THE UNBELIEVER’S UNHAPPY CONDITION – Charles Spurgeon
The Unbeliever’s Unhappy Condition
“He who believes not the Son shall not see life, but the Wrath of God abides on him.” — John 3:36
Introduction: A Discourse by John the Baptist
This is a part of a discourse by John the Baptist. We do not have many sermons from this mighty preacher, but we have just enough to show that he knew how to lay the axe at the root of the tree by preaching the Law of God unflinchingly. He also knew how to declare the Gospel, for no one could have uttered sentences more clearly containing the way of salvation than the ones in the text before us. Indeed, the 3rd Chapter of the Gospel according to the Evangelist John stands out among clear and plain Scriptures. It is notable for being even clearer and plainer than almost any other.
John the Baptist was a preacher who knew how to discriminate, a point where so many fail. He separated between the precious and the vile, making him as God’s mouthpiece to the people. He does not address them as all lost nor as all saved; instead, he draws a distinction between those who fear God and those who do not. He plainly declares the privileges of the Believer, saying that they already possess eternal life. He also testifies, with equal decisiveness, to the sad state of the unbeliever: “He shall not see life, but the Wrath of God abides on him.
John the Baptist might usefully instruct many professedly Christian preachers. Although he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist, and should more clearly bear witness to the truth, there are many who muddle the Gospel, teaching philosophy or a confusing mixture that is neither Law nor Gospel. These preachers would do well to go to the school of this rough preacher from the wilderness and learn from him how to cry, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
Our Purpose in Preaching the Gospel
I desire, this morning, to take a leaf out of the Baptist’s lesson book. I wish to preach as he did, proclaiming the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, “whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” It is my earnest desire to enjoy the delight of expounding to you the deep things of God. I feel great pleasure in opening up the blessings of the Covenant of Grace and bringing forth treasures both new and old.
I would be very happy to dwell upon the types of the Old Testament, and even touch upon the prophecies of the New. However, while so many remain unsaved, my heart is never content unless I am preaching simply the Gospel of Jesus Christ. My dear unconverted Hearers, once I see you brought to Christ, I will then advance beyond the rudiments of the Gospel! Meanwhile, while Hell gapes wide and many of you will surely help fill it, I cannot turn aside from warning you. I dare not resist the sacred impulse that compels me to preach over and over again the glad tidings of Salvation. Like John, I will continue laying the axe at the root of the trees and will not move beyond crying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”
The Sad Estate of the Unbeliever
As John did, we now declare the sad estate of those who believe not in the Son of God. With the burden of the Lord upon us, we shall speak on the words of the text. Our first point will be to identify the guilty one—”he who believes not the Son.” Next, we will consider his offense, which lies in “not believing the Son.” Thirdly, we will explore the sinful causes that create this unbelief. Finally, we will show the terrible result of not believing in the Son: “He shall not see life, but the Wrath of God abides on him.” May the Spirit help us in all these points.
I. The Guilty One
To begin, who is the guilty one? Who is the unhappy man spoken of here? Is he a rare individual, found only once in a century? Must we search the crowds carefully to find someone in this miserable condition? The answer is no. The persons described in this text are common. They abound, even in our holy assemblies. They are to be found by the thousands in our streets. Alas, they form the vast majority of the world’s population.
Jesus came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. The Jewish race remains unbelieving, while the Gentiles, to whom He was to be a Light, prefer to sit in darkness, rejecting His brightness.
We are not speaking this morning about a mysterious theme that has no relation to us. Many of you here today may find that the Word of God speaks directly to you. We devoutly pray that the Word of God may come with power to your souls. The persons described here are those who do not believe in the Son of God. Jesus Christ, out of infinite mercy, has come into the world, taken upon Himself our nature, and in that nature has suffered—the Just for the unjust—to bring us to God. Because of His sufferings, the Gospel message is now proclaimed to all men, who are earnestly assured that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
The unhappy persons in this text will not believe in Jesus Christ. They reject God’s way of mercy. They hear the Gospel, but refuse obedience to its command.
Belief in the Truth, Yet Rejecting the Son
Let it not be imagined that these individuals are necessarily avowed skeptics. Many of them believe much of the revealed Truth of God. They believe the Bible to be the Word of God. They believe there is a God. They believe that Jesus Christ came into the world as a Savior. They may even believe most of the doctrines associated with the Cross. Alas, they may do all this, yet the Wrath of God abides on them if they do not believe in the Son of God!
Many of these individuals are very interested in orthodoxy. They believe they have discovered the Truth of God and place great value on these discoveries. They frequently grow passionate when defending what they consider to be sound doctrine. They cannot endure heresy. Yet, despite their knowledge, they have not believed the Son of God.
They may believe in doctrines such as the Doctrine of Election, but they do not possess the faith of God’s Elect. They may swear by Final Perseverance but persevere in unbelief. They may confess all the five points of Calvinism but fail to come to the most necessary point: looking to Jesus for salvation. They may accept in creed the Truths of God that are assuredly believed among us, but they have not received it personally for their own souls’ salvation.
