© Copyright 2013 PJ Stassen
All Rights Reserved
APOLOGY:
NO IMAGE AVAILABLE FOR JULIA H. JOHNSTON.
It is a matter of
indifference to God’s grace how abominable I am if I come to the light; but woe
be to me if I refuse the light.
-
Oswald Chambers.
A preacher of the Gospel, a kind, cultured
and gentle hearted man, once told me that he has abolished the preaching of the
‘Law and the Commandments’ in his congregation.
He said (in effect) that he did not want to burden the heathen, the
ungodly, the unbeliever and the ignorant with the horrors of typically Old
Testament judgemental religion, and that any preaching of matters
pertaining to the strict demands of the Law is being studiously avoided.
His mission, as he explained, was to
concentrate on preaching ‘FREE GRACE’ (pardon the tautology) and nothing more. He said that heathens and unbelievers did not
understand Old Testament theology, and that trying to force all kinds of
ancient Jewish history, religious precepts, rituals and rules (that had nothing to do
with them) on such people would just confuse them and complicate the issue (of
atheism, unbelief and ungodliness) even further. He said that, after the Cross (i.e. after the
crucifixion and the resurrection) we have been living in the ‘Dispensation of Grace’,
and that it would serve no purpose to revert to the so-called ‘strict demands
of the Law’.
That stance on the preaching of the Gospel
has me concerned. Some notes:
1. Jesus
did not come to nullify the Law and the Commandments, but to fulfil them. Today, it is the very existence and fact of the Law and the Commandments that makes the Gospel so valuable. Without the preaching of the Law, the Gospel would probably fall flat on the ground. In Jesus Christ's esteemed estimate, the Law had become the PROBLEM, and the Gospel the only perfect SOLUTION. It would be utter folly to try and present a solution to a community of people if the people did not know what the problem was, or that it even existed, and this line of theological thought has been affirmed by most of the great exponents and preachers of the Scriptures: From Calvin to Spurgeon, from Luther to Finney, from Whitefield to Wesley etc.
2. Murder is still murder, whether before or
after the Cross; whether in the Old Testament (the ‘Dispensation of the Law and
the Prophets’) or now in the ‘Dispensation of Grace’. Murderers are still frowned upon and punished today, so the universal
or cosmic prohibition on ‘murder’ has not been rescinded. God’s Universal moral laws are still valid today … period. (PS. By this I do not necessarily imply all the old Mosaic rules and regulations applicable only on the Israelites of the day).
3. Blanket Amnesty, or Full Pardon, is still an
accepted practise and a valid legal principle in the field of jurisprudence everywhere in
the free world today (and often elsewhere also, I suppose). This is sometimes granted by
authorities in exceptional circumstances as a gift to selected (but probably quite undeserving)
convicts … convicts that otherwise probably would have had no hope or avenue of
reprieve.
4. Amnesty and Pardon, however, can only be
granted where (i) a transgression had taken place; (ii) the alleged transgressor
had been officially heard in a legally-constituted court of law; (iii) the alleged
transgressor had actually been found guilty; and a sentence had finally been
passed. Amnesty or Pardon (for a
particular perpetrator or prisoner) would be senseless without a transgression,
a guilty verdict and a sentence. An
innocent person would not be remotely interested in any so-called amnesty or
pardon, or entertain any particular appreciation for it.
His first reaction would probably be: “What for? Why would I need it?”
5. On the other hand, the guilty person,
perpetrator or sentenced convict would probably welcome such amnesty or pardon
with open arms … any normal, reasonable man would jump for joy at receiving
such a wonderful and undeserved gift and the opportunity for absolute pardon and
freedom.
The questions I now would like to ask: Why would any pagan, heathen or non-Christian
be interested in the Gospel of Salvation if that person does not experience any
feelings of moral guilt, sin or crime against Heaven? Why would the Gospel be ‘Good News’ to an
unrepentant savage without the ‘bad news’ (moral guilt before the Law) that
were supposed to have preceded and precipitated it? I think it was Charles Spurgeon who had
said, “The healing thread (of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ) that must bind
the wound (of sin and guilt) is
guided by a sharp needle (of the demand for retribution by the Law) in the front.”
