829. ACT 13:41. DESPISERS OF CHRIST ADDRESSED

Act_13:41. Despisers of Christ Addressed

"Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you."’97Act_13:41.

The text is connected with a most solemn warning given to the Jews, in reference to their rejection of the Messiah. "Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets:" Act_13:40. The results of such a course had been declared by Moses, in the most terrible threatenings. By various of the prophets, in the most awful predictions. And the apostle entreats them to beware, lest these denunciations should be realized in their history. And he concludes this affectionate warning in language most striking’97"Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." Most likely the apostle had before him the destruction of their city and temple, and the ruin of their nation, as one of the calamities which would arise from their unbelief and contempt of God.

We, however, shall apply the text to the peril of every unbelieving and incorrigible sinner; and the certain consequences of obstinate impenitence and sin.

Notice, then,

I. The characters addressed.

II. The results intimated. And,

III. The lessons suggested. I. The characters addressed. "Ye despisers."

In the text, despisers of Christ are intended. We may retain the same exact idea, and inquire, who are despisers of the Lord Jesus? To this we reply,

1. Disbelievers in his work and mission. Of such were many of the Jews. They did not give credit to his mission. Would not own him as the Messiah. "He came unto his own, but his own received him not." They railed at him’97reviled him’97scorned him’97treated him as an impostor’97as one in league with devils.

In this sense, they were a type of the Deists and Rationalists of our own times, who reject revelation, who, if they admit that Jesus Christ existed and taught’97yet say he was but a virtuous man’97a harmless Jew’97but not the Son of God’97not specially sent to save. They deny his teaching to be infallible. Treat his miracles as mere sleight of hand exhibitions.

Then the text will apply,

2. To unbelievers in his word and message.

There is a great difference between disbelievers and unbelievers. The former reject his official character’97the latter do not receive his message. Many of the Jews, as to Christ, were skeptics: the mass of them, however, merely did not believe. So, now, the crowds of men are in unbelief’97do not hearken to the gospel, so as to understand it. Do not consider it, so as to decide on its acceptance. This is often the result of a sinful apathy in reference to all truly religious concerns.

Now, all in belief is despising of Christ For, think of the glorious Messenger, and the gracious message! And then to put it away by unbelief. How great the affront to God! How glaring the contempt it exhibits! How heinous the sin which is involved in it!

The text applies,

3. To all who are so engrossed with other things, as to neglect Christ.

Now this is a class of unbelievers of a peculiar kind. They may in their minds and judgments be rather favorable to Christ’97feel interested in his work’97often disposed to become disciples:’97but they are so occupied’97so fully engaged with other things and pursuits, that they excuse themselves for the present. The farm’97the merchandise’97domestic duties, and other things, fill their hearts and absorb their whole time. It is not only easy to lose the soul by following forbidden objects, but also by giving up the mind and heart totally to things lawful in themselves, but which should only engage our secondary attention. Christ’s kingdom and his righteousness should surely be first, as well as preeminent in our esteem and attention. Hence, a man may make science, or philosophy, or literature, the main end of his life, to the neglect of his moral welfare, and of Christ the only Saviour, from the wrath to come. Nay, a man may yield himself up to humane pursuits, and generous lines of actions, and yet live in the neglect of spiritual religion; and thus, in reality, be a despiser of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, surely, this must involve the charge in the text of despising the Redeemer. But what multitudes are included in the one or the other of these classes! Disbelieving Christian truth, or remaining in unbelief, or preferring other things to the Lord Jesus Christ. But in each and every case,’97how heinous the sin,’97how infatuated the course pursued,’97and how fearful must be its consequences!

Notice, then,

II. The results intimated.

Now these results may be comprehended in the three terms employed.

1. Such shall behold.

They shall see the threatenings of the Lord Jesus fulfilled. Just as the Jews saw the Roman armies, and the burning temple, and the sacked desolate city. Unbelief will not render null and void the word of God. So all despisers of Christ shall see, or behold the fulfilment of the sentence of the Lord’s displeasure.

They often do so in this life. How frequently is bitterness, and sorrow, and woe, even in this life, the result of neglecting the soul, and despising the Saviour! On the bed of sickness;’97what self-reproach’97what dolorous regrets’97and what horrible forebodings! In a dying hour;’97what overwhelming terrors’97what anguish and despair, when they realize the misery and woe of a Christless condition! "And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed."’97Pro_5:11. They shall behold, in the day of judgment. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."’97Rev_1:7. "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."’97Mat_24:30.

This conscious beholding, or realizing, shall be their state forever. They shall behold the Saviour they have rejected’97the heaven they have despised’97the saints they hated. Just as the rich man saw Lazarus, and the world of bliss in the fearful unapproachable distance.

