Fundamental Truths of Salvation

By Edward Dennett

Chapter 2

MAN'S STATE BEFORE GOD.

The very first thing that anxious souls need to learn is their place and condition before God; i.e. to understand in what light they are regarded by God Himself. For as long as they continue deceived and ignorant of their own condition, so long will they be unwilling to be saved by God's grace. Hence, until they apprehend and receive His testimony about themselves, they will not receive His testimony about His Son. For the gospel is for sinners, and therefore can only be proclaimed to sinners. I would press this point very earnestly upon all who are the subjects of soul anxiety; for many are kept for months, and even years, in doubt and distress, because they search their own hearts, instead of God's word, to ascertain their real condition, and because therefore they never take the place before God which He assigns to them. “ The heart is deceitful above all things” (Jer. xvii. 9); but God's word is truth (John xvii. 17); and hence it is to it alone that we must appeal.

What then is God's testimony concerning you concerning all men? Be prepared for the worst. It is, By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Rom. v. 12.) Again, “ There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one,” etc. (Rom. iii. 10-19.) Once more, “ There is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. ” (vv. 22, 23.) “ The Scripture hath concluded all under sin. ” (Gal. iii. 22.) Such is the testimony of the Scriptures, according to which all men are sinners before God. Do you accept it as true of yourself?

I do not ask if you assent to it in a general way; for many will do this who will yet seek, by comparison with others, either to excuse themselves or to draw conclusions to their own advantage. The point is this, God places all men on the same footing before Him; He declares that all are sinners; that there is no question with Him of degrees of sinfulness or of guilt, but that there is no difference; that all, whatever their station, character, or repute, are sinners, sinners without excuse, without a single ground of hope in them selves, inasmuch as all lie under the same condemnation; for death has passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; for the wages of sin is death. (Rom. vi. 23.) Again I ask you, Do you accept this testimony of God as true of yourself? Do you bow in self - judgment before God, acknowledging that you are a sinner under His just judgment against sin?

If you do not, then I entreat you to pause and consider the hopelessness of your case; for the Lord Jesus Himself said, “ I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Matt. ix. 13.) There is therefore no Christ, no Saviour, except for sinners; and hence, as long as you hesitate or refuse to take the lost sinner's place, you are outside the pale of God's grace and mercy in the gospel. But if you do accept the testimony of the Scriptures as to your state, we can then tell of One who “ bare our sins in His own body on the tree ” (1 Peter ii. 24); " who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities ” (Isa. liii. 5); of One “ whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in His blood ” (Rom. iii. 25); of Him, indeed, who has taken the sinner's place, borne the sinner's judgment, that whosoever believeth on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life. (2 Cor. v. 21; John iii. 16.)

But the whole truth has not yet been told. It is not only that you are sinners, but the Scriptures teach also that all who are unsaved are dead in trespasses and sins. ” (Eph. ii. 1.) The Lord Jesus thus says that the believer “ is passed from death unto life ” (John v. 24), showing plainly that the previous condition of the believer was death, spiritual death. The sinner therefore is both under the condemnation of sin, and is dead in sins. It is not meant of course that he has no life at all; for it is very palpable that he has physical life. But what is asserted is, that through sin the sinner is separated from God, cut off from the source of life (for God is the Fountain of life), and consequently that the sinner is in a state of spiritual death, having no life, and no power of life towards God. The whole dealings of God with men, from Israel downwards, do but prove the truth of His word; and hence I have to ask you again, Do you accept this further testimony concerning yourself?

Beloved reader, you will never know the hopelessness of your condition until you subscribe also to this verdict. Men say, “ While there is life there is hope. " How often have such words sustained the hearts of those who have been watching by the bed side of a sick relative. Hoping against hope, they refused to believe that the end was near, and not until the last beat of the pulse, together with the last breath, would they believe that they stood in the presence of death. So also is it oftentimes with sinners; yea, even with awakened and anxious souls. They may not doubt that they are sinners, and sinners under judgment; but they cannot believe that their case is hopeless, that they have no power of life within themselves, no power of recovery, restoration, and hence they will not take the place of being utterly undone, lost, “ dead in trespasses and sins. ” Ah! thereby they effectually shut themselves out from blessing, and turn back, it may be, to years of weary wanderings and conflicts because they believed their own hearts (and he that trusteth his own heart is a fool — Prov. xxviii. 26) rather than God. But we should resolutely close our eyes against everything but the testimony of the Scriptures; for it is not what I think, feel, or believe, but what God declares, that determines my condition in His sight. He is the sole Judge; and hence, if He tells the sinner that he is dead in trespasses and sins, it is incumbent upon the sinner to acknowledge that God is true though every man be a liar. (Rom. iii. 4.)

Do you then now believe that having no life you have no hope? If not, accept God's verdict at once; for as soon as you take the sinner's place, owning the truth of God's word about you, confessing that you are under the just judgment of sin, so soon are you in the place of blessing; the place in which God, in all His infinite grace, can meet you; the place in which you can claim the sinner's Saviour. Bow therefore before God at once, and receive the unspeakable gift of His love -His own Son, as your Saviour, Redeemer, and Lord.

"O God of mercy - Father;
     The one unchanging claim,
The brightest hopes, we gather
     From Christ's most precious name;
What always sounds so sweetly
     In Thine unwearied ear,
Has freed our souls completely
     From all our sinful fear.

“The trembling sinner feareth
     That God can ne'er forget;
But one full payment cleareth
     His memory of all debt.
When nought beside could ease us,
     Or set our souls at large,
Thy holy work, Lord Jesus,
     Secured a full discharge.

“No wrath God's heart retaineth
     To us -ward who believe;
No dread in ours remaineth
     As we His love receive.
Returning sons He kisses,
     And with His robe invests;
His perfect love dismisses
     All terror from our breasts."

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