God Loves… Himself

But who is sufficient for these things? Is all this change a small matter? And is it in the power of man thus to renew his heart, and change the whole bent of his affections—i.e. to new make himself? No, no more than it was to make himself at the first. And therefore the Scripture tells us plainly, “that it is God who works in us both to will and to do;” that “without him:–without Christ, “the wisdom of God, and the power of God,” enlightening our understandings, and renewing our wills; “we can do nothing.” And those who think they can do great things for themselves, either never tried, or else they are ignorant of their case, and do not know the work that is before them. Dear brethren, if we mistake here, we lost all. We expect light where there is nothing but darkness; strength from weakness; and look for health and salvation where there is nothing but corruption and death. We are self-sufficient, and can only be self-saved, i.e. miserable, and left to perish by the work of our own hands. (Thomas Adam, 1701-1784)

Till you feel yourself in this extremity of weakness, you are not in a condition (if I may say so) to receive the heavenly help. Your idea of remaining ability is the very thing that repels the help of the Spirit, just as any idea of remaining goodness thrusts away the propitiation of the Savior. It is your not seeing that you have no strength that is keeping you from believing” (Pink).

The work of regeneration being of absolute necessity unto salvation, it greatly concerns ministers especially, in all ways possible, to promote the same; and in particular that they guide souls aright who are under a work of preparation. There are some who deny any necessity of the preparatory work of the Spirit of God in order to a closing with Christ. This is a very dark cloud, both as it is an evidence that men do not have the experience of that work in their own souls, and as it is a sign that such men are utterly unskillful in guiding others who are under this work. If this opinion should prevail in the land, it would give a deadly wound to religion. It would expose men to think of themselves as converted when they are not… For men must see the plague of their own hearts, their helplessness, and that they are like clay in the hand of the potter before they come to Christ, and so will be afraid and be searching themselves. (Solomon Stoddard, Guide to Christ)

Thomas Adam tells us that if we make a mistake here, all is lost. Pink tells us it is those things that we continue to trust in that thrust away all Divine help. Stoddard tells us that the work of regeneration is of an absolute necessity and that souls must have a work of the Spirit of God with His work of preparation in them in order that they might close with Christ. Stoddard says that men must see three things before men can come to Christ: One, they must see the plague of their own hearts. Two, they must see their helplessness. Three, they must see that they are like clay in the hand of the potter. The quotes from the three men come to us from the 1700’s and then the 1900’s. The early writers represented what was the standard practice at the time and Pink represents the older writers in face of what the overwhelming majority practiced in his time.

While we can put the blame on Finney as such, it was clearly a backing away from the practice based on the sovereign God that brought the modern practices to pass. We had a solid Reformed practice that was eroded during the time of Finney, but in the 1800’s and early to mid-1900’s liberalism and rationalism took over as well. There was a battle against liberalism and rationalism, but there has not been a real battle against the teaching of Finney (Pelagianism). The teaching of the older writers (Luther, Calvin, Adam, Stoddard) have not been recovered and are even looked down upon by modern writers who are Reformed in name. The terrible danger that the older writers spoke of are now the common teaching among the Reformed in name as well.

What is known as Reformed in our day is really Arminianism at the heart of it as people are just told to believe. What is known as Arminianism in our day is really (for the most part) nothing but ancient Pelagianism. This can be seen in how sinners are instructed. In the past they were told that they must see the plague of their own hearts, that they were helpless, and that they were like clay in the hand of the Potter. We see nothing like that today.

We can think of it as practical Arminianism or practical Pelagianism or whatever other name one wants to use, but the heart of the matter is that terribly dangerous practices are being taught. Sinners are not taught the truth about themselves and they are not being instructed to seek the Lord who alone can take what is in them that fights true faith away. It is like having a blockage in your vein and the doctor telling you that your blood must flow but not doing anything to take the blockage away. The difference between the spiritual truth and the doctor is that one may lead to death in this life, but the other leads to eternity in hell. Preachers who do not warn the congregation of these things and only tell them to believe are guilty of spiritual malpractice. They are like the prophets who cried out “peace, peace” and yet there was no peace. Truth has been sold for a bowl of stew.

But who is sufficient for these things? Is all this change a small matter? And is it in the power of man thus to renew his heart, and change the whole bent of his affections—i.e. to new make himself? No, no more than it was to make himself at the first. And therefore the Scripture tells us plainly, “that it is God who works in us both to will and to do;” that “without him:–without Christ, “the wisdom of God, and the power of God,” enlightening our understandings, and renewing our wills; “we can do nothing.” And those who think they can do great things for themselves, either never tried, or else they are ignorant of their case, and do not know the work that is before them. Dear brethren, if we mistake here, we lost all. We expect light where there is nothing but darkness; strength from weakness; and look for health and salvation where there is nothing but corruption and death. We are self-sufficient, and can only be self-saved, i.e. miserable, and left to perish by the work of our own hands. (Thomas Adam, 1701-1784)

Till you feel yourself in this extremity of weakness, you are not in a condition (if I may say so) to receive the heavenly help. Your idea of remaining ability is the very thing that repels the help of the Spirit, just as any idea of remaining goodness thrusts away the propitiation of the Savior. It is your not seeing that you have no strength that is keeping you from believing” (Pink).

