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{Sermons on John 1:47
The Doctrine Confirmed
The Principles and Doctrines of Godliness Are Not Fantasy
Of Redemption}
The doctrine of redemption is a real truth. Need I prove this? That Christ is true, the true Messiah, true God, and true Man. That He had a true body and a true soul. That His sayings are true; He was a true Prophet. That since His sufferings were true, He is a true Priest. That as He was truly dead, so He truly arose, ascended, and is the Lord both of the dead and of the living; He is a true King. That He has truly and fully accomplished His whole mission. Am I speaking to Jews or pagans155 that I need prove this? Am I not speaking to Christians—who must prove themselves liars, their profession a lie, and their faith vain if they deny these things? But what was the reason for all of this? For what reason did Christ come into the world? For what reason was He born? For what reason did He live, die, rise, and ascend to Heaven? What was the intent of all of this? Why, it was to make a total and blessed change in the miserable condition of whomever of this sinful world will embrace and receive Him (Jeremiah 31:22; Proverbs 4:8; John 14:23; Revelation 3:20). It was to make this old world new, this crooked world straight, and this miserable world blessed. It was “to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound” (Isaiah 61:1 ESV). It was “to finish the transgression,156 to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness” (Daniel 9:24 ESV). It was to undo all of that calamity that sin and the devil had made and brought on this world. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8 ESV). It was to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light (2 Timothy 1:10). It was to “redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:14 NASB). It was “to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74–75 NKJV). It was “that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NASB). On this, the apostle says, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12 NKJV). And last, to redeem us “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in Heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4 ESV).
To an Inheritance:
Christians are not brought out of Egypt and redeemed from their house of bondage and then left to fend for themselves or perish in the wilderness. They are redeemed to an inheritance. They are a purchased people (Exodus 15:16) and there is a purchased possession (Ephesians 1:4) for them.
An Imperishable and Undefiled Inheritance:
It is an enduring possession and a holy habitation. Holiness is a great part of the blessedness of the saints. Sinners, you who despise holiness, despise one of the richest jewels in the crown of glory.
Their inheritance lies in the good land, the country that Christ has purchased for His ransomed ones. The whole land is theirs. Theirs is the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:10).
This is that redemption that is presented to you by the Gospel. If Christ had failed in performing and accomplishing any of all of this, He would have been an incomplete and imperfect Redeemer.
By the way, learn what great reason there is why the Gospel should be better received than it generally is in the world. When one considers the poor acceptance of the Gospel and of its preachers, one would think that it was some dismal message and that it came on some dreadful errand.157 If Christ had come to destroy the world, could He have less welcome? If the Gospel were as the law, not only a dead, but killing letter, a ministry of death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:6–7); if the ministers of the Gospel had been messengers sent up from the bottomless pit to deceive the nations, destroy souls and drag them down to everlasting darkness—there could have hardly been greater hate and outcry than there is against it and them. Surely such a message and such messengers deserve better welcome and better treatment.
But to our purpose. You have heard what the redemption is that the Gospel brings us. Now, does Christ do His work by halves? Does He deliver out of prison and leave His ransomed ones in their vile prison garments? Does He change their relationship to God and never change their conditions? Does He redeem them from death and not redeem them from iniquity? Was this the intent of Christ in dying for sinners, that they might act like beasts and be rebels more securely? Did this grace abound that sin might super-abound? Does the law of faith make void the law of righteousness? Does it not rather establish it? What is the meaning of those various expressions mentioned above? That He might redeem from all iniquity and purify a special people zealous for good works (Titus 2:14; Psalm 130:8)? That we might serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness (Luke 1:74–75)? That those who live should not live to themselves, but to Him who died for them (2 Corinthians 5:15)? That denying all ungodliness … we should live soberly … (Titus 2:12)? Is not all this included in the redemption that Christ has worked? And what is the meaning of all of this other than that godliness for which we plead? Is godliness a part of that for which Christ redeemed us, but there is nothing in it? Did Christ sweat, groan, labor, and travail in pain—all of this to bring forth a lie? Has Christ died to purge, purify, wash, and cleanse His people, and in the end it is nothing but a cheat? Did Christ die only in imagination and ascend only in imagination? As certain as it is that Christ did really and fully fulfill the role of redeemer, so it is certain that the redeemed do not just barely fulfill the role of saints. Let all the world judge: how well do they honor Christ, who have no better opinion of the fruits of His death? Thus, two things are obvious. First, the redemption of a sinner is the destruction of sin. Christ died to save people from their sins, not leave them in their sins. He died to redeem them from all iniquity as well as from wrath. Second, redemption and regeneration are linked together. He who is brought from being a slave is born [again as / from above] a son. He who is not a partaker of the renewing of the Holy Spirit is not a partaker of the redemption of Christ.
