“Does
not seek its own” (I Cor. 13:5)
In
other words, charity, or Christian love, does not seek her own.
The
proposition, which I plan to establish this evening, is the following:
A
supreme regard for our own happiness is inconsistent with true religion.
This
proposition is naturally the first in this series of propositions that I have
been laboring to illustrate in our present lecture series, and I would have
discussed this proposition first, if I had been aware that it was seriously
called into question by a considerable number of professing Christians. However, I can honestly say that when I began
these lectures, I did not expect to run into any serious problems here; and
therefore I simply assumed that selfishness is not religion. Therefore, I passed over this point without
really trying to prove it. But, since I
have learned, that there are many professing Christians who believe that a
supreme regard for our own happiness is true religion, I believe that it necessary
to examine this subject more carefully and give you the arguments in favor of
what I believe to be the truth. In
establishing my proposition, I want to distinguish between certain things that
differ; therefore, I will
I. Show what is not intended by the
proposition, that a supreme regard to our own happiness is not true religion.
II. Show what is meant by it. And
III. Attempt to prove it.
I.
I will explain what is not meant by the proposition.
1.
The point in dispute is not whether it is lawful to have any regard for our own
happiness. On the contrary, we admit
and maintain that a part of our duty is to have a proper regard for our own
happiness, according to its real value on the scale with other interests. God has commanded us to love our neighbor as
ourselves. This plainly makes it a duty
to love ourselves or consider our own happiness by the same rule that we
consider the happiness of others.
2.
The proposition is not that we should not be concerned about the promises and
the threats of God that affect us. It
is clearly right to consider the promises of God and the threats of evil as it
affects us, according to the relative value of our own interests. But, who does not see that a threat against
us is not as important as threats made against a large number of
individuals. Suppose there was a threat
of evil made against you as an individual.
This is clearly not as important as if that threat included your
family. Now suppose that threat
extended to the whole congregation, or to the state, or to the whole nation, or
even to the world. Here, it is easy to
see that the happiness of an individual, although great, should not be regarded
as supreme.
I
am a minister. Suppose God says to me,
“If you do not do your duty, you will be sent to hell”. This is a terrible thing, and I should avoid
it. But, suppose God said, “If your
people do not do their duty, they will all be sent to hell; but if you do your
duty faithfully, you will probably save the whole congregation”. Is it right for me to be influenced by the
fear of what might happen to me as much as by the fear of having the whole
congregation sent to hell? Obviously
not!
3.
The question is not whether our own eternal interests should be pursued in
preference to our earthly or temporary interests. I believe, and the Bible agrees with me, that we must consider
our eternal interests as being more important than our earthly interests are.
Thus,
the Bible tells us, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food
which endures to everlasting life”.
(John 6:27) This teaches that we
are not to consider or value our temporary interests at all, in comparison with
eternal life.
That
is why our Savior says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where
moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where
thieves do not break in and steal.”
(Matt 6:19-20) This is another
passage where we are told to prefer eternal to temporary earthly interests.
There
is another passage. When Christ sent
out His disciples, two by two, to preach and work miracles, they came back full
of joy and excitement because they found that even the devils yielded to their
power. “Lord, even the demons are
subject to us in Your name.” (Luke
10:17) Jesus said, “Nevertheless do not
rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice
because your names are written in heaven”.
(Luke 10:20) Here Christ teaches
that it is a greater good to have our names written in heaven, than to enjoy
the greatest earthly power, even authority over devils themselves.
The
Bible everywhere teaches that eternal good is to be preferred in all our
conduct to earthly good. But this is
very different from maintaining that our own individual eternal interest is to
be aimed at as the supreme object of our concern.
4.
The proposition is not that hope and fear should not influence our
conduct. All that is implied is, that
when we are influenced by hope and fear, the things that are hoped or feared
should be put into proper perspective according to their real value, in
comparison with other interests.
5.
