WHY ARE MEN SAVED – Charles Spurgeon

WHY ARE MEN SAVED?

“Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake.” Psalm 106:8.

In looking upon the works of God in creation, there are two questions which at once occur to the thoughtful mind and which must be answered before we can procure a clue to the philosophy and science of creation itself. The first one is the question of authorship: Who made all these things? And the next question is that of design: For what purpose were all these things created?

The first question, “Who made all these things?” is one which is easily answered by a man who has an honest conscience and a sane mind, for when he lifts his eyes up yonder to read the stars, he will see those stars spell out in golden letters this word—GOD. And when he looks below upon the waves, if his ears are honestly opened, he will hear each wave proclaiming, GOD. If he looks to the summits of the mountains, they will not speak, but with a dignified answer of silence they seem to say— “The hand that made us is Divine.” If we listen to the rippling of the stream at the mountainside, to the tumbling of the avalanche, to the lowing of the cattle, to the singing of the birds, to every voice and sound of nature, we shall hear this answer to the question, “God is our Maker. He has made us, and not we, ourselves.”

The next question, as to design—Why were these things made?—is not as easy to answer, apart from Scripture. But when we look at Scripture, we discover this fact—that as the answer to the first question is God, so the answer to the second question is the same! Why were these things made? The answer is, for God’s glory, for His honor and for His pleasure. No other answer can be consistent with reason. Whatever other replies men may propound, no other can be really sound. If they will, for one moment, consider that there was a time when God had no creatures—when He dwelt alone, the mighty Maker of ages, glorious in an uncreated solitude, divine in His eternal loneliness—“I Am and there is none beside Me”—can anyone answer this question—Why did God make creatures to exist?—in any other way than by answering it thus—“He made them for His own pleasure and for His own glory.”

You may say He made them for His creatures. But we answer, there were, then, no creatures to make them for! We admit that the answer may be a sound one now. God makes the harvest for His creatures. He hangs the sun in the firmament to bless His creatures with light and sunshine. He bids the moon walk in her course by night to cheer the darkness of His creatures upon earth. But the first answer, going back to the origin of all things, can be nothing else than this—“For His pleasure they are and were erected.” “He made all things for Himself and by Himself.”

Now, this which holds good in the works of creation, holds equally good in the works of salvation. Lift up your eyes on high—higher than those stars which glimmer on the floor of heaven! Look up where spirits in white—clearer than light—reflect yon stars in their magnificence! Look there, where the redeemed with their choral symphonies “circle the throne of God rejoicing” and ask this question— “Who saved those glorified beings and for what purpose were they saved?” We tell you that the same answer must be given as we have previously given to the former question—“He saved them—He saved them for His name’s sake!” The text is an answer to the two great questions concerning salvation—Who saved men and why are they saved?

“He saved them for His name’s sake.” Into this subject I shall endeavor to look this morning. May God make it profitable to each of us and may we be found among the number who shall be saved “for His name’s sake.” Treating the text verbally— and that is the way most will understand—here are four things. First, a glorious Savior—“He saved them.” Secondly, a favored people—“He saved them.” Thirdly, a divine reason why He saved them— “for His name’s sake.” And fourthly, an obstruction conquered, in the word, “nevertheless,” implying that there was some difficulty that was removed. “Nevertheless He saved them for His name’s sake.” A Savior. The saved. The reason. The obstruction removed.

I. A GLORIOUS SAVIOR

“Nevertheless He saved them.” Who is to be understood by that pronoun, “He”? Possibly many of my hearers may answer, “Why, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of men.” Right, my Friends. But not all the truth. Jesus Christ is the Savior. But not more so than God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit! Some persons who are ignorant of the system of divine truth think of God the Father as being a great being full of wrath and anger and justice but having no love. They think of God the Spirit, perhaps, as a mere influence proceeding from the Father and the Son. Now nothing can be more incorrect than such opinions! It is true the Son redeems me, but the Father gave the Son to die for me and the Father chose me in the everlasting election of His grace. The Father blots out my sin, the Father accepts me and adopts me into His family through Christ. The Son could not save without the Father any more than the Father without the Son! And as for the Holy Spirit, if the Son redeems, don’t you know that the Holy Spirit regenerates? It is He who makes us new creatures in Christ, who begets us, again, unto a lively hope, who purifies our soul, who sanctifies our spirit and who, at last, presents us spotless and faultless before the throne of the Most High, accepted in the beloved.

When you say, “Savior,” remember there is a Trinity in that word—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—this Savior being three persons under one name! You cannot be saved by the Son without the Father, nor by the Father without the Son, nor by Father and Son without the Spirit. But as they are one in creation, so are they one in salvation working together in one God for our salvation, and unto that God be glory everlasting, world without end. Amen. But, note here, how this divine being claims salvation wholly to Himself. “Nevertheless HE saved them.”