FREE GRACE cannot be preached where the
horrors of the demands of the Law had not been successfully preached
first: This is the recipe … first the
LAW, then GRACE. The 'coin' of Salvation has two sides: LAW and GRACE. LAW without grace would make life unbearable and impossible; GRACE without law would make no legal sense at all ... it probably would lead to utter ideological chaos, at best.
Innocent citizens and prisoners awaiting trial and who had not yet been convicted of a crime and had not yet been sentenced, would not qualify for amnesty or pardon at all … such an untimely offer by the authorities would be totally inappropriate and unnecessary, and probably be considered utter foolishness by the prisoners themselves (PS. The question of immunity from prosecution during plea-bargain for accomplices providing much-needed eyewitness-testimony in the modern justice system is quite a different matter).
A self-righteous person hearing the Gospel of FREE GRACE (blanket amnesty & full pardon) for the first time would probably not be interested in it at all; and why should he, if he had done ‘nothing wrong’? Evangelists who thus preach FREE GRACE without explaining the moral demands of the Law in God’s Moral Universe are probably doing people a great disservice, and maybe that is the reason conversions are so few and so shallow these days. Perhaps it has become time to wipe the dust off the epistles to the Romans and Hebrews (etc.) and preach the 'full gospel' to our audiences again.
Innocent citizens and prisoners awaiting trial and who had not yet been convicted of a crime and had not yet been sentenced, would not qualify for amnesty or pardon at all … such an untimely offer by the authorities would be totally inappropriate and unnecessary, and probably be considered utter foolishness by the prisoners themselves (PS. The question of immunity from prosecution during plea-bargain for accomplices providing much-needed eyewitness-testimony in the modern justice system is quite a different matter).
A self-righteous person hearing the Gospel of FREE GRACE (blanket amnesty & full pardon) for the first time would probably not be interested in it at all; and why should he, if he had done ‘nothing wrong’? Evangelists who thus preach FREE GRACE without explaining the moral demands of the Law in God’s Moral Universe are probably doing people a great disservice, and maybe that is the reason conversions are so few and so shallow these days. Perhaps it has become time to wipe the dust off the epistles to the Romans and Hebrews (etc.) and preach the 'full gospel' to our audiences again.
In fact, it would probably be inappropriate
and unnecessary (and perhaps also impossible) to preach Free Grace to anyone
successfully until the need for it had been thoroughly explained. It is only when we stand before God as (acknowledging) Hell-deserving sinners, guilty before the Law, that we will finally realise our
need for pardon, amnesty, Salvation, a Messiah and the Calvary-message of FREE GRACE. It is then, and only then, that the miracle of FREE
GRACE, the incomparable Gift from Heaven, will begin to have effect in our savage
hearts and sin-dulled minds. (G.R.A.C.E. = 'God's Redemption At Christ's Expense'). After all, Jesus has warned ... cast not your pearls before you know what.
I think it was Alvin N. Rogness who had said
that, if we were to wish away the terrifying Courtroom of God’s stern judgments
(the demands of the ‘Law’), we would, in the process, probably run the risk of
dismissing the chance for a total pardon (FREE GRACE) as well; it is the very
fact of the existence and the protocols of the formal Courtroom-hearing (guilt before the Law) that
sets us up for GRACE in the first place.
Without a Courtroom there could be no hearing, no verdict, no guilt … and
also no chance for amnesty, or full pardon. How can we know what the Judge will decide? Don't avoid the Judge, He may be our benefactor and friend. As Charles Spurgeon has said, "Behind a stern countenance He may hide a smiling face."
