the law as a covenant is not in force, so that we are not to seek salvation by it; yet the penalty and threatenings of the law are in full power against the man who does not submit to Christ, according to the covenant of grace. For though Christ was made a curse to redeem us from the curse—yet those only have the saving benefits of that redemption, who have found faith in, and sincere love to, Jesus Christ.
If by the law you would escape the curse threatened by the law—you must do everything contained in the law: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' Clearly no one is justified before God by the law." Galatians 3:10-11.
You cannot do any one thing required in the law, as prescribed by the law—and yet you so slight Christ, that you will not so much as love him. Yet you still think that you are exempted from the curse of the law. God will convince you to the contrary; and unless you hasten to love Christ before you die—the flames of Hell will convince you to the contrary! It would be your safer way now by the word of God, to be convinced to the contrary.
Argument 3. He who does not love Jesus Christ sincerely, is under condemnation by the gospel . Therefore he who does not love Christ is accursed. The gospel, taken for the whole doctrine of Christ, has its terrible tidings—as well as comforting tidings. The gospel has threatenings—as well as promises. The gospel ha a sentence of damnation—as well as of absolution—and more dreadful and intolerable than those of the law! And to whom do they belong, and upon whom shall they be inflicted—if not upon the despisers of the message of the gospel; and who despise the gospel-message more than those who will not be persuaded to love the Lord Jesus Christ?
Does not the gospel set forth Christ in his excellency and beauty to sinners? Does it not declare what he has suffered for sinners? Does it not tell you what he has purchased for sinners, and will bestow upon sinners? And is not all this to gain your love, to win your hearts and affections to Christ? Yet after all, you slight him—and for his love, and for his sufferings—you will not so much as love him.
Consider seriously what Christ says concerning such: "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil!" John 3.19. If the law condemns you—you might have recourse to the gospel. But if the gospel condemns you—where will you go for support?
Argument 4. There is no way ordained by God, for non-lovers of Christ to escape the punishment of sin, and the torments of Hell. Therefore such are in an accursed damnable condition. When man had broken the covenant of works, God sent his Son to die, and satisfy for the breach of that covenant, so that salvation is not impossible—and the escaping of the threatened curse, is not impossible. And though you have sinned against the gospel by not loving Christ hitherto—yet Christ has so far satisfied for sins against the gospel, that upon your acceptance of Christ, you might have remission of sin and salvation. But you sin against the very remedy prepared to help sinners out of their misery. Can you be saved, who finally refuse the Savior? Can you escape the curse, who to the last gasp reject the only remedy? For besides this, there is no other.
"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left—but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:26-29.
Argument 5. He who has no love to Christ, has no faith in Christ. He who has no faith in Christ, is condemned. He who is condemned, is in a miserable cursed condition! Therefore he who does not love Christ, is in a miserable cursed condition!
Sound faith and sincere love are inseparable graces. Those who are non-lovers of Christ, are unbelievers—and unbelievers are condemned men: "Whoever believes in him is not condemned—but whoever does not believe stands condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3.18.
O pity your children, your parents, your friends, and neighbors—who do not love Christ; for, being destitute of love to Christ—they are void of that faith which is a condition of salvation; and, being void of faith—they are condemned people.