2. They shall wonder.

They shall be filled with astonishment. It shall come upon them with surprise and astonishment,’97as the tempest on the traveller’97as the storm on the mariner’97as the calamity on Belshazzar’97as the Roman army on Jerusalem, while enwrapped in carnal security. They shall be singing of peace; when, suddenly, destruction shall come upon them. They must see, and behold; and will no longer have power to put the vision of wrath away from their eyes.

But this wonder shall only be the precursor of their final and inevitable ruin. For observe,

3. They shall perish.

For their sins, and in them. By the righteous wrath of heaven. According to the threatenings of God’s word. Now to perish, in the scriptural sense of the word, implies,

(1.) That they are now in circumstances where all means of safety have fled, and prone forever. Christian institutions, ordinances, mercies, ministers, Sabbaths, &c.

(2.) That the day of probation is over. That man’s natural and rational life is the limit of his probation, is most evident from the word of God. The night of death is the period of darkness and inactivity, when no man can work. The harvest then is past, the summer then is ended.

(3.) That all their hopes are annihilated. Not only real hopes, but even false hopes, are all destroyed’97their ruin having become inevitable and irremediable. It is only necessary to read the Saviour’s awful descriptions of the state of the lost, to feel how intensely dreadful is the condition of those who perish. Exclusion from God’s presence, from the society of the holy, and the joys of the blessed; with banishment into outer darkness, where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, is the fearful doom of those who die in their sins.

Such, then, are the certain results of unbelief and despising Christ. Observe, then, from the subject,

III. The lessons suggested.

1. That despising Christ must be a sin most heinous.

It is the climax of transgression, the completion of guilt. The filling up of iniquity. If the dignity, graciousness, and sacrifice of Jesus be considered, then this sin must stand out as one of indescribable enormity. No baseness can exceed it. No act, in point of moral turpitude, can surpass it. To reject Christ’97refuse Christ’97and to put him, as it were, to open shame again, and, as far as possible, to treat with gross indignity his pity, his tears, and his dying love. We learn,

2. That a believing reception of Christ is the sinner’s duty.

That it is so, is manifest from the following considerations:’97This is God’s command. This is what Christ himself urges. This is what is evidently and clearly the design of the gospel being sent to you. For this the spirit of God calls and strives. We ought to do it, without further evasion, or neglect, or delay.

We ought to give the message of reconciliation the most earnest, immediate, and hearty welcome. And say not that you cannot do this, until you have made the effort, and sought the help of the freely-offered grace of God. God would not demand it, nor could unbelief be any sin, unless the ability and means of faith were within your reach, and available, even now, to your salvation.

To despise Christ, and plead a necessity for doing so, is to add blasphemy to iniquity. For would God call men to repentance, and demand their faith, and neglect to provide them with the means of either; and then would he add to this, a most terrible punishment for neglecting that course of action which they had no ability to pursue? That a natural man cannot perform spiritual actions is most manifest. But the question is, can he receive the offered grace of God, and so become spiritual? Of course he can: and herein is manifestly exhibited his moral free agency, and accountability to God.

The subject suggests,

3. That the sinner’s ruin is self-procured.

Is it not manifestly so? for the guilt is the sinner’s own. The rejection of the remedy is their own willing act. If so, this is soul murder. Suicide of the immortal spirit. Well may we solemnly ask, Whom do you intend to blame, if you go down into the pit? God, the Father? who so loved the world as to send his Son to redeem it. The Son? who gave himself up to agony and death; and who tasted that death for every man. The Holy Spirit? who is emphatically the spirit of grace; and who waits to renew and sanctify every believing sinner. Angels? who are loving ones; and who are ready to rejoice over every repenting sinner. Ministers? who have preached, and warned, and invited, and wept, and prayed for your conversion. Circumstances? has God in his decrees or providence shut you up to ruin, or out of the possibility of salvation? His solemn oath’97in which he declares his having no pleasure in the death of the sinner’97renders this impossible. You can have been placed in no condition, in which you were shut up to abide in unbelief, and thus to perish.

Oh, no! like the man without the wedding garment, you will be speechless; except in self-reproaches. Oh! think of this now’97in time; while it will avail you.

I urge this course on all, and every man. But if ye will not consider, and believe, and obey; then I repeat the text’97and forget not, that the sound will again fall upon your ears. Yes, you may hear it on the bed of languishing and death, when calm reflection and earnest prayer may be impossible; or if not then, in that solemn day when Christ shall come to judge, and not to save,’97to pronounce the sinner’s doom, and not to invite him to his heart and arms of mercy. "Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish!"

"Sinner, oh why so thoughtless grown?

Why in such dreadful haste to die?

Daring to leap to worlds unknown,

Heedless against thy God to fly.

Wilt thou despise eternal fate,

Urg’d on by sin’s fantastic dreams,

Madly attempt th’ infernal gate,

And force thy passage to the flames?

Stay, sinner, on the gospel plains,

Behold the God of love unfold

The glories of his dying pains,

Forever telling’97yet untold."

Autor: JABEZ BURNS