“NOW THEN, DO IT” – Charles Spurgeon
NOW THEN, DO IT
“You sought for David in times past to be king over you: now then, do it: for the Lord has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.” (2 Samuel 3:17, 18)
You know the circumstances under which these words were spoken. God had cast off Saul because he had not been faithful and had appointed David to be his successor, anointing him by the hand of Samuel. Yet, when Saul was slain in battle, Israel seemed determined to choose their own king by selecting one from Saul’s family. Under the leadership of Abner, the majority of the tribes set up Ishbosheth, son of Jonathan, as king. A civil war commenced between the two parties, and we read that the house of David waxed stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. In time, Abner, who was at the head of Saul’s party, decided that David should become king over the whole land. To persuade the tribes, he used the words of my text in order to induce them to crown the king whom God had appointed, even David.
Though I could speak more about the context, I wish to apply these words to another king and another people. I desire, in all sincerity, to speak to those of you whose lives are ruled by desires and motives that are hostile to the true King, whom God has anointed. I want to remind you that, in times past, you have sought to have Jesus as King over you. You may still have lingering desires toward Him, and I have hope that, in sincerity, you will go further and submit yourselves to His dominion. It is time for you to move beyond mere desires and take practical action. In the words of Abner, I say to you, “Now then, do it.” If it is worth desiring, it is worth performing. “Now then, do it.”
There are compelling reasons why you should do it because Jesus is God’s appointed King, anointed by the Holy Spirit, by whom alone He will save you from your spiritual enemies. May God grant that His Word, through His Divine Spirit, establishes the Kingdom of Christ in many undecided hearts this morning, and may He receive the praise!
The text gives me the following points to address: First, I will remind you of former impulses—“You sought for David in times past to be king over you.” Second, I will recommend decided action—“Now then, do it.” Third, I will present a forcible argument, changing names as necessary, “The Lord has spoken of Jesus, saying, By the hand of My only begotten Son I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the powers of darkness, and out of the hand of all their enemies.”
I. Reminder of Former Impulses
First, I must remind you, dear hearers, of former impulses. I wish to personally address each of you who may be hesitating and recall to mind your past experiences. While you may not yet be a Christian, many times you have been on the verge of becoming one. Perhaps you have, in some fashion, sought to have Jesus as your King. Of course, the nature and frequency of these impulses have varied greatly from person to person. Each one of you has experienced different degrees of longing and inclination toward God. I cannot speak of all the various circumstances at once, so I will share them in detail.
Many of you were raised in godly households, and from your earliest years, the name of Jesus was familiar to you. The first song you heard your mother sing as she tucked you in was sweetened with the name of Jesus. You likely do not remember a time when holy influences were not at work in your heart. You recall, perhaps, the effect they had on you even as a child, when your nightly prayers were fervent, and you cried yourself to sleep in sorrow for wrongdoing. Often, your heart longed for “gentle Jesus” and sought His love.
Even in your youth, as the story of Jesus was shared with you, or as death and judgment were discussed, you felt drawn toward Christ. And as you grew older, the influences surrounding you continued to nurture those desires. Some of you encountered sincere Christian men and women who guided and warned you, and you may remember, as Agrippa once did, “almost persuaded to be a Christian.” You promised, resolved, and even began to pray. But, alas, your resolve soon faded, like the morning cloud or the early dew.
Since then, even in the midst of your business and daily cares, there have been moments when you thought seriously about Jesus as your Savior. An earnest sermon may have driven you to your knees. Affliction may have prompted you to reflect deeply. The death of loved ones may have forced you to contemplate your own mortality and brought you to solemn resolves. Can you recall those many times when you came to a standstill and wondered, “Shall I go further or turn back?” Your soul has been half-convinced, half-compelled to say, “Things shall be different; I will no longer be ungrateful to my good God, but I will arise and go to my Father.”
For some of you, continuing in rebellion has been difficult. You’ve had to suppress and stifle your conscience. If you do not see, it is because you have closed your eyes, and if you do not hear, it is because you have blocked your ears. Yet the knock on your door by the Lord’s pierced hand has persisted year after year. Though His patience endures, you have not yet answered the call.
There are others who have not been so privileged with religious advantages. Many of you may come from ungodly households where the ways of God were never taught. In our cities, this is becoming more common. Children today are not trained to observe the Sabbath as they once were. Yet, even among you, I believe that there have been times when you felt uneasy in your unconverted state, when your conscience troubled you, and when you desired peace with God. Even without the knowledge that we would have wished for you, you have had some desire for Christ.
I cannot believe that any one of you is beyond having had some holy impulses, some right convictions, or pure desires at least occasionally. Even when you were without God, you had times of unease and longing. Perhaps your conscience has not been altogether silenced and you have, in your heart, desired to be a Christian. Would you not give all that you have for a sure hope of Heaven? You must admit that sometimes you have had pure aspirations. Have these impulses not been real? I ask you to reflect on those past desires to have Jesus as King over you.