The question is not whether these people in the Bible did right, that is, those
who were in some degree influenced by hope and fear, or who were looking
forward to receiving the promised reward, or to the joy that was set before
them. We admit that they did these
things. Noah was moved with fear and
built the ark. But, was it the fear
that he might drown, or fear for his own personal safety that chiefly moved
him? The Bible does not tell us. I’m sure he feared for the safety of his
family; but more than that, he dreaded the destruction of the whole human race,
with all the interests that depended on it.
Whenever
it is said that good men were influenced by hope and fear, we must admit that
this is true. But in order for this to
apply to what we are talking about, we must show that this hope or fear respecting
their own personal interest was their controlling motive. Now, this is nowhere stated in the
Bible. It was right for them to be
influenced by promises and threats.
Otherwise, they could not obey the second part of the law: “You shall
love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matt
19:19)
II.
A supreme regard for our own interest is inconsistent with true religion.
The
question is, whether a supreme regard for our own happiness is religion. The question is, whether we should fear our
own damnation more than the damnation of everybody else and dishonor God in the
process. The question is whether we
should aim at securing our own happiness more than the happiness of everyone
else and the glory of God. Now, if we
do this, do we act according to the requirements of true religion, or do we act
inconsistently with true religion. This
is the focal point of our inquiry, and I want you to keep this point constantly
in your mind, and don’t confuse it with any of the other points that I have referred
to.
III.
The proof of this proposition.
Before
proceeding to prove this proposition, that a supreme regard for our own
happiness is inconsistent with true religion, I want you to notice that all
true religion consists in being like God.
True religion acts on the same principles and grounds, and has the same
feelings towards different objects that God has. I suppose none of you will deny this. Indeed, you cannot deny this if you are a sane person. With that in mind, let me say, as the first
proof of this proposition:
1.
That a supreme regard for our own happiness is not according to the example of
God. Instead, it is being totally
unlike Him.
The
Bible tells us, “God is love”. In other
words, unselfish love is the sum total of His character. All His other moral attributes, like
justice, mercy, and others, are only modifications of His unselfish love. His love is manifested in two forms. The first form of this unselfish love is
good willing, or desiring the happiness of others. The other is approving the character of others who are holy, which
is called complacency. God’s unselfish
love takes into consideration every creature that is capable of happiness. This is universal. Towards all holy beings, God approves of their holy characters. In other words, God loves His neighbor as
Himself. He considers the interests of
all beings according to their relative value.
He considers our best interests as much as He considers His own
interests. He seeks His own happiness,
or glory, as the supreme good. But He
does not seek it because it is His own, but because it is the supreme
good. The sum total of His happiness,
as an infinite being, is infinitely greater than the sum total of the happiness
of all other beings, or of any possible number of finite creatures.
Let’s
take a very familiar illustration. Here
is a man who is kind to animals. This
man and his horse fall into a river.
Now, does true unselfish love require the man to drown in order to save
his horse? No. It would be true impartial and unselfish
love in him, to save himself, and, if he must, let his horse perish, because
his happiness has a much greater value than the happiness of his horse. You can see this immediately. But the difference between God and all
created beings is infinitely greater than between a man and a horse, or between
the highest angel and the smallest insect.
Therefore,
God regards the happiness of all creatures precisely according to their true
value. And unless we do the same, we
are not like God. If we are like God,
we must consider God’s happiness and glory in the same light that He does; that
is, as the supreme good, beyond everything else in the universe. And if we desire our own happiness more than
God’s happiness, we are infinitely unlike God.
2.
To aim at our own happiness supremely is inconsistent with true religion,
because it is contrary to the spirit of Christ.
We
are told that, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not
His.” (Rom 8:9) And it is repeatedly said about Jesus, as a
man, that he sought not His own, that he sought not His own glory. What was Jesus seeking? Was it His personal salvation? No.
Was it His personal happiness?