The work of regeneration being of absolute necessity unto salvation, it greatly concerns ministers especially, in all ways possible, to promote the same; and in particular that they guide souls aright who are under a work of preparation. There are some who deny any necessity of the preparatory work of the Spirit of God in order to a closing with Christ. This is a very dark cloud, both as it is an evidence that men do not have the experience of that work in their own souls, and as it is a sign that such men are utterly unskillful in guiding others who are under this work. If this opinion should prevail in the land, it would give a deadly wound to religion. It would expose men to think of themselves as converted when they are not… For men must see the plague of their own hearts, their helplessness, and that they are like clay in the hand of the potter before them come to Christ, and so will be afraid and be searching themselves. (Solomon Stoddard, Guide to Christ)

Again, because of the vital importance of this issue it is needful that we go over and over it both for the sake of others and ourselves. The quotes from Pink and Stoddard show how vital this is and how their beliefs were in union with those of Adam. Men must see themselves as lost and utterly helpless in the hands of God to do with as He pleases. Where does one hear anything like that in these days? Where can one hear what in the past was considered a vital teaching in our day? We must see in ourselves and other sinners that there is utterly no hope in ourselves and yet there is a full hope in Christ when Christ is rested in totally and only. There is nothing in ourselves that we can trust in and that includes trusting in ourselves to trust in Christ.

As Pink so wisely points out, it is when we think that we have some remaining ability (however small) that repels the help of the Spirit. The mercy of God (by definition) is His helping those who cannot help themselves. When we can help ourselves, then we repel the very mercy of God who comes to us by the Spirit. Any idea that we have of having goodness is simply something we have and trust in that thrusts away our trusting in Christ alone to take away our sins. When we have not arrived at the point of seeing, understanding, and feeling that we are beyond all hope and ability in ourselves that makes us unable to believe. We must seek this from the hand of Christ who alone can break us and open our eyes to see our great need of being saved by Him apart from anything we can contribute.

Stoddard points out the utter necessity of this work in the heart. He says that when that opinion has prevailed in the land, it gives a deadly wound to religion. That opinion has not only prevailed in the land today, it is virtually the only opinion out there. The idea that the soul needs to be prepared by God to be saved is thought to be a system of works or adding to faith. Oh no, it is how God works to bring the soul to where it will be enabled to believe. It is not that the soul just lacks something to be able to believe, it is that the soul has insurmountable problems and walls to believe. The soul cannot believe in Christ alone until the wall of pride has been broken down. The soul cannot believe in Christ alone until the walls of self-love and pride are broken down. The soul cannot believe in Christ alone until the wall of enmity is taken away. There is nothing meritorious about this breaking of the heart; it is more like the walls that prevent true faith being removed. When those walls are not removed, there is no possibility of true faith. It is horribly dangerous for preachers not to set themselves against those walls, and if they do not then the faith people think they have is not a true faith.

The Gospel of Christ alone by grace alone cannot be preached unless the things above are preached. Eternal souls are bound in death behind the walls that they cannot break out from and preachers are not telling them that Christ alone can do that work for them and that Christ alone can give them repentance and faith. How can preachers even think that they are preaching the Gospel of Christ alone by grace alone when all they are doing is stating a few truths about Christ and telling people to believe those things? How can the deception be so strong when it is so clear that the proud heart is opposed to God and God opposes that heart and He only gives grace to the humble? Indeed the Gospel (true religion) has received a deep wound in our day. Will Christ find true faith on the earth when He returns?

But who is sufficient for these things? Is all this change a small matter? And is it in the power of man thus to renew his heart, and change the whole bent of his affections—i.e. to new make himself? No, no more than it was to make himself at the first. And therefore the Scripture tells us plainly, “that it is God who works in us both to will and to do;” that “without him:–without Christ, “the wisdom of God, and the power of God,” enlightening our understandings, and renewing our wills; “we can do nothing.” And those who think they can do great things for themselves, either never tried, or else they are ignorant of their case, and do not know the work that is before them. Dear brethren, if we mistake here, we lost all. We expect light where there is nothing but darkness; strength from weakness; and look for health and salvation where there is nothing but corruption and death. We are self-sufficient, and can only be self-saved, i.e. miserable, and left to perish by the work of our own hands. (Thomas Adam, 1701-1784)

This point is so important and yet so unknown and ignored in our day that it is necessary to go over and over it. For some reason the Puritan approach to this was set aside and the teaching of Finney took over and in our day the basic teaching of Finney is rampant. Not only did Finney think that man had the power to choose and be saved as he pleased, but Finney thought he had the power to convince men to believe. In this we see a denial of the doctrine of man as dead in sin and the doctrines of total depravity and inability. In this we see that man is given the power to apply salvation to himself and thus man was able to overcome his own sinful heart and do what was needed to finish saving himself. Underneath the modern teaching and evangelism of conversion and of spiritual growth, we see the teaching of Charles Finney and his Pelagianism. The teaching of sovereign grace (grace alone, free-grace) have been changed and adapted so that Pelagianism lurks and even controls the thinking and practice at this point.