II. Recommend Decided Action
Now, having reminded you of your former impulses, I must call you to take decided action. “Now then, do it.” No more hesitation! If God is God, serve Him. If Jesus is King, follow Him. If the devil is your king, then serve him. But do not remain in this absurd position of acknowledging what is right but failing to act on it. It is time to stop wondering and start living in accordance with what you know to be true.
The issue at hand is whether or not Jesus will be your King. If He is to be your Savior, He must first be your King. It is essential for your salvation that Jesus must be crowned as King, or He cannot save you. Many are willing to be saved by Christ, but they refuse to allow Him to rule over them as their King. The whole matter of salvation hinges on this one point—Jesus must be King or He cannot be your Savior.
Jesus must rule your heart. His will must become your will. His commands must be law to you, and His example must be the model of your life. So, I ask you now, will you make this decision? Will you crown Him as King over your life? You must be willing for Christ to rule over your entire being, for the Kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of love and obedience, not force.
III. A Forcible Argument for Jesus as King
Finally, I offer you this strong argument: the Lord has spoken of Jesus, saying, “By the hand of My only begotten Son I will save My people from the powers of darkness and all their enemies.” In order for you to be saved, Jesus must be your King. If you are willing to submit to His rule, salvation will come. But if you resist Him, then the dominion of sin and darkness will remain in your heart.
What do you say, then? Will you decide today to crown Jesus as King? There is no neutrality in this matter—either He is your King, or He is not. This is your moment to act. “Now then, do it.” Do not hesitate any longer. If you truly believe in Jesus as the Savior, you must also accept Him as the Lord of your life.
May God grant you the grace to make Jesus your King today!
That is the question! Let it be settled once and for all! You have sometimes sought to have it so, “Now then, do it.” And here is the point: if Jesus is to reign, the old king must go down! It is of no use trying to have Ishbosheth and David on the throne at the same time. It is impossible to serve sin and to serve Christ! Favorite and constitutional sins must be relinquished. I know many persons who say that they are under concern of soul, whose sincerity I more than question, because they continue in known sin—and yet they complain that they cannot find peace! How can they? If you meet with a person who drinks on the sly and is frequently half intoxicated, and if you hear him say that he cannot find rest in Christ, do you wonder? Do you not think that he is a hypocrite? How can men and women continually fuddle themselves with drink and yet hope to be children of God? Give up your abominable tippling! Do you think Christ is going to save sots and let them continue to make beasts of themselves? To prate about being saved and, in secret, worship the bottle is clear lying and next door to blasphemy! Talk about having a Savior and continue to get drunk? I marvel that you do not perish like Ananias and Sapphira! Another man is carrying on his trade in a way that is dishonest, and yet he whines and cants about not finding peace with God. Do not his own words condemn him? What has he to do with peace? How can he continue in sin and yet be saved from sin? Oh, Sirs, be not deceived! Your sins and you must part, or Jesus will have nothing to do with you! Do you think so badly of my Lord as to dream that He will pander to your passions by giving you liberty to live in sin and yet go to Heaven? For shame! Has Christ come to play the lackey to your lusts and let you do the work of Satan and then receive the wages of the godly? Oh no! There must be a clean sweep of the false to make room for the true! We must have no Ishbosheth if David is to be king! Though you may not attain perfection, yet in your desires you must be perfect—you must, from your heart, put away every single sin—no matter of what shape it may be or however pleasurable or painful it may appear. Off must come the right arms and out must go the right eyes! It were better for you to enter into life maimed and blind than that you should perish in your transgressions. The main point, however, is to do it—really and at once make Christ Jesus your King! And to this end, we must believe in Him or trust Him. It is this trusting Jesus Christ which is the essential point, for out of it grows the repentance which renounces every false way. When a man fully and honestly trusts Christ with his soul, he is enabled, from that time forward, to hate the sin which he once loved, and so he wins the mastery over it. He finds a joy in submitting to the holy reign of Jesus because he has already trusted Him and believes that he is saved. But, alas, many of you do not believe! Indeed, you would not be persuaded to believe, though one rose from the dead! How many times have I spoken from this platform to some of you about this matter? How many times have you wished and resolved and all that? We have had enough of this trifling! This morning I would push you on to a decision and address you in these words—“Now then, do it! NOW THEN, DO IT!” You reply that you wish you could. Away with your wishes—“Now then, do it!” “But,” you say—out with your “buts!” DO IT! “But, Sir”—I say again, no more of your “but, Sirs!” DO IT! DO IT, and DO IT NOW! The blessed and eternal Spirit, who has brought you to this point this morning, and who urges me to press this question upon you, waits to help you. When your whole soul wills to do it, He will be with you and you will