No. It was the glory of His
Father, and the good of the universe through the salvation of men. He came on an errand of pure unselfish love
to benefit the kingdom of God, not to benefit Himself. This was “the joy that was set before Him,”
for which “He endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Heb 12:2)
His joy was the great good He could do by thus pouring Himself out to
labor and suffer for the salvation of men.
3.
To regard our own happiness as the supreme goal that we pursue is contrary to
the law of God.
I
have mentioned this before, but I’ll refer to it again for the sake of making
my present demonstration complete. The
sum of God’s law is this: “You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind. And you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” (Mark
12:30-31) This is the great thing
required; this is true benevolence towards God and man. The first thing is really to love the
happiness and glory of God above all other things, because it is so infinitely
lovely and desirable, and is properly the supreme good. Some have objected, saying that it is not
our duty to seek the happiness of God, because His happiness is already
secured. Now suppose, that the king of
England is perfectly independent of me and has his happiness secured without
me; does that make it any the less my duty to wish him well, to desire his
happiness, and to rejoice in it? Because
God is happy in Himself, independent of His creatures, is that a reason why we
should not love His happiness and rejoice in it? Strange!
Again:
We are required by the terms of God’s law to demonstrate our satisfaction in
God because He is holy, infinitely holy.
This
law binds us to exercise the same good will, or unselfish love, towards others
that we do to ourselves; that is, to seek both their interests and our own
interests according to their relative value.
Who of you is doing this? And we
are required to exercise our contented love towards those who are good and
holy.
And
so, we see that the sum of the law of God is to exercise unselfish love towards
God and all beings according to their relative value, and contentment and
satisfaction in all that is holy. Now I
say, that to regard our own happiness supremely, or to seek happiness as our
supreme goal, is contrary to both the letter and the spirit of the law. And
4.
Regarding our happiness as our supreme goal is as contrary to the gospel as it
is to the law.
In
the chapter from which our passage today is taken, the apostle begins, “Though
I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become
as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and
all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.” (I
Cor 13:1-2) Charity here means love. In the original, the same word is rendered
love. “And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it
profits me nothing.” (I Cor 13:3)
Now,
listen! Paul couldn’t have expressed
the idea that charity, or unselfish love, is essential to true religion any
stronger. See how clearly he presents
his statements, so that it is impossible to mistake his views. He starts by saying that if a person does
not have true love, he is nothing. He
then proceeds to show what are the characteristics of this true love. “Love suffers long and is kind; love does
not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave
rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice
in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.”
(I Cor 13:4-7) Here you see that
one leading peculiarity of this love is that charity “does not seek its
own”. Notice that! If this is true religion, and without it
there is no religion, then one peculiarity of true religion is that it “seeks
not its own.”
Those
of you who have Bibles with marginal references can follow out these references
and find many passages that clearly teach the same thing. Remember, the passages I quoted to you in
the last lecture. I will just refer to
one of them. “Whoever desires to save
his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find
it.” (Matt 16:25) Here you see that the laws of love is laid
down as an established principle of God’s government, that if a person aims
supremely at his own interest he will lose his own interest.
The
same thing is taught in I Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 24: “Let no one seek
his own, but each one the other’s well-being.”
If you look at the passage, you will see that word ‘well-being’ is in
italic letters to show that it was a word added by the translators. It is not in the Greek. They might just as well have used the word
happiness, or wealth, instead of well-being.
So in the 33d verse: “just as I also please all men in all things, not
seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”
Therefore,
I say that to make our own interest our supreme goal in life is as contrary to
the gospel as it is to the law.
5.
Regarding our happiness as our supreme goal is contrary to conscience.
Our
conscience knows that a supreme regard for our own happiness is not
virtue. We have always known that
serving God and benefiting humanity is right, and to seek our own personal
interest supremely is not right. We
have always thought that it is mean and contemptible for individuals to seek
their own happiness as their supreme goal, and as a result, we see the great
lengths that people go through to hide their selfishness and appear unselfish
and loving. It is impossible for any
person, unless his conscience is strangely blunted by sin or perverted by false
instruction, not to see that it is sinful to consider his own happiness above
other interests of more importance.
