UNWILLINGNESS TO COME TO CHRIST – Charles Spurgeon
Unwillingness to Come to Christ
Introduction
“And you will not come to Me, that you might have life.” John 5:40. Our Lord was addressing Himself to the unbelieving Jews. He told them that they had received abundant evidence of His being the sent one of God, but yet they had rejected Him, and He solemnly charged this home upon their consciences. If you read the passage at home, you will see that in the 36th verse He reminded them that He had received the witness of John, and all men believed John to be a prophet. He had come as the herald of Christ, the promised Elijah, and he had borne witness, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.” Yet this clear testimony they had despised and trod under foot. Next, our Lord claimed that His miracles and life work were a sufficient witness to His Messiahship. “The works which the Father has given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.” There is perhaps no better evidence of the truth of our Savior’s mission than His character, life, and miracles. The truths which He revealed, the perfections which He displayed, and the wonders which He worked all went to show that He was indeed anointed of God and sent to be the Savior of men.
Further, our Lord informs them that there was more testimony still, though in that evidence many of them had not shared. He says, “The Father Himself, which has sent Me, has borne witness of Me.” Three times out of the excellent glory the Father had said, “This is My beloved Son, hear you Him.” This was good evidence, whether they had heard it or not, and though He tells them that they had neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape, yet others had heard that voice and seen the descent of the Spirit like a dove—and their testimony ought to have had weight with them. To you, dear friends, assembled here tonight, this is a very important piece of evidence. We rejoice as we hear that God has actually spoken by audible sounds out of heaven and borne testimony to His Son that He is the Christ!
The Evidence of Christ’s Identity
Then our Lord goes on to say that there was yet more evidence in which the Jews had not shared—the unbelieving ones—and that is, the internal evidence which, to those who have it, is the very best in all the world! Internal evidence—the evidence of a renewed heart, the evidence of joy and peace, the evidence of conscious pardon, the evidence of sanctification—this is the most convincing of all evidence to those who possess it! It is clear as the sun in the heavens, but they had not shared in it and, therefore, felt it not. “You have not His word abiding in you; for whom He has sent, Him you believe not.” And then the Master reminds them that there was yet a fifth mode of evidence which demonstrated Him to be the Christ, and that was the Scriptures, of which He says, (if I may read the text in the indicative and I think it must be so read)—“You search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.”
Therefore, if we will now forget the unbelieving Jews and only think of unbelieving Gentiles, there are to us, tonight, evidences concerning the Lord Jesus of the most convincing character. There are John’s witness, the witness of the miracles, the witness of the voice of the Father out of heaven, the inner witness which many of our friends and kindred tell us of, and then the witness of the Holy Spirit in sacred Scripture. All these show that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Redeemer of man, that He is the appointed Mediator of the covenant of grace and that through Him there is immediate salvation for all who will believe on Him.
The Tragedy of Rejecting Christ
The worst point about the whole conduct of the Jews was that, with all this witness in His favor, which they could not overturn, they would not come to Him that they might have eternal life! At this moment there are many such unbelievers upon the face of the earth and, what is more to the point, I fear that at this hour, in this congregation, there are some who will not come to Jesus that they may have life. There are persons in this great assembly, consisting, as it does, of individuals who have enough thought about religion to come out on a weeknight to hear a sermon about it, who, nevertheless, will not come to Christ! Some of these persons are often here, familiar with these courts and familiar with this voice—perhaps so familiar that they have grown accustomed to it and it has but little power with them. And yet, though they will come to us, they will not come to Christ! However, it is to them that I shall speak tonight and I ask God’s people to pray that while I am speaking, the Spirit of God may apply the word to the heart and to the conscience.
The Plan of Salvation
Now, we shall notice, first of all, the great plan of salvation. Let us look at it—it is coming to Christ that we might have life. The way to be saved is to come to Christ! Christ is a person, a living person, full of power to save! He has not placed His salvation in sacraments, or books, or priests, but He has kept it in Himself, and if you want to have it, you must come to Him! He is still the one source and fountain of eternal mercy. There is no getting it by going round about Him, or only going near Him—you must come to Him, actually to Him, and there must be a personal contact established between the Lord Jesus and your spirit. Of course, it cannot be a natural contact, for His body is in the heavens and we are here. It must be a spiritual contact, by which your mind, heart, thoughts shall come to Christ, and faith, like a hand, shall touch Him spiritually, grasp Him by believing upon Him, and receive life and grace from His divine power.
Receiving Life from Christ
Just as when the woman of old touched His garment’s hem, the virtue went out of Him to her and she was healed, so now, though He is yonder, faith’s long hand can touch His divine and human person, by confiding, trusting, and resting in Him. And so, virtue will flow from Him into our soul, and our mind shall be healed of whatever disease it has. Think, then, at this very moment, of Jesus Christ, who was once nailed to the cross and died as the sacrifice for sin. Think of Him as sitting, now, at the right hand of God, even the Father, clothed with infinite majesty and might. And if you are enabled, now, to repose your heart upon Him, to believe that He is able to save you and, by an act of faith, to commit your soul into His keeping that He may save it, you have done what He bids you do—you have come to Him, and He will not cast you out—the blessings of His salvation shall be yours!