do it—and Christ shall be enthroned in your hearts to reign there forever! I fear that many do not mean to do it, at any rate not just now. They will not say, “No,” but they hesitate, and that is much the same thing. O, my Friend, the day will come when God will take your hesitation for a final negative! I believe it often happens to men that though they have not deliberately said, “No,” yet having no heart for the Gospel and only trifling with God by pretences, they mean to obey Him by-and-by. But He has, at last, taken the meaning of their delay and regarded it as final rejection and left them to themselves, so that they have perished in their sin. I beseech you, delay no more, but, “Now then, do it.” The sooner it is done, the better. Until the deed is done, remember, you are undone! Till Christ is accepted by you as King, Till sin is hated and Jesus is trusted, you are under another king. Whatever you may think of it, the devil is your master! You say you do not like him, but he is your master and lord, for all that, since he leads you captive at his will. Till Jesus reigns in your heart, you are, also, in the utmost danger—in danger of death and eternal punishment! Let your breath go the wrong way, or let your heart cease beating just for a little—and you will be in Hell! My Friends, you will be in HELL! You who sought for Jesus in times past, you who felt those good desires, you, the beloved child of Christian parents, you the earnest hearer at the House of God, you who are fond of sermons, but are, I fear, sermon-hardened—you, even you—will sink down to Hell with all those privileges like millstones about your neck! “Well, Sir, I will think about it.” Under cover of that promise, there lurks delay, and that is exactly what I am afraid of. Do not so much think, as ACT. “Now then, do it.” I beseech you to make serious and immediate business of it! Perhaps if it is not done at this moment, it never will be done. For all these long years nothing has been actually done—though so much has been proposed—and this mainly because of your perpetual delays. What has come of all your fine resolutions? What is the good of a mere resolve? A man resolves that he will be industrious, but if he continues to lie on the bed of the sluggard, is he any more thrifty? A man is sick and resolves to take medicine, but leaves it untasted—is he benefited by his intention? A man resolves to go on a journey, but does not take the trouble to get into the public conveyance or to use his limbs—what progress does he make? Does he not abide just where he was? All this bears upon your case! You know it does! All this, while Jesus is being rejected! We do not sufficiently think of the dishonor done to Jesus by base delays. All the while that Israel did not accept David as king, David was being badly treated. He who fought the Philistines for them. He whose valor was Israel’s right arm, whose band of men was the sword and shield of the nation against the Philistines, was being kept away from his rightful throne, his merits forgotten, his claims ignored. Soul, by refusing Him His Throne, you are treating Jesus badly! Your wavering between two opinions is setting Him in rivalry with foul sin and a base world—and upon you, daily, guilt is coming—a guilt which grows thicker and blacker as time rolls on. Think of your previous impulses and as you consider them, answer me this question—were they wrong? When, in your childhood, you felt such strong desires after Christ, were they not commendable desires? Why, then, do you not carry them out? If you were wrong in stopping them, then why should you continue to act so unwisely? If they are returning now, why not heartily entertain them? Remember, moreover, that though you had these holy impulses, they passed away. Have you any reason to hope that they will continue with you now? Will they not, again, melt into thin air? Unless God, the almighty Spirit, at this time shall lead you to take decided steps, you will resolve again today, and re-resolve, but continue, still, the same! Of all things, the most pitiable sight, to my mind, is a man who has light enough to know he is wrong but not Grace enough to forsake the evil! It is terrible to see a soul under impulses which urge it towards the right and yet remaining a captive to that accursed free will which enslaves it to the last degree. Alas, how many put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter and, therefore, will not come to Christ that they might have life? Such is the state of man! Such is the state of some of you! May God have mercy upon you for Christ’s sake! It is mine, however, to return distinctly to the charge of my text and say, “Now then, do it.” Oh, Sirs, I wish you would do as one did a little while ago. I was preaching and I said that if any man sincerely went to God, confessing his sin and just trusted Christ to save him—if He did not save him, I wished he would write me a note to let me know it, for I had been so accustomed to declare that He would not cast out any that came to Him that I should like to know if I was laboring under an error. There was one in my audience who went deliberately home and, kneeling at his bedside, he said, with all his heart, “I do confess my guiltiness before You, O God, and I do now trust myself with Christ that He may save me. Lord, cast me not away, for I believe in Your Son.” He found peace immediately and continued to feel the love of God shed abroad in his soul! And he, therefore, thought it right to tell me the good news. It greatly cheered me. Instead of being rejected, he was welcomed by the God of Mercy and found immediate acceptance in Christ Jesus! I remember to have said that if one believing soul was cast out by Christ and sent to Hell, I would engage to lie side by side