Wednesday, November 18, 2009

A HOLY LIFE 5

A HOLY LIFE: the Beauty of Christianity

a treatise by John Bunyan
edited in modern English by Jon Cardwell


FIRST, THE EXHORTATION:
THAT MEN DEPART FROM INIQUITY


In the exhortation there are several things to note because of the insinuations made by the apostle. The first is that iniquity is a very dangerous and harmful thing, as it pertains to the souls of sinners in general; so it is especially dangerous and harmful to them that proclaim the name of Christ.

First, Iniquity is a very dangerous and harmful thing to men in general; for it is that which captivated the world at the beginning, and that made it a bond-slave to the devil. It has also done great harm to mankind ever since. For instance, here are a few things:

1. Iniquity has rendered the power of men’s souls dull and stupid. It has even made them like irrational animals, like brutes in all supernatural, heavenly matters (2 Peter 2:12). Just as the beast cares for nothing but his lusts and its belly, likewise a man cares for nothing but earthly things, sensual and devilish things, by reason of iniquity.

2. Iniquity has blinded and darkened the powers of the soul, so that the soul can neither see where it is, nor see any way out of his ignorant condition (Ephesians 4:18).

3. Iniquity has hardened the heart against God, and against all warning and counsel in the things of the gospel of Christ (Romans 2:5).

4. Iniquity has alienated the will, the mind, and affections, from the choice of the things that should save it, and turned them over to a hearty delight in those things that naturally tend to drown it in perdition and destruction (Colossians 1:21).

5. Iniquity has made man stink in God’s eyes. It has provoked the justice of God against him. It has made him obnoxious to hellfire (Ezekiel 16:5).

6. Yes, iniquity so holds him, so binds him, so keeps him in its grip, that not he himself, nor even all the angels of heaven, can deliver him from this deplorable condition (Proverbs 5:22).

7. This is to say nothing of the pleasure and delight iniquity makes man take in it, and in the very way to hell in which he walks (Isaiah 66:3; Proverbs 7:22, 23). There has never been a fat ox that went toward destruction so playfully, nor a fool so merrily to begin his sentence of imprisonment, nor silly bird so recklessly to the hidden net, as iniquity makes men go down her steps to the pit of hell and damnation.

It’s amazing! It is just so astonishing to consider what harm sin has done to man, and into how many dangers it has brought him; but let these few hints be enough for us now. I’m going to say something about the next point, namely,

Second, That as iniquity is dangerous and harmful to the souls of men in general, so it is especially dangerous and harmful to them that name the name of Christ. Now, as for those who name Him, I’ll speak about that in due time, but now, we’ll just keep it at this: For those that religiously proclaim His name. I tell you, iniquity is harmful to them.

1. It removes many individuals from Christ and the religious profession of Him. I have even seen, that men who have devoutly and religiously professed Jesus Christ, have been overcome by iniquity. It caused for Christ to be rejected, as well as the profession of His name, and for those men to turn their backs upon Him. “Israel,” prophet says, “has spurned the good” (Hosea 8:3). But why? “With their silver and gold they made idols” (Hosea 8:4). The sin of idolatry threw their hearts from God; their love to that iniquity made them turn their backs upon Him. For this reason God complains, that from their eagerness to sin, and through its prevalence, they had cast Him behind their back (Ezekiel 23:35).

2. As it removes many who would profess faith from Christ, so it keeps many individuals from an effectual union with Him. How many are there that religiously profess faith and make mention of the name of Christ, yet in loving that iniquity, and by their passionate concern for that iniquity, are never united with him unto salvation. Instead, they are like those of whom you read in Paul’s letter to Timothy, that they are “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

3. And concerning those that have indeed come to Him, and that have effectually united with Him, and that proclaim His name to good purpose; yet how has iniquity harmed and abused many of them. (1.) It has prevailed with God to hide His face from them, a thing more bitter than death. (2.) It has prevailed with God to chastise, and to afflict them sorely, a thing in which He takes no pleasure (Lamentations 3:33). (3.) It has provoked God to give them over to the hand of the enemy, and to deliver them to the tormentors (Jeremiah 12:7; Matthew 18:34). (4.) It has brought them to question their interest in Christ, and whether they ever had grace in their souls (Psalms 31:22). (5.) And for those who believed that they were in His favor, this iniquity has driven them to fear that God would cast them away, and take all His good things from them (Psalms 51).

Yes, he that would know the harm that iniquity has done to them that proclaim the name of Christ, let him consider the cries, the sighs, the tears, the moans, the wailings, the lamentations, the sorrows, the confessions, the repentings and griefs with which they have been accompanied, while they have complained that they were cruelly confined, imprisoned, had their bones broken, suffered the terrors of God, been distressed almost to distraction, and have been fed with gravel, gall, wormwood, and with the water of astonishment, for days, even years together (Job 13:27; Psalms 6:6; 31:9, 10; 38:8; 60:3; 88:1-18; 116:3; Jeremiah 8:14; 23:15; 31:18; Lamentations 3:4, 16; Ezekiel 4:16; 2 Corinthians 12:21). By all which, and many more which might be mentioned, it appears that iniquity is a dangerous and harmful thing.


[“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”]

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