A HOLY LIFE: the Beauty of Christianity
a treatise by John Bunyan
edited in modern English by Jon Cardwell
FIRST OBSERVATION (a)
Men name the name of Christ religiously and incidentally; that is, they do so rightly with their words and in a language common to their national heritage, yet, they do not do so as to “depart from iniquity.” This was the occasion of this exhortation, for Paul saw that there were some that did so; that is to say that some named the name of Christ well with their words, but did not depart from iniquity. He also found others like that among those at Corinth, which made him say, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not” (1 Corinthians 15:34, KJV). Paul also found them at Ephesus, and cries out to them most earnestly, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead” (Ephesians 5:14). Although they were professors of Christ, they lived too much like those that were dead in trespasses and sins. He also found this to be true among the Hebrews; that’s why he says to them, “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). These professing Christians are easily overwhelmed with sin. Yes, it hung upon them as weights to hinder them from making that profession of Christ, whose name they named, as beautiful as did become both Him and them.
In my discourse upon this subject, I must attempt to show you two things. FIRST, What Paul means when he says “depart from iniquity.” SECONDLY, Why some rightly name the name of Christ by their words, yet do not “depart from iniquity.”
The first of those needs some explanation because, in some sense, even the best of saints cannot depart from sin or iniquity.
1. As to its being, it is seated and rooted in their flesh, and has its dwelling there. Yes, it has, and so will have an abiding there, as long as man is on this side of that state of perfection, which cannot be enjoyed while we are in the flesh: for “in me, that is, in my flesh,” sin dwells (Romans 7:18); nor does anything else but sin dwell there: “For… in me (that is, in my flesh),” says Paul, “dwelleth no good thing” (KJV). Therefore, the apostle must not be understood as if he intended to suggest that there was a possibility that the nature and being of sin could be plucked up by the roots, and so cast completely away from us, as to its very nature. No, that will abide with us, for it has its dwelling in us.
2. As they cannot depart from the nature, of it as such; that is, as they cannot be rid of the being of sin, so neither can they depart from the motions and stirrings of sin, no more than they can stir from the motions or stirrings of their natural senses, or of their natural reason. The motions of sin, which Paul also calls the lusts of our flesh, will be where the nature and being of sin is, because it is not dead; for that which lives, whatever manner of life it has, will have motion according to the manner of life which it has; and sin, being one of the liveliest and most vigorous of all things, will also have its motions and lusts accordingly. That is why Paul says, it lusts, and will lust, where it is and dwells; though the very Spirit of God and the utmost diligence of a Christian is also there to oppose it (Romans 6:12; Galatians 5:17).
3. Again, as the being and motions of sin will be with us, so also will it in its endeavors. It will endeavor to overcome us and to make us captives to itself and to Satan; and these endeavors will be with us (Ephesians 6:11, 12; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Hebrews 12:4). Nor can we depart from iniquity so as to be utterly rid of all sense and feeling of the endeavors there are in sin and iniquity to be master and lord, and reign. Sin will endeavor to defile the mind, to defile the conscience, to defile the life and conversation; and this endeavor, as endeavor, we cannot depart from; that is, we cannot do anything to cause it so that sin should not be in our flesh; for there it will be, since sin, in its being, is there.
4. As the being, motions, and endeavors of sin will still abide in our flesh, consequently its polluting fumes will be upon us also; nor does the apostle mean, when he tells us to depart from iniquity, that we should think that we can so be, or so do in this life, as that our being or doing should not smell of the strong scent of sin. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one” (Job 14:4). “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). The scent, the smell, the rank and odious stink of sins abide upon, yes, and will abide upon us, when most spiritual here, and upon our most spiritual actions too, until they are taken away by Christ. So far, therefore, we cannot be concerned in the exhortation. For should Paul exhort us to depart from the being, motion, endeavor, and polluting fumes and scent of sin-- I mean so to depart from them, as that there shall no such thing have place, or motion, or striving, or scent in, or upon us-- he would exhort us to that which is altogether impossible for us to perform, yes, to perform through that working of the Spirit of God, which is to be with us and in us here. Yes, he must exhort us to that which he could not perform himself. But such exhortations did not stand with the wisdom of an apostle. For this reason, there is a certain meaning in this exhortation, from the which, if we swerve, we shall both wrong the apostle and ourselves.
[“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.”
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The King James Version is in the Public Domain.]
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