with him in the quenchless fire forever and ever. I repeat the pledge! If any of you perish repenting of your sin and trusting in Jesus, alone, I will perish with you! I will be bondsman for God, this morning, that if any one of you will humble himself before the Lord and simply trust His Son whom you accept to be your King and your Savior, He can no more reject you than He can cease to be, for so it is written, “Him that comes to Me I will in no wise cast out.” “Now then, do it.” There is life in a look at the Crucified One! The Lord help you to look at the Crucified One at once! “Now then, do it.” Dream not of believing tomorrow or next year—nor even in half-an-hour’s time—but cast your guilty soul on Christ at once! NOW THEN, DO IT! While the Spirit of God now pervades this assembly, yield yourself to the silver scepter which is held in the pierced hand of the once crucified King and you shall live! Now then, do it! III. Strong Arguments for Immediate Action Lastly, I have to REASON WITH STRONG ARGUMENTS. I will utter them rapidly, for time fails me. Here they are in a condensed form. You, dear Friend, need salvation! Sin has got the mastery over your nature and you need a powerful arm to set you free from it. Nor is it sin, alone, but punishment, also, which threatens you. Be you who you may, you are in danger of eternal wrath and you need to be saved from it! Now, it is evident that none can save you from eternal wrath but King Jesus. Will you have Him for King? Whether you will have Him or not, you must have a king. Every man in the world has a master of some kind. Some principle or another has dominion over you and the worst tyrant a man can serve is himself. Self is the hardest and meanest of all despots! Seeing, then, that you must have a king, can you have a better king than King Jesus, who is Incarnate Love? Think of His Character and of the love He has shown to men and tell me, could you have a better King? Have you not already had enough, my Friend, of your old king? What benefit have you had in the service of Satan? What advantage has sin been to you? What elevation of mind, what delight of spirit have you found in the ways of transgression? The times past may suffice you to have worked the will of the flesh. Down with Ishbosheth and let David reign! Here is the point about the King whom we preach to you—God has chosen Him to be King and proclaimed it in His everlasting decree! He has said—“You have to get My king upon My holy hill of Zion.” Can man make a better choice than God has made? The Eternal Father has looked upon His Only Begotten and made Him to be King of kings and Lord of lords—will you not say, “Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord!” Will you not accept Him for your King, whom Jehovah, Himself, proclaims as such? I want you to notice the promise of the text, for this commends the Lord Jesus to all who are wise in heart. It is through Him that God will deliver you from your enemies, even from all of them. Philistia’s giants feared David, who cried, “Over Philistia will I triumph.” Your sins, your sorrows, death, the devil—all these, the Son of David overcomes for you. If He is accepted as King, you need fear no adversary, for He will guard you with His great power and utterly confuse your enemies. Oh, Sirs, kiss the Son! With the kiss of homage accept the Prince of Peace! Crown Him with your heart’s love. Bow at His dear feet and be content to yield the utmost loyalty to Him. May the blessed Spirit sweetly draw you while I am persuading you and may you now approach the Throne of the Prince of the House of David and be forever His joyful subjects! Will you now turn to the 5th chapter of this second book of Samuel for one minute and see if we cannot all join in a reproduction of the scene which it describes. I wish and pray that the words of that passage may come true—“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spoke, saying, Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were he that led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, You shall feed My people Israel, and you shall be a captain over Israel.” Many in this house will join with me in accepting our Lord Jesus, over again, to be our King, and I wish some of you who have never yet accepted Him would unite with us. We shall be glad to see others of the tribes of Israel entering our ranks for the first time, while we salute our King. May the blessed Spirit lead you to do so, while now I say, in the name of all His people here present, “Glorious Lord Jesus, behold we are Your bone and Your flesh, and we delight to acknowledge the condescending kinship! In time past, when sin and Satan ruled over us, You were still the lover of our souls and You did redeem us and make war on our account. We bless You for the great love which You had to us, even when we were dead in sin. The Lord has said to You, You shall feed My people, You shall be a Captain over Israel, and we gladly accept You as the Lord’s Anointed. Feed us, O Shepherd of Israel! Lead us, O Captain of the host! Behold, we enlist beneath Your banner—be a Captain over us today, for we are Yours and Yours alone—and before the eyes of God, Your Father, we give ourselves up, spirit, soul and body, to be Yours forever and ever! We are, from now on, not our own, for You have bought us with a price.” All this has long ago been done by many of us. We are only repeating the declaration which we have made hundreds of times before. Oh that some of you poor souls would hear the voice which says—“Now then, do it.” To give you words with which to do it, we will all sing the verse— “‘Tis done, the great transaction’s done! I am my Lord’s, and He is mine! He drew me, and I followed on, Charmed to confess the voice Divine.” May the Lord bless you. Amen.