6.
Regarding our happiness as our supreme goal is contrary to right reason.
Right
reason teaches us to regard all things according to their real value. God does this, and we should do the
same. God has given us a reason for
this very purpose, that we should weigh and compare the relative value of
things. It is a mockery of reason to
deny that it teaches us to regard things according to their real value. And if so, then to aim at and prefer our own
interest as our supreme goal is contrary to reason.
7.
Regarding our happiness as our supreme goal is contrary to common sense.
What
has the common sense of mankind decided on this point? Look at the common sense of mankind
concerning patriotism. No man was ever
considered a true patriot, who in fighting for his country, his purpose was to
promote his own interest. Suppose it
should appear that his purpose in fighting was to get himself crowned king;
would anybody give him credit for patriotism?
No! All men agree that it is
true patriotism when a man is impartial, like Washington; and fights for his
country’s sake. The common sense of all
humanity has written reprobation on that spirit that seeks its own things, and
on that person who prefers his own interests to the greater interests of all
the others. It is clear that all men
think that this is true. Otherwise, how
is it that everyone is anxious to appear unbiased?
8.
Regarding our happiness as our supreme goal is contrary to the constitution of
our mind.
I
do not mean by this, that it is impossible, by our very constitution, for us to
seek our own happiness as our supreme goal.
But we are so created that if we do this, we can never attain it. Happiness is the gratification of something
we desire. We must desire something,
and then gain the object we desire.
Now, suppose a man desires his own happiness, the object of his desire
will always stay in front of him, just out of reach, like his shadow, and the
faster he pursues it, the faster it flies.
Happiness is inseparably attached to the attaining an object that is
desired. Suppose I desire a thousand dollars. The thousand dollars is the thing that my
desire focuses on. When I get that
thousand dollars, that desire is gratified and I am happy, as far as gratifying
this desire goes to make me happy. But
if I desire the thousand dollars for buying a watch, a dress, and a few other
items, the desire is not gratified until I get those things. But now, suppose the thing I desired was my
own happiness. Getting the thousand dollars
then does not make me happy; because that is not the thing my desire is fixed
on. And so getting the watch, and the
dress, and those other things will not make me happy, for they do not gratify
my desire. God has so created us, and
given such laws to our mind, that we can never get happiness by pursuing
it. The very constitution of our mind
clearly indicates the duty of impartial unselfish love. In fact, God has made it impossible for
anyone to be happy, except in proportion to his or her impartiality.
Here
are two people driving down the street together. They come across a person that has just been run over by a car,
and lies dying in his gore. They pick
him up and drive him to the hospital, where he is operated on and his life is
spared. Now it is clear that their
gratification is in proportion to the intensity of their desire for his
relief. If one of them did not care
very much about his sufferings, that man won’t be gratified very much. But if his desire to have the man recover
was strong, his gratification will also be strong. Now suppose a third individual had no desire to relieve the
distressed man; certainly relieving him could be no gratification to that
person. He could pass right by him, and
watch him die. He is not gratified at
all. Therefore, you can see that your
happiness is proportional to the gratification of your desires, by obtaining
the things that you desire.
Please
observe, that in order to make the happiness of any gratified desire complete,
your desire must be virtuous. Otherwise,
if your desire is selfish, your gratification will be mingled with pain because
your conscience will not approve of it.
That will throw your mind into conflict.
That
all this is true, is a matter of consciousness, and is proved to us by the very
highest kind of testimony we can have.
And for anyone to deny this is to charge God foolishly, as if He had
given us a constitution that would not allow us to be happy in obeying Him.
9.
To make our own interest our supreme purpose in life is also inconsistent with
our own happiness. This follows from
what I have just said. We may enjoy a
certain kind of pleasure, but not true happiness. Any pleasure that does not spring from the gratification of
virtuous desire is a deceptive delusion.
The reason why people do not find happiness when they are so anxious for
it is that they are seeking their happiness.