The doctrine of redemption by Christ is abused by willful sinners and made to serve as their great plea against the necessity of holiness. Convince them of sin, of the necessity of turning, and of the danger of continuing and going on, and they immediately take sanctuary in “Christ died for sinners.” And here they think themselves sufficiently secured, not only against all of the threatenings of wrath, but against all exhortations to holiness. Argue with them from the command of God, “This is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Throw away your transgressions. Why will you die (Ezekiel 18:31)? Turn and live (Ezekiel 18:21, 23, 28, 32; 33:11, 19). From the threatenings of God: “If you live after the flesh, you will die …” (Romans 8:13). Yet, this they think will answer all your arguments: Christ died for sinners. I put my trust in Christ that I will be saved. What? Trust in Christ and not turn to Christ? Hope to be saved by Christ and refuse to be sanctified? Will Christ redeem from the curse those who refuse to be redeemed from iniquity? Will you steal and murder and commit adultery and swear falsely and so on, and then come and stand before God in His house and say, “We are delivered to do all these abominations” (Jeremiah 7:9–10)? Will you do wickedly, walk in all manner of wantonness, lasciviousness, lust, excesses, and so on; then come and take hold of a redeemer as if you were delivered to do all this wickedness? Has My house become a den of robbers (Jeremiah 7:11; Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46)? Are the redeemed of the Lord a generation of rebels, enemies of all righteousness, liars, proud, covetous, and blasphemers? Are these followers of the Lamb (Revelation 14:4)? It is true, as the apostle says, “Such were some of you.” Yet, he adds, “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV). Christianity without godliness is a fantasy indeed. “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Either turn from iniquity or talk no more of Christianity. A Christian and an unbeliever are not more different from one another than a Christian and a libertine are. Take heed, sinners, and do not let the Gospel undo you. Do not let mercy damn you. Do not make your faith do the sad job of infidelity. Beloved, let it never be said, while the just live, that your faith causes your eternal death. This is likely to be your case; you would never have dared to have so slighted holiness and persisted in sin, had it not been for your trust in Christ. You must count Christ to be no Christ, no redeemer, or a half or deceitful redeemer if you count yourselves good Christians while you are yet in your sins. You must have another Christ and another Gospel before you can ever be saved in your sinful state. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1 NKJV).158 This is the Gospel; in it you have the charter [legal constitution] of those who are redeemed. He will not come into condemnation. As to his character, he walks not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. That is, he is a person of a godly life. Whom does the Gospel secure from condemnation? Why, those who are in Christ. But who are they? Why, only those who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Those who walk otherwise can have no benefit from the Gospel. You all stand as convicted evildoers guilty of death. You have sinned; what do you have to say as to why you should not die and have your sentence of condemnation passed against you? Maybe you will call for a Psalm of Mercy, my book, Lord, my book,159 the Gospel will, I hope, secure me. No, sinner, you cannot have it because you are one who lives according to the flesh and cannot have the benefit of the Gospel. This is the law, and the Gospel says not one word to reverse it. If you live according to the flesh you will die. Christ never intended the benefit of His redemption to any of you who think it does not matter whether you wish to repent or not, or be holy or not. You may as well write for the Gospel, “He who believes will be damned,” as much as your thinking, “He who does not obey the Gospel will be saved.” And you may as well say that “Sinning is serving Christ,” as much as your thinking, “Those who live according to the flesh obey the Gospel.”
155Recall that Alleine was preaching and writing to those who called themselves Christians. But dear reader, if you are of another religion and have not already done so, you may wish to consult the references given above in Important Notes to the Reader.
156finish: possibly, to shut up, break the power of, or restrain. The Hebrew is uncertain and difficult here and commentators are not all agreed as to the meaning, in part due to differences in interpretation of this prophecy of Christ’s first coming.
157To those who are in love with their sins, the prospect of parting with them is dreadful.
158Many New Testament manuscripts omit “who do not walk …” However, the teaching of the omitted text is clearly given in Romans 8:4, 14 and Galatians 5:16, 25. Alleine’s exegesis thus stands.
159Alleine’s intent here is unclear, but these words seem to refer to superstitious practices or beliefs.
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