But, Moses, where are you? Did you not save them, Moses? You stretched the rod over the sea and it divided in halves. You lifted up your prayer to heaven and the frogs came and the flies swarmed and the water was turned into blood and the hail smote the land of Egypt. Were not you their Savior, Moses? And you Aaron, didn’t you offer the bullocks which God accepted, didn’t you lead them, with Moses, through the wilderness? Were not you their Savior? They answer, “No, we were the instruments, but He saved them. God made use of us but unto His name be all the glory and none unto ourselves.”

But, Israel, you defeated a strong and mighty people—did not you save yourself? Perhaps it was by your own holiness that the Red Sea was dried up. Perhaps the parted floods were frightened at the piety of the saints that stood upon their banks. Perhaps it was Israel that delivered itself. No, no, says God’s word. He saved them. They did not save themselves, nor did their fellow men redeem them. And yet, mark you, there are some who dispute this point—who think that men save themselves, or, at least—that priests and preachers can help to do it! We say that the preacher, under God, may be the instrument of arresting man’s attention, of warning him and awakening him. But the preacher is nothing! God is everything! The mightiest eloquence that ever distilled from the lips of a seraphic preacher is nothing apart from God’s Holy Spirit! Neither Paul, nor Apollos, nor Cephas, are anyone—God gave the increase, and God must have all the glory.

II. THE FAVORED PERSONS

“Nevertheless He saved them.” Who are they? You will reply, “They were the most respectable people that could be found in the world. They were a very prayerful, loving, holy and deserving people. And, therefore, because they were good, He saved them.” Very well, that is your opinion—I will tell you what Moses says—“Our fathers understood not Your wonders in Egypt, they remembered not the multitudes of Your mercies, but provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea. Nevertheless He saved them.”

Look at the 7th verse and you will have their character. In the first place, they were a stupid people—“Our fathers understood not Your wonders in Egypt.” In the next place, they were an ungrateful people—“they remembered not the multitude of Your mercies.” In the third place, they were a provoking people—“they provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea.” Ah, these are the people whom free grace saved! These are the men, and these the women whom the God of all grace condescends to take to His bosom and to make anew!

Note, first, that they were a stupid people. God sends His gospel not always to the wise and prudent but unto fools— “He takes the fool and makes him know The wonders of His dying love.” Do not suppose, my hearer, because you are very unlettered and can scarcely read—do not imagine because you have always been brought up in extreme ignorance and have scarcely learned to spell your name that, therefore, you cannot be saved! God’s grace can save you and then enlighten you!

A brother minister once told me a story of a man who was known in a certain village as a simpleton, and was always considered to be soft in the head. No one thought he could ever understand anything. But one day he came to hear the gospel preached. He had been a drunken fellow having wit enough to be wicked which is a very common kind of wit. The Lord was pleased to bless the word to his soul so that he became a changed character. And what was the marvel of all was his religion gave him something which began to develop his latent faculties! He found he had something to live for and he began to try what he could do. In the first place, he wanted to read his Bible that he might read his Savior’s name. And after much hammering and spelling away, at last he was able to read a chapter. Then he was asked to pray at a prayer meeting. Here was an exercise of his vocal powers. Five or six words made up his prayer, and down he sat! But by continually praying in his own family at home, he came to pray like the rest of the brothers and sisters, and he went on till he became a preacher! And, singularly enough, he suddenly had a depth of understanding, and a power of thought such as are seldom found among ministers who only occasionally occupy pulpits! Strange it was that grace should tend to develop his natural powers; giving him an objective; setting him devoutly and firmly upon it, and so bringing out all his resources that they were fully shown.

Ah, ignorant ones, you need not despair! He saved them! Not for their sakes—there was nothing in them why they should be saved. He saved them not for their wisdom’s sake, but, ignorant though they were; and understanding not the meaning of His miracles, “He saved them for His name’s sake.”

Note, again, they were a very ungrateful people and yet He saved them. He delivered them times without number and worked mighty miracles for them, but they still rebelled. Ah, that is like you, my hearer. You have had many deliverances from the borders of the grave. God has given you house and food day after day and provided for you and kept you to this hour. But how ungrateful you have been! As Isaiah wrote, “The ox knows his owner and the ass his master’s crib, but My people do not know, Israel does not consider.” How many there are of this character, who have favors from God, the history of which they could not give in a year, but yet what have they ever done for Him? They would not keep a horse that did not work for them, nor as much as a dog that would not notice them. But here is God. He has kept them day by day and they have done a great deal against Him, but they have done nothing for Him. He has put the bread into their very mouths, nurtured them and sustained their strength—and they have spent their strength in defying Him, in cursing His name and breaking His Sabbath!

