THE FREENESS OF THE GOSPEL: "Why The Gospel Must Be Free," Part 4
In our three previous posts relating to the freeness of the Gospel, we have stated that the Gospel must be free:
Man's condition is horribly repugnant and distasteful. Very few ever come to see their true condition before the thrice holy God. The prophet declared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). The only ones who truly understand and know their depraved condition before God are those to whom God has revealed it. Man is spiritually blind. Man is spiritually halt. Man is spiritually lame. Man is a spiritually paralyzed. Man is spiritually dead in His trespasses and sins. There is nothing a dead, unregenerate sinner can do to raise himself to life!
The Bible describes the lost sinner as clothed with FILTHY rags (Isaiah 64:6). These "filthy rags" mentioned here are those of pride, self-righteousness, self-justification, and of our own meritorious good works. Jesus describes natural man as "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17). This is man's true and deplorable, impoverished condition before God. His condition is most loathsome, is to be pitied, is without spiritual riches and holiness of heart, is unrecognized and detected by his own sight, and is completely shameful. He is spiritually a down and outer. He is drunk with the wine of self-importance and self-righteousness. Before God, he is malodorous and disdainful in the stench of his own putrefying vomit.
The unconverted sinner is hopelessly poor. Like the truly poor in this world, the sinner is incredibly desperate. The poor know not where their next meal will come from. They know not where they will lay their head down. They know not when they will bathe again. They have nothing and, therefore have no way of determining their present or future circumstances. They are desperately needy, and so much so, they walk around begging for food, turning over garbage cans, and being avoided by the major part of society, with the hope of finding a crumb or a morsel. They are cold. They are exposed. They are helpless. They are dependent on mercy to survive. Such is the heinous condition of man before God in all of his spiritual poverty. Without mercy, without grace, the sinner will only perish. The sinner has nothing in his hands, in his pockets, or in his heart to bring to God. Before God, he is repugnant in his filth and stench. He is despicable in his sinful stupor. He is without hope. How awful and detestable is the sin-caused poverty in the human race.
Such is MY condition without Christ! Such is YOUR condition without Christ. We are hopelessly poor. We are wretches. We are repugnant. We are miserable. We are detestable. We are filthy poor. But, oh my dear reader, such was our human condition when Christ sought us out, redeemed us with His precious blood, and called us unto Himself. The Gospel had to come freely to us. Christ came to seek and save the wretched and sinful lost. Because of our spiritual poverty, the Gospel had to be extended and applied to us without money or without price. God, through the Gospel of His dearly beloved Son, freely justifies us by His grace. The Holy Spirit and the Lord's redeemed church say: "Come...and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). May God grant you grace to come to the crucified and risen Christ in whole-heart faith with your filthy, soiled, rotten, despicable garments of sin and self-righteousness, that you, like the wayward, hog-smelling, and repentant prodigal, may be clothed anew by your heavenly Father with the garments of salvation. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).
May Christ receive all the glory for freely saving such a filthy wretch as I through the glorious and free Gospel of grace!
- To be in accordance with the attributes of God
- To be in accordance with the works of God
- So that all of the glory, honor, and praise be exclusively for the Lord Jesus Christ
Man's condition is horribly repugnant and distasteful. Very few ever come to see their true condition before the thrice holy God. The prophet declared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). The only ones who truly understand and know their depraved condition before God are those to whom God has revealed it. Man is spiritually blind. Man is spiritually halt. Man is spiritually lame. Man is a spiritually paralyzed. Man is spiritually dead in His trespasses and sins. There is nothing a dead, unregenerate sinner can do to raise himself to life!
The Bible describes the lost sinner as clothed with FILTHY rags (Isaiah 64:6). These "filthy rags" mentioned here are those of pride, self-righteousness, self-justification, and of our own meritorious good works. Jesus describes natural man as "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Revelation 3:17). This is man's true and deplorable, impoverished condition before God. His condition is most loathsome, is to be pitied, is without spiritual riches and holiness of heart, is unrecognized and detected by his own sight, and is completely shameful. He is spiritually a down and outer. He is drunk with the wine of self-importance and self-righteousness. Before God, he is malodorous and disdainful in the stench of his own putrefying vomit.
The unconverted sinner is hopelessly poor. Like the truly poor in this world, the sinner is incredibly desperate. The poor know not where their next meal will come from. They know not where they will lay their head down. They know not when they will bathe again. They have nothing and, therefore have no way of determining their present or future circumstances. They are desperately needy, and so much so, they walk around begging for food, turning over garbage cans, and being avoided by the major part of society, with the hope of finding a crumb or a morsel. They are cold. They are exposed. They are helpless. They are dependent on mercy to survive. Such is the heinous condition of man before God in all of his spiritual poverty. Without mercy, without grace, the sinner will only perish. The sinner has nothing in his hands, in his pockets, or in his heart to bring to God. Before God, he is repugnant in his filth and stench. He is despicable in his sinful stupor. He is without hope. How awful and detestable is the sin-caused poverty in the human race.
Such is MY condition without Christ! Such is YOUR condition without Christ. We are hopelessly poor. We are wretches. We are repugnant. We are miserable. We are detestable. We are filthy poor. But, oh my dear reader, such was our human condition when Christ sought us out, redeemed us with His precious blood, and called us unto Himself. The Gospel had to come freely to us. Christ came to seek and save the wretched and sinful lost. Because of our spiritual poverty, the Gospel had to be extended and applied to us without money or without price. God, through the Gospel of His dearly beloved Son, freely justifies us by His grace. The Holy Spirit and the Lord's redeemed church say: "Come...and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). May God grant you grace to come to the crucified and risen Christ in whole-heart faith with your filthy, soiled, rotten, despicable garments of sin and self-righteousness, that you, like the wayward, hog-smelling, and repentant prodigal, may be clothed anew by your heavenly Father with the garments of salvation. "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels" (Isaiah 61:10).
May Christ receive all the glory for freely saving such a filthy wretch as I through the glorious and free Gospel of grace!
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