If they would seek the glory of God and the good of the universe as
their supreme goal, happiness would pursue them.
10.
Making our own interest our goal in life is inconsistent with public
happiness. If each individual aims at
his own happiness as his chief goal, these interests will unavoidably clash
with each other and collide, and universal war and confusion will follow in the
wake of universal selfishness.
11.
To maintain that a supreme concern for our own interest is true religion is to
contradict the experience of all real saints.
Every real saint knows that his supreme happiness consists in going out
of himself, and desires the glory of God and the good of others. If he does not know this, he is not a saint.
12.
Maintaining that a supreme concern for our own interest is true religion is
also inconsistent with the experience of all those who had a selfish religion,
and found out their mistake and gotten true religion. This happens a lot. I
know hundreds of cases. Some members in
this church have recently made this discovery.
And they can all testify that they know now, by experience, that
unselfish love is true religion.
13.
Thinking that a supreme concern for our own interest is true religion is
contrary to the experience of all unrepentant sinners. Every unrepentant sinner knows that he is supremely
promoting his own interest, and he knows that he doesn’t have true
religion. The very thing that his
conscience condemns him for is this, that he focuses on his own interest instead
of the glory of God.
Now,
let’s turn the leaf over for a moment, admit that a supreme regard for our own
happiness is true religion, and then let’s see what follows.
1.
It follows that God is not holy. In
other words, if a supreme regard for our own interest because it is our own, is
true religion, then it follows that God is not holy. God regards His happiness, but it is because happiness is the
greatest good, not because it is His own.
But, God is pure unselfish love; and if pure unselfish love were not
true religion, God’s nature would have to be changed.
2.
If a supreme regard for our own interest were true religion, then we would have
to alter the law of God. If a supreme
regard for our own happiness is religion, then the law should read, “You shall
love yourself with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind
and with all your strength, and God and your neighbor infinitely less than
yourself”.
3.
If a supreme regard for our own interest were true religion, then the gospel
must be reversed. Instead of saying,
“Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God,”
it should read, “do all for your own happiness”. Instead of, “He that will
save his life shall lose it,” we should find it saying, “He that is supremely
anxious to save his own life shall save it; but he that is benevolent, and willing
to lose his life for the good of others, shall lose it.”
4.
Also, God would have to change everybody’s consciences so that their
consciences will testify in favor of selfishness, and condemn and reprobate
everything like unselfish love.
5.
God would also have to change right reason so it will no longer weigh things
according to their relative value, but it will decide that our own little
interest has more value and is more important than the greatest interests of
God and the universe.
6.
Common sense will have to decide that true patriotism consists in everybody
seeking their own interests instead of seeking the public good, and each one
should seek to build himself up as high as he can.
7.
God would have to reverse our human constitution. If supreme selfishness is virtue, our human constitution was made
wrong. Right now, a person can only be
happy by loving unselfishly. And if
this doctrine is true, that religion consists in seeking our own happiness as a
supreme good, then the more religion a man has the more miserable he should be.
8.
God would have to change the whole framework of society if a supreme regard for
our own interest were true religion.
Right now, the good of the community depends on the extent to which
everyone regards the public interest.
And if this doctrine is true, this would have to be changed so that the
public good would be best promoted when every man is scrambling for his own interest
regardless of the interests of others.
9.
The experience of the saints would have to be reversed a supreme regard for our
own interest were true religion.
Instead of finding, as they now do, that the more unselfish love they
have, the more religion and the more happiness they receive; they should
testify that the more they aim at their own selfish ambitions, the more they
enjoy religion and the favor of God.
10.
The unrepentant should be found to testify that they are perfectly happy in
their supreme selfishness, and that they find true happiness in it.
I
will not pursue this proof any farther.
It’s a waste of time. I believe
I have provided you with more than enough proof to convince you that supremely
aiming at our own happiness is inconsistent with true religion.
REMARKS.
I.
Do you see why, while so many are pursuing happiness, so few find it?