“Nevertheless He saved them.” Some of this sort have been saved—I hope I have some here now who will be saved by conquering grace, made new men and women by the mighty power of God’s Spirit. “Nevertheless He saved them.” When there was nothing to recommend them, but every reason why they should be cast away for their ingratitude, “Nevertheless He saved them.”

And note, once more, they were a provoking people—“They provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red Sea.” Ah, how many people there are in this world who are a provoking people to God! If God were like man, who among us would be here today? If we are provoked once or twice, up goes the fist! With some men, their passion stirs at the very first offense. Others who are somewhat more placid will bear offense after offense, till at last they say, “There is an end to everything and I can bear that no longer. You must stop it, or else I must stop you!” Ah, if God had that temper, where would we be? Well might He say, “My thoughts are not as your thoughts. I am God, I change not, or else you sons of Jacob had been consumed.” They were a provoking people, “Nevertheless He saved them.”

III. THE REASON OF SALVATION

“He saved them for His name’s sake.” There is no other reason why God should save a man but for His name’s sake. There is nothing in a sinner which can entitle him to salvation, or recommend him to mercy. It must be God’s own heart which must dictate the motive why men are to be saved. One person says, “God will save me because I am so upright.” Sir, He will do no such thing! Says another, “God will save me because I am so talented.” Sir, he will not. Your talent? Why you driveling, self-conceited idiot—your talent is nothing compared with that of the angel that once stood before the throne of God! They sinned and were cast into the bottomless pit forever! If He would save men for their talent, He would have saved Satan, for he had talents enough. As for your morality and goodness, it is but filthy rags and He will never save you for anything you do! None of us would ever be saved if God expected anything of us—we must be saved purely and solely for reasons connected with Himself and lying in His own bosom! Blessed be His name, He saves us for “His name’s sake.”

What does that mean? I think it means this—the name of God is His person, His attributes and His nature. For His nature’s sake, for His very attributes’ sake, He saved men, and perhaps we may also include this—“My name is in Him”—that is, in Christ. He saves us for the sake of Christ, who is the name of God.

And what does that mean? I think it means this— He saved them, first, that He might manifest His nature. God was all love and He wanted to manifest it. He showed it when He made the sun, the moon and the stars and scattered flowers over the green and laughing earth. He showed His love when He made the air balmy to the body and the sunshine cheering to the eye. He gives us warmth even in winter, by the clothing and by the fuel which He has stored in the heart of the earth, but He wanted to reveal Himself still more. “How can I show them that I love them with all My infinite heart? I will give My Son to die to save the very worst of them and so I will manifest My nature.” And God has done it—He has manifested His power, His justice, His love, His faithfulness and His truth. He has manifested His whole self on the great platform of salvation!

IV. OBSTACLES REMOVED

In the word, “nevertheless,” I shall do that in somewhat of an interesting form, by way of parable. Once upon a time, Mercy sat upon her snow-white throne, surrounded by the troops of love. A sinner was brought before her, whom Mercy designed to save. The herald blew the trumpet, and after three blasts thereof, with a loud voice, he said, “O heaven and earth and hell, I summon you this day to come before the throne of Mercy, to tell why this sinner should not be saved.”

There stood the sinner trembling with fear. He knew that there were multitudes of opponents who would press into the hall of Mercy and with eyes full of wrath, would say, “He must not and he shall not escape. He must be lost!”

The trumpet was blown, and Mercy sat placidly on her throne until there stepped in one with a fiery countenance. His head was covered with light; he spoke with a voice like thunder, and out of his eyes flashed lightning. “Who are you?” said Mercy. He replied, “I am Law. The law of God.”

“And what have you to say?”

“I have this to say,” and he lifted up a stony tablet, written on both sides. “These ten commands, this wretch has broken! My demand is blood, for it is written, ‘The soul that sins, it shall die.’ He must die, or justice must.”

The wretch trembles, his knees knock together, the marrow of his bones melts within him as if they were foes dissolved by fire! He shakes with very fright. Already he thought he saw the thunderbolt launched at him! He thought he saw the lightning penetrate into his soul! Hell yawned before him in imagination, and he thought himself cast away forever! But Mercy smiled and said, “Law, I will answer you. This wretch deserves to die. Justice demands that he should perish—I award you your claim.” And oh, how the sinner trembles! But he pleads, “But there is one yonder who has come with me today; my king, my Lord; His name is Jesus; He will tell you how the debt can be paid, and I can go free.”