“This false idea of ‘free-will’ is a real threat to salvation, and a delusion fraught with the most perilous consequences” (Luther).

“So these truths are published for the sake of the elect, that they may be humbled and brought down to nothing, and so saved. The rest of men resist this humiliation; indeed, they condemn the teaching of self-despair; they want a little something left that they can do for themselves. Secretly they continue proud, and enemies of the grace of God” (Luther).

“Again, ‘tis a disposition of soul natural to all men to have a high thought of their own righteousness. And hence, they are pone to reject those doctrines that teach man’s absolute dependence on the free and sovereign grace of God and salvation by the righteousness of Christ” (J. Edwards).

“Till you feel yourself in this extremity of weakness, you are not in a condition (if I may say so) to receive the heavenly help. Your idea of remaining ability is the very thing that repels the help of the Spirit, just as any idea of remaining goodness thrusts away the propitiation of the Savior. It is your not seeing that you have no strength that is keeping you from believing” (Pink).

Luther said so clearly in the first quote of his above that this false idea of free-will “is a real threat to salvation, and a delusion fraught with the most perilous consequences.” Why should people read on this and think on this so much? It is because this is a real threat to salvation. It is because this is a delusion that is fraught with the most perilous of consequences. It is not just that the thought of free-will is such a threat to salvation and such a delusion that it is fraught with the most perilous consequences, but even the teachings that deny free-will in this and yet depend on it in the way evangelism is done and the way sanctification is to be sought. If this is so dangerous then we must flee from it and all forms of it and all the things that it touches.

People want to leave something for themselves to do which is really resisting that broken heart and deep humiliation of the soul that God must work in the heart for it to trust in Christ alone. How can one trust in Christ alone while one still trusts in self? How easy it is for Reformed preachers not to stress these things and so they reject the doctrines of grace in practice while they speak highly of them in words. This is not just a teaching that must reach the mind, this is a teaching that must sink into the heart and God must work them in the heart.

But who is sufficient for these things? Is all this change a small matter? And is it in the power of man thus to renew his heart, and change the whole bent of his affections—i.e. to new make himself? No, no more than it was to make himself at the first. And therefore the Scripture tells us plainly, “that it is God who works in us both to will and to do;” that “without him:–without Christ, “the wisdom of God, and the power of God,” enlightening our understandings, and renewing our wills; “we can do nothing.” And those who think they can do great things for themselves, either never tried, or else they are ignorant of their case, and do not know the work that is before them. Dear brethren, if we mistake here, we lost all. We expect light where there is nothing but darkness; strength from weakness; and look for health and salvation where there is nothing but corruption and death. We are self-sufficient, and can only be self-saved, i.e. miserable, and left to perish by the work of our own hands. (Thomas Adam, 1701-1784)

Adam points out something that we should take care to focus on. “If we mistake here,” all is lost. This is seemingly a forgotten point in the modern day. The historians focus on historical things and preachers focus on getting money for bigger buildings and plan and preach to fill those bigger buildings. The huge problem, however, is that those buildings are filled with people who are being deceived. Even if preachers are orthodox and have orthodox creeds, the issue of numbers will be there as long as preachers are paid salaries. It is easy to be orthodox and it is easy to preach basic orthodoxy, but it is difficult to preach in a way that strips people of their self-sufficiency and self-righteousness. It is difficult to preach in a way that drives people to see their utter and absolute need of Christ. It is difficult to preach in a way that sets forth Christ and Christ alone as what is necessary for all things in salvation and sanctification, and that includes faith and repentance.

Adam understands that the doctrine of depravity, that is, of man’s total inability in spiritual things as a vital issue. Adam understands that the soul that looks to itself for faith is looking in the wrong direction and is mislead, even greatly deceived. Adam understands that the soul without Christ can do absolutely and utterly nothing in terms of what is spiritual and truly good. Adam understands that even believing souls must have Christ to do anything spiritual or truly good as well. The question, however, is that is biblical. If Adam is right about these things, and he does stand in the Puritan tradition as well as Luther and Calvin, then our present generation has missed the mark. What was understood as standard practice from Luther until the time of Finney has been rejected and Finney (his type of teaching that was based on Pelagian doctrine) has won the day.