Most
people don’t know what true happiness consists in, and they are seeking happiness
in things that can never provide it.
They don’t find happiness because they are pursuing it. If they would turn around and pursue
holiness, happiness would pursue them.
If they would become impartial and devote themselves to doing good, they
would be happy. If they choose
happiness as an end, it always stays just out of their reach. True happiness consists in
gratifying virtuous desires; and if they would glorify God, and do good, they
would find happiness. The only people
that never find happiness in this world, or in the world to come, are those who
seek it as an end, who make happiness their purpose in life.
II.
The constitution of the human mind and of the universe provides a beautiful
illustration of the economy of God.
Suppose
man could find happiness only by pursuing his own happiness. Then each individual would only have his
happiness and nobody else’s. All the
happiness in the universe would only be the sum total of what individuals had
gained minus all the pain and misery produced by conflicting interests. Now notice!
God has so constituted things that every person who devotes himself to
promote the happiness of others will find that his own happiness is secured and
made complete. How vastly greater is
the amount of happiness in the universe, than it would have been if selfishness
had been the law of Jehovah’s kingdom.
Because everyone, who obeys the law of God, fully secures his own
happiness by his unselfish love, the happiness of the whole is increased by how
much each receives from all the others.
Many
say, “Who will take care of my happiness if I don’t? If I am to care only for my neighbor's interest, and neglect my
own, neither of us will be happy.” That
would be true, if your care for your neighbor’s happiness detracted from your
own. But, if your happiness consists in
doing good and promoting the happiness of others, the more you do for others,
the more you promote your own happiness.
III.
When I mentioned that I was going to preach on happiness, I avoided the using
the word selfishness, because I was afraid that people would think that I was
trying to stir up ill will or animosity.
But I now boldly state, that a supreme regard to our own interest is
selfishness, and nothing else. It would
be selfishness in God, if He regarded His own interest simply because it is His
own. And it is selfishness in
people. Whoever maintains that a
supreme regard for our own interest is true religion, maintains that
selfishness is true religion.
IV.
If selfishness is virtue, then unselfishness is sin. They are direct opposites and both cannot be virtue. For a man to set up and prefer his own
interest over God’s interest, and placing it in opposition to God’s interest is
selfishness. And if this is virtue,
then Jesus Christ, in seeking the good of mankind as He did, departed from the
principles of virtue. Who will pretend
that this is true?
V.
Those people, who regard their own interest as supreme, and think that they
have true religion, are deceived. I say
that solemnly, because I believe it is true, and I would say it if it were the
last word I were to speak before going to the judgment. Dear listener, whoever you are, if you are
doing this, you are not a Christian.
Don’t call this being too critical.
I am not critical. I would not
denounce anyone. But as God is true,
and your soul is going to the judgment, you do not have the religion of the Bible.
VI.
Some will ask here, “What! Are we to
have no regard for our happiness? And
if we are, how are we to decide whether our happiness is supreme or not?” I never said that you should nave no regard
for your happiness. I said that you
should regard it according to its relative value. Now I ask, is there any real problem with this? I appeal to your consciousness. You cannot but know, if you are honest, what
it is that you regard supremely. You
cannot but know if you are honest, what is your goal or purpose in life. Are these interests, your own interests on
one side, and God’s glory and the good of the universe on the other, so nearly
balanced in your mind, that you cannot tell which one you prefer? That is impossible! If you are not as aware that you prefer the
glory of God to your own interest, as you are aware that you exist, you may
take it for granted that you are all wrong.
VII.
You can see why the enjoyment of so many professing Christians depends on their
evidence. These people are hunting for
evidence all the time; and as their evidence varies, their enjoyments wax and
wane. Now, listen! If they really regarded the glory of God and
the good of mankind, their enjoyment would not depend on their evidences. Those who are purely selfish can enjoy a lot
of religion, but it is by anticipation.
The idea of going to heaven pleases them. But those who deny themselves, and love unselfishly, already have
heaven in their hearts.
VIII.