Then Jesus spoke and said, “O Mercy, I will do your bidding. Take Me, Law; put Me in a garden; make Me sweat drops of blood; then nail me to a tree; scourge my back before you put me to death; hang me on the cross; let blood run from my hands and feet; let me descend into the grave; let me pay all the sinner owes; I will die in his place!”

And the Law went out and scourged the Savior, nailed Him to the cross, and coming back with his face all bright with satisfaction, stood again at the throne of Mercy, and Mercy said, “Law, what have you now to say?”

“Nothing,” he said, “fair angel, nothing.” “What? Not one of these commands against him?” “No,” he said, “nothing. Jesus, his substitute, has kept them all—has paid the penalty for his disobedience, and now, instead of his condemnation, I demand as a debt of justice that he be acquitted.”

“Stand you here,” said Mercy, “sit on my throne. I and you together will now send forth another summons.” The trumpet rang again. “Come here, all you who have anything to say against this sinner, why he should not be acquitted”; and up comes another—one who often troubled the sinner—one who had a voice not as loud as that of the Law, but still piercing and thrilling—a voice whose whispers were like the cuttings of a dagger.

“Who are you?” says Mercy. “I am Conscience; this sinner must be punished! He has done so much against the law of God that he must be punished. I demand it, and I will give him no rest till he is punished, nor even then, for I will follow him even to the grave, and persecute him after death with unutterable pangs.”

“No,” said Mercy, “Hear me,” and while Conscience paused for a moment, she took a bunch of hyssop and sprinkled Conscience with the blood, saying, “Hear me, Conscience, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleans us from all sin. Now have you anything to say?”

“No,” said Conscience, “nothing.” — ‘Covered is his unrighteousness; From condemnation he is free.’

“Henceforth I will not grieve him. I will be a good conscience unto him, through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The trumpet rang a third time, and growling from the innermost vaults, up there came a grim black fiend with hate in his eyes, and hellish majesty on his brows! He is asked, “Have you anything against that sinner?”

“Yes,” he said, “I have; he has made a league with hell, and a covenant with the grave, and here it is signed with his own hand! He asked God to destroy his soul in a drunken fit, and vowed he would never turn to God. See, here is his covenant with hell!”

“Let us look at it,” said Mercy; and it was handed up, while the grim fiend looked at the sinner, and pierced him through with his black looks.

“Ah, but,” said Mercy, “this man had no right to sign the deed. A man must not sign away another’s property; this man was bought and paid for long beforehand; he is not his own! The covenant with death is annulled, and the league with hell is torn in pieces. Go your way Satan!”

“No,” said he, howling again, “I have something else to say—that man was always my friend; he always listened to my insinuations; he scoffed at the gospel; he scorned the majesty of heaven. Is he to be pardoned while I repair to my hellish den, forever to bear the penalty of guilt?”

Said Mercy, “Depart, you fiend. These things he did in the days of his unregeneracy, but this word, ‘nevertheless,’ blots them out! Go to your hell—take this for another lash upon yourself—the sinner shall be pardoned but you, never, treacherous fiend!”

And then Mercy, smilingly turned to the sinner, and said, “Sinner, the trumpet must be blown for the last time!” Again it was blown, and no one answered; then the sinner stood up, and Mercy said, “Sinner ask yourself the question—you ask of heaven, of earth, of hell—can any condemn you?” And the sinner stood up, and with a bold loud voice said, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect?”

And he looked into hell and Satan lay there, biting his iron bonds; and he looked on earth, and earth was silent. And in the majesty of faith, the sinner did even climb to heaven itself, and he said, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? God?” And the answer came, “No. He justifies!” “Christ?” Sweetly it was whispered, “No. He died.” Then turning round, the sinner joyfully exclaimed, “Who shall separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?”

And the once condemned sinner came back to Mercy; prostrate at her feet he lay, and vowed henceforth to be hers forever if she would keep him to the end, and make him what she would desire him to be.

Then no longer did the trumpet ring, but angels rejoiced, and heaven was glad, for the sinner was saved! Thus, you see, I have what is called, dramatized the thing; but I don’t care what it is called. It is a way of arresting the ear, when nothing else will. “Nevertheless.” There is the obstruction taken away! Sinner, whatever is the “nevertheless,” it shall never the less abate the Savior’s love! Not the less shall it ever make it, but it shall remain the same—

“Come, guilty soul and flee away
To Christ and heal your wounds!
This is the glorious gospel-day
Wherein free grace abounds!
Come to Jesus, sinner, come.”

On your knees weep out a sorrowful confession; look to His cross and see the substitute; believe, and live! You almost demons, you that have gone farthest in sin, now, EVEN NOW, Jesus says, “If you know your need of Me, turn unto Me, and I will have mercy upon you, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”

Charles Spurgeon