But again, “if we mistake here, we lost all.” This is not just an intellectual discussion with people who can calmly discuss things that matter little, this is truly a vital point at a vital area. Following the thought of Adam on this, those who disagree with him have people looking for spiritual strength from those who have no spiritual strength at all. Those who disagree with him have people looking for health and salvation where there is nothing but open graves and death. Those who disagree with him look to people to be self-sufficient and to help out in their own salvation, but instead they will perish by the work of their own hands.

We must not pass by this vital issue with a simple sneer as if it is Hyper-Calvinism or something. The older writers thought that the heart of man must be emptied of self and pride (broken) in order for that heart to be able not to trust in self. It is as sinful to trust in self to trust in Christ as to trust in idols. When we trust in self that is our idol. When we trust in self to trust in Christ we have no idea of what it means to trust in Christ alone. The Lord Jesus not only purchased salvation, He procured it and He must apply it by the Spirit. The Gospel was not purchased for sinners and left up to them to apply it to themselves, but instead the Gospel is so fully procured that nothing is left for the sinner to do (in this sense) but look to Christ for a new heart, faith, repentance, and all things necessary. There is a reason that the Reformers spoke of Christ alone. It is because Christ saves from beginning to end and leaves nothing to chance and nothing left to do. Christ alone means Christ alone. May God open the eyes of people to see that they cannot trust in Christ until they have been turned by His grace from trusting in themselves.

But who is sufficient for these things? Is all this change a small matter? And is it in the power of man thus to renew his heart, and change the whole bent of his affections—i.e. to new make himself? No, no more than it was to make himself at the first. And therefore the Scripture tells us plainly, “that it is God who works in us both to will and to do;” that “without him:–without Christ, “the wisdom of God, and the power of God,” enlightening our understandings, and renewing our wills; “we can do nothing.” And those who think they can do great things for themselves, either never tried, or else they are ignorant of their case, and do not know the work that is before them. Dear brethren, if we mistake here, we lost all. We expect light where there is nothing but darkness; strength from weakness; and look for health and salvation where there is nothing but corruption and death. We are self-sufficient, and can only be self-saved, i.e. miserable, and left to perish by the work of our own hands. (Thomas Adam, 1701-1784)

Salvation is set out to men (today) as if they could give themselves a new heart and change themselves from being an enemy of God in their natures, affections, desires, and thoughts to one that loved God with all of those things. How can one read the Scriptures without seeing just how Scripture is dead set against that idea. Men must be born from above by the power of the Spirit rather than made new by the work of their own hands. This is as far from the biblical teaching as the east is from the west.

Why is it that the vast majority (seemingly all) of preachers never come to the point of showing men how dead they are and their utter insufficiency in these things? How can a man look to Christ alone unless he has been turned from trusting in himself in all ways? How can a man change his own heart and give himself a new nature? Again, it is utterly preposterous to even think that and yet that thinking has seemingly overwhelmed the professing churches in our day. How can the Gospel of Jesus Christ be truly preached if man does not see something of the way Christ is saving sinners? How can men look to the power of Christ if they do not see their own utter impotence? How can men know that their affections must be changed if they never hear from the pulpit that their present affections are wicked, evil, and opposite to all true good?

Could it be that the professing churches (many or most) have their pulpits filled with people ignorant of the basic issues of the Gospel? How can it even be considered that the Gospel has been preached until men have been shown the depths of their need of Christ? How can men think that they are faithful to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ until they have opened the Scriptures and have shown men that they are utterly powerless and need Christ to save them? How can men even imagine that they have preached the Gospel if they have not shown men how their own wisdom is foolishness to God so that they will see that Christ is the wisdom of God?

It is not acceptable to just show men the positive things of Christ and of Christianity, but instead there is a whole message to set forth in order that the positive would be seen in its true light. How criminal it is when preachers will not set forth the true nature of the depravity of man in such a way that men can see that they have no power and no ability to save themselves in the slightest. Jesus Christ is not the Savior of men who have some power to save themselves, but He is the Savior of those who are dead in sins and trespasses. He is Savior of those who have no power to save themselves. He is the Savior of those who are utterly helpless and completely impotent and they are so helpless that they can do nothing in the slightest way to contribute to their own salvation.

As Adam says above, if we are mistaken here, we are lost. This is a point that would be hard to emphasize beyond its level of importance. Until men see and feel the depths of their lostness, they will not understand what it is to hunger and thirst for Christ. Jesus called those who were weary and heavy-laden to Himself. Until men are indeed weary of themselves and of their sin they will not know the burden of it. If they are not weary and heavy-laden, then they are not called to Christ. The Gospel is not for those who trust in their religion or in their morality, it is for lost sinners who are burdened with their sin.