You can now see, that all of you who had no peace and joy in religion before
you had a hope, are deceived. Perhaps I
can outline your experience. You heard
the gospel and became distressed, since you had reason to be distressed by the
fear of going to hell. As time went on,
perhaps while you were engaged in prayer, or while someone was talking with
you, your distress left you. You
thought your sins were pardoned. A
gleam of joy shot through your mind, and warmed your heart into a glow. You mistook that for evidence, and this
increased your joy. The experience of a
true Christian is very different! His
peace does not depend on his hope; but true submission and unselfish love
produces peace and joy, independent of his hope.
Suppose
there was a man in prison, condemned to die the next day. He is in great distress, pacing his cell,
and waiting for tomorrow. Suddenly, a
messenger comes with a pardon. He
seizes the letter, holds it up to the dim light that comes through his grate,
reads the word PARDON, and almost faints with emotion, and leaps for joy. He believes that the letter is genuine. Now suppose it turns out that the letter is
a counterfeit. Suddenly his joy is all
gone. The same is true in the case of a
deceived person. He is afraid of going
to hell, and of course, he rejoices if he believes he is pardoned. If the devil should tell him that he is
saved and he believes it, his joy would be just as great as if it was true as
long as his belief lasts. True
Christian’s joy does not depend on evidence.
He submits himself into the hands of God with confidence, and that very
act gives him peace. He had a terrible
conflict with God, but all at once, he gives up his controversy with God and says,
“God will do right, let God’s will be done.”
Then he begins to pray, he is subdued, he melts down before God, and
that very act provides sweet, calm, and heavenly joy. Perhaps he has not thought of a hope. Perhaps he may go for hours, or even for a day or two, full of
joy in God, without thinking about his own salvation. You ask him if he has a hope, he never thought of that. His joy does not depend on believing that he
is pardoned, but consists in a state of mind, complying with the government of
God. In such a state of mind, he simply
has to be happy.
Now
let me ask you, which religion do you have?
If you exercise true religion, suppose God should send you to hell, and
there let you exercise supreme love to God, and the same love to your neighbor
as to yourself, that itself is a state of mind inconsistent with being
miserable.
I
want you to fully understand this. You
hope-seekers will always be disappointed.
If you run after hope, you will never have a hope that’s good for
anything. But, if you pursue holiness,
hope, peace, and joy will naturally come.
Is your religion the love of holiness, the love of God and of
souls? Or is it only a hope?
IX.
You can see why anxious sinners do not find peace.
They
are looking at their own guilt and danger.
They see God as an avenger, and they shrink from His terrors. This will make it impossible for them to
ever achieve true peace. While looking
at the wrath of God, they shrink back and tremble. They cannot love Him.
They hide from Him. Anxious sinners,
let me tell you a secret. If you only
see God as an avenger, it will drive you to despair, and that is inconsistent
with true submission. You should look
at His whole character, and see the reasons why you should love Him. You should throw yourself on Him without
reserve, and without distrust. Instead
of shrinking from Him, come right to Him, and say, “Oh, Father in heaven, You
are not inflexible, You are sovereign, but You are good. I submit to Your government, and I give
myself to You, with all I have and all I am, body and soul, for time and for
eternity.”
The
subject of my next message will be, the distinction between legal submission
and gospel submission, or between the religion of the law and the religion of
faith. And here, please observe, that
when I began to preach on the subject of selfishness in religion, I did not
dream that it would be regarded by anyone as a controversial subject. I am not fond of controversy, and I could
just as easily call the doctrine of the existence of God a controversial
subject, as this. The question is one
of great importance, and we should weigh the arguments, and decide according to
the word of God. Soon we shall go
together to the throne of God, and you must determine whether you will go there
with selfishness in your hearts, or with that unselfish love that seeks not her
own. Will you be honest right now? For as God is true, if you are seeking your
own selfishness, you will soon be in hell unless you repent. Oh, be honest! And lay aside prejudice, and act for eternity.