Moral but Unbelieving
It must be acknowledged that not a few of these people are blameless in terms of their outward morals. You could find no dishonesty, falsehood, impurity, or malice in their lives. In fact, they may be more than just free from these vices—they may show many positive virtues. Much of their character is commendable. They may be courteous, compassionate, generous, and gentle-minded. Sometimes, they are so amiable that, looking at them, we understand how our Lord loved the young man who asked, “What do I lack?” Yet, despite all their virtues, the one thing they lack is faith in Jesus Christ.
It cannot be denied that these people often appear religious. They would not miss the usual services of worship. They respect Sundays, venerate the Bible, use a form of prayer, and join in the songs of the sanctuary. They sit as God’s people sit and stand as God’s people stand. But alas, there is a worm in the center of that fair fruit: they have missed the one essential thing, which, if omitted, brings certain ruin—they have not believed in the Son of God!
The Consequences of Unbelief
Ah, how far a person may go and yet, for lack of this one thing, the Wrath of God may still abide on them! Beloved of parents who hope for the conversion of their children, esteemed by Christians who admire their outward lives, yet for all that, the young man may be under the frown of God. The Wrath of God abides on anyone who does not believe in Jesus Christ!
If the text showed that the Wrath of God was resting on criminals in jails, most people would agree without question. If it declared that God’s Wrath abides on those who live in habitual unchastity or constant violation of all moral laws, most would say, “Amen.” But this text speaks of a different condition. The Wrath of God also abides on those who boast of their virtues but have not believed in Jesus.
They may live in palaces or sit in the senate house. They may enjoy the acclamations of the nation and possess vast wealth. They may be habitual in charity and external acts of devotion, but if they have not accepted the appointed Savior, the Word of God bears witness: “The Wrath of God abides on them.
II. Their Offense
Now, let us reflect on the offense these individuals commit. What is this peculiar sin that brings the Wrath of God upon them? It is the fact that they have not believed in the Son of God. What does this entail? First of all, it means they refuse to accept the Mercy of God. God made a Law, and His creatures were bound to respect and obey it. We rejected it, turning aside from it. Although this was a great manifestation of the heart’s hatred, it was not as intensely wicked as rejecting the Gospel of Grace.
God now presents not just the Law, but the Gospel. He says, “My creatures, you have broken My Law. I must punish your sin, or else I would not be God. But I have devised a way by which, without injuring any of My attributes, I can show mercy to you. I am ready to forgive the past and restore you to more than your lost position, making you My sons and daughters. My only command is to believe in My Son. If you obey this command, all the blessings of My New Covenant will be yours!”
To reject God’s Law shows an evil heart of unbelief. But how much deeper is the rebellion in the heart that refuses the Gift of God, which is the provision of a Savior for lost men? This Gift provides for all our needs, removes all our evils, secures peace on earth, and promises eternal glory with God. The rejection of this supreme Gift is not a small sin—it is the worst proof of the hatred of the heart against God Himself.
III. The Causes of This Unbelief
In a great many, unbelief may be ascribed to a careless ignorance of the way of Salvation. Now, I should not wonder if many of you imagine that if you do not understand the Gospel, you are therefore excused from believing it. But, Sirs, it is not so! You are placed in this world, not as heathens in the center of Africa, but in enlightened England, where you live in the full blaze of Gospel days! There are places of worship all around you, which you can without difficulty attend; the Book of God is very cheap; you have it in your houses; you can all read it or hear it read.
Is it so, then, that the King has been pleased to reveal Himself to you and tell you the way to Salvation, and yet you, at the age of twenty, thirty, or forty, do not know the way of Salvation? What do you mean, Sir? What can you mean? Has God been pleased to reveal Himself in Scripture and tell you how to escape from Hell and fly to Heaven, and yet have you been too idle to inquire into that way? Dare you say to God, “I do not think it worth my while to learn what You have revealed; neither do I care to know of the Gift which You have bestowed on men”? How can you think that such ignorance is an excuse for your sin? What could be a more gross aggravation of it?
If you do not know, you ought to know. If you have not learned the Gospel message, you could have learned it, for there are some of us whose language is not difficult for even the most illiterate to understand. We would, if we found ourselves using a hard word, retract it and put it into little syllables so that not even a child’s intellect need be perplexed by our language! Salvation’s way is plain in the Book! Those words—“Believe and live”—are in this Christian England almost as legible and as universally seen as though they were printed in the sky! That trust in the Lord Jesus saves the soul is well-known news. But, if you still say you have not known all this, then I reply, “Dear Sir, do try to know it; go to the Scriptures, study them, see what is there; hear, also, the Gospel, for it is written, ‘Incline your ear to come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live.’ ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.’ For your soul’s sake, I charge you, be no longer ignorant of that which you must know, or else you will perish!”
In some others, the cause of unbelief is indifference. They do not think the matter is of any great consequence. They are aware that they are not quite right, but they have a notion that somehow or other they will get right at last. And meanwhile, it does not trouble them. Oh, Man, Woman, I pray you, as your fellow creature, let me speak with you a word of reasoning. God declares that His Wrath abides upon you as an unbeliever, and do you call that nothing? God says, “I am angry with you,” and you say to Him, “I do not care; it is of very small importance to me. The rise or fall of the government bonds is of much more consequence than whether God is angry with me or not!