Alvin Rogness has reminded us that, in God’s
Heavenly Courtroom, if we were considered persona important enough to be formally heard by educated judges and condemned to
Hell, we probably were important enough to be considered for a full pardon and
FREE GRACE as well. In other words, never underestimate
the importance of the Courtroom.
That Courtroom was convened at Calvary and that is where the holy tribunal of Father, Holy Spirit and Son had judged us, had found us guilty, had determined a sentence, and by the vicarious death of Jesus Christ, had offered the spotless sacrificial Lamb as the price for Redemption, i.e. blanket amnesty for the whole world, provided the world accepts the offer. Blanket amnesty is not automatically assumed; the convict must formally appropriate it by accepting and signing the formal document-of-acceptance. Only then he is free to go.
That Courtroom was convened at Calvary and that is where the holy tribunal of Father, Holy Spirit and Son had judged us, had found us guilty, had determined a sentence, and by the vicarious death of Jesus Christ, had offered the spotless sacrificial Lamb as the price for Redemption, i.e. blanket amnesty for the whole world, provided the world accepts the offer. Blanket amnesty is not automatically assumed; the convict must formally appropriate it by accepting and signing the formal document-of-acceptance. Only then he is free to go.
So, I would rather accept the
sacrifice of Jesus at Calvary without hesitation today, be judged and found
wanting now and enjoy the privilege of repentance (thanks to the probing voice of
the Holy Spirit) with a full pardon under the auspices of the Gospel of FREE
GRACE, than reject the Gospel today and have to stand (unreconciled with God)
before the Great White Throne for Judgment one day ... there will be no hope for an
appeal then. This is the 'Good News': Romans 8:1 promises no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus ... hallelujah! This song tells the story
of that marvellous Grace:
(WORDS: Julia H. Johnston, 1849-1919/MUSIC: Daniel B. Towner, 1850-1919/©
Copyright 1938, Renewal: Hope Publishing Co.,
Owner)
Marvellous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and guilt,
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Sin and despair like the seawaves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the Refuge, the Mighty Cross.
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide,
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a tide;
Whiter than snow you may be today.
Marvellous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe;
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?
CHORUS
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Piet Stassen
eLiterature/eLiteratuur:
- Scribd Publishing Site: www.scribd.com/PietStassen (ENGLISH & AFRIKAANS)
- eBook: 'Evolution: The Science That Evolved Into A Fairy Tale' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Bertrand Russell Revisited: Rebuttal Of Bertrand Russell's 'Why I Am Not A Christian''(ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Meditations & Contemplations: A Reader For Both Atheists And Creationists' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Conservation, Rhino Poaching And Hypocrisy' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Why Darwinism ('Evolution') Does Not Make Sense' (ENGLISH)
- eBook: 'Names And Titles Of Jesus Of Nazareth (ENGLISH)'
- eBoek: 'Darwin Of Christus: Suid-Afrikaners By 'n Kruispad!' [AFRIKAANS].
- eBoek: 'Bevryding Van Die Anti-Evangelie Van Ateisme-Evolusionisme' [AFRIKAANS].
- eBoek: 'Name & Titels Van Jesus Christus' [AFRIKAANS].
- eTracts, Christian (Free, Downloadable): Free, downloadable Christian eTracts for free distribution (ENGLISH)
- eTraktate, Christelik (Gratis, Aflaaibaar): Gratis, aflaaibabre Christelike Traktate vir gratis verspreiding (AFRIKAANS)
Bibliography
1. Hymnary.
‘Daniel B. Towner’. Accessed At <http://www.hymnary.org/tune/moody_towner> [online]
2013.
2. McCasland,
David (2008) The Quotable Oswald Chambers.
Discovery House, RBC Ministries. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
3. Smith,
Alfred B. (1943, Renewal 1971) Favorites
Nr 1. ‘Grace Greater Than Our Sins’. Singspiration®. Zondervan. Grand
Rapids, Michigan.
4. Spurgeon,
Charles (1954) Lectures To My Students. Marshall, Morgan & Scott. London.
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