The Only Way to Salvation
This is the coming which He sets before you—the drawing near of the mind, the heart, the soul to Jesus, so as to trust in Him—to trust in Him at once for all that your soul needs. The text, when it says, “Come to Me that you might have life,” implies that we are to come to Jesus Christ for everything, for life includes all that is absolutely necessary for salvation, yes, salvation itself! It is the lowest stage of grace, and yet the term comprehends the very highest condition of the soul, even when it enters into glory and enjoys life at the right hand of God. O sinner, by nature you are dead in sin! You must be made alive or you cannot dwell with God, for He is not the God of the dead but of the living! To be quickened, you must come into contact with Him who is “the life,” even Jesus. And if you come to Him, you have begun to live! You are also condemned to die on account of your breaches of the law. You are condemned already, for you have sinned against the most high God. If you come to Christ, the Mediator, the sentence against you shall be removed. You shall live, for, “there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.”
Searching the Scriptures in Vain
As soon as the soul comes to Christ, it receives pardon and justification. These two remove from us the guilt which brought us under condemnation and put upon us a righteousness which entitles us to stand before the most high God without fear, for, “who is He that condemns? It is Christ that died.” Coming to Christ gives us actual spiritual life and gives us, also, judicial life, so that we need not fear the axe of Justice. Those cannot be condemned who are accepted in the Beloved and all are thus accepted who have come to Christ! I will read you two verses, as they certainly may be translated without the slightest violation of the original language. The text runs thus—“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me; but you will not come to Me that you might have life”—as if to show you that there are many persons who seek life and even think that they have it, and yet have not found it because they stop short of Christ.
The Danger of Searching the Scriptures Without Coming to Christ
They search the Scriptures, but they will not come to Jesus. Is it not, therefore, a good thing to search the Scriptures? Yes, that it is, and the more you search them, the better. But it is not the thing—it is not the saving work. You may be Bible readers and yet perish! But this can never happen if you come to Jesus by faith. I may put the same truth of God in another shape. You pray. Some of you pray earnestly, but yet you will not come to Christ that you might have life! Is it not a good thing to pray? Yes, indeed, a blessed thing to pray, but still it is not the thing—it is not the subject of the great saving command. The gospel precept is not, “Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that searches the Scriptures and prays shall be saved.” No, but the gospel runs thus—“He that believes and is baptized shall be saved.” There stands the healing touch—the act which brings us life—faith in the heart and confession with the mouth! To these the promise is made, and of those who neglect these our Lord says, “You will not come to Me, that you might have life.”
The Urgency of Coming to Christ
Now, observe that this way of coming to Christ, which is indicated in the text, is the only way. There are other preachings, but there is only one true ministry, and the true ministry bears witness concerning Christ. There are other supposed ways of salvation, but they shall be accursed that preach them! And woe unto them in the last great day who have deluded men’s souls with their “other gospels,” for, “other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid—Jesus Christ the righteous.” “Believe and live” is the one unchanging oracle and He that has regard to it, shall find eternal life! But take heed that you despise not him that speaks this wondrous word from heaven, “for there is no other name given under heaven among men whereby you must be saved.” Come to Christ! Come to the anointed Savior! Come to the Son of God! Come to Him who is both God and man! Come to the Mediator! Come to the Redeemer! Come to the Great Substitute for sinners! Come and trust Him and you shall live! I have no other message for you. Do not reject it, for if you do you must perish without hope. And this way, as it is the only one, blessed be God, is a sure way and an open way. Sure, for none ever tried it and failed. There lives not on earth, there lives not in hell—one soul that trusted in Christ and yet was not saved— “There is life in a look at the Crucified One. There is life at this moment for you.” life in every instance. There has never yet been one that did confide, alone, in Jesus, that found faith to be useless, for faith is a living thing and works by love. It purifies the soul and saves the man through Jesus Christ. And it is an open way as well as a sure one—open to you tonight, dear friend. “Say not in your heart, who shall ascend into heaven to bring Christ down? Or who shall descend into the deep to bring Him up again from the dead? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart.” If you will, with your heart believe in the Lord Jesus, and with your mouth make confession of Him, you shall be saved, even you! The latter days have fallen upon us! The shades of the evening of the world and the damps of its autumn are all around us! But still there sounds forth the cry, “Whoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely.” Still is the fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness— “Dear dying Lamb, Your precious blood Shall never lose its power, Till all the ransomed church of God Is saved to sin no more.”
Conclusion
Thus have I put, as plainly as I can, the plan of salvation. That is it and that is all of it—it is to come to Christ! If I talked much longer I might darken, but I could scarcely make clearer, the simplicity of the gospel of Jesus. It is to come to Christ, to trust Him, to obey Him, to yield yourself to Him, to love Him! So, to come to Him is to come to Him on earth and be with Him forever and ever in heaven!
Charles Spurgeon