25 OCTOBER (1868)
Sins of omission
‘Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.’ Jeremiah 11:8
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING (Spurgeon): Matthew 25:14–30
Consider what God thinks of omissions. Saul was ordered to kill the Amalekites and not to let one escape. He saved Agag and the best of the cattle, and for that, though he had positively done nothing but simply stayed his hand, the Lord put him away from being king over Israel. Ahab was commanded to kill Benhadad on account of innumerable cruelties. Benhadad was taken captive, but Ahab treated him with great leniency and, because he let him go, the result was that Ahab’s life would go for his life. Non-obedience ruined Ahab.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the gentlest of all men, and yet there was one miracle which had a degree of vengeance in it; what was that? He stood under a fig tree, saw there leaves but no fruit and said, ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever’, as if to show that fruitless things provoked his anger, not so much brambles which bear their thorns, but fig trees which ought to bear figs and do not. Remember the parable of the talents. The man with one talent was condemned not for squandering his Lord’s money, but because he had not increased it. So in God’s opinion not doing good is sufficient to condemn men, even if they have not committed positive evil.
When the Holy Spirit convinces men of sin, what is the special sin which he reveals? Adultery? Robbery? No, a sin of omission—‘of sin, because they believe not on me’. Omitting to trust in Jesus is the master sin of which the Holy Spirit convicts the world. Remember that solemn question in Hebrews 2:3—‘how shall we escape if we’ what? Swear? Frequent the tavern? No, ‘if we neglect so great salvation’? Lifelong neglect of salvation involves us in danger from which there is no escape.
FOR MEDITATION: Unbelievers express surprise at the foolish things Christians refuse to do (1 Peter 4:4). The Lord Jesus Christ expresses sadness at the wise things unbelievers refuse to do (Matthew 23:37–38), such as receiving him and trusting in him for salvation (John 1:11; 3:18). To fail to do what we know to be right is sin (James 4:17).
C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 3), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2005), 306.
Sins of omission
‘Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.’ Jeremiah 11:8
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING (Spurgeon): Matthew 25:14–30
Consider what God thinks of omissions. Saul was ordered to kill the Amalekites and not to let one escape. He saved Agag and the best of the cattle, and for that, though he had positively done nothing but simply stayed his hand, the Lord put him away from being king over Israel. Ahab was commanded to kill Benhadad on account of innumerable cruelties. Benhadad was taken captive, but Ahab treated him with great leniency and, because he let him go, the result was that Ahab’s life would go for his life. Non-obedience ruined Ahab.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the gentlest of all men, and yet there was one miracle which had a degree of vengeance in it; what was that? He stood under a fig tree, saw there leaves but no fruit and said, ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever’, as if to show that fruitless things provoked his anger, not so much brambles which bear their thorns, but fig trees which ought to bear figs and do not. Remember the parable of the talents. The man with one talent was condemned not for squandering his Lord’s money, but because he had not increased it. So in God’s opinion not doing good is sufficient to condemn men, even if they have not committed positive evil.
When the Holy Spirit convinces men of sin, what is the special sin which he reveals? Adultery? Robbery? No, a sin of omission—‘of sin, because they believe not on me’. Omitting to trust in Jesus is the master sin of which the Holy Spirit convicts the world. Remember that solemn question in Hebrews 2:3—‘how shall we escape if we’ what? Swear? Frequent the tavern? No, ‘if we neglect so great salvation’? Lifelong neglect of salvation involves us in danger from which there is no escape.
FOR MEDITATION: Unbelievers express surprise at the foolish things Christians refuse to do (1 Peter 4:4). The Lord Jesus Christ expresses sadness at the wise things unbelievers refuse to do (Matthew 23:37–38), such as receiving him and trusting in him for salvation (John 1:11; 3:18). To fail to do what we know to be right is sin (James 4:17).
C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 3), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2005), 306.
25 OCTOBER (1868)
Sins of omission
‘Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not.’ Jeremiah 11:8
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING (Spurgeon): Matthew 25:14–30
Consider what God thinks of omissions. Saul was ordered to kill the Amalekites and not to let one escape. He saved Agag and the best of the cattle, and for that, though he had positively done nothing but simply stayed his hand, the Lord put him away from being king over Israel. Ahab was commanded to kill Benhadad on account of innumerable cruelties. Benhadad was taken captive, but Ahab treated him with great leniency and, because he let him go, the result was that Ahab’s life would go for his life. Non-obedience ruined Ahab.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was the gentlest of all men, and yet there was one miracle which had a degree of vengeance in it; what was that? He stood under a fig tree, saw there leaves but no fruit and said, ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever’, as if to show that fruitless things provoked his anger, not so much brambles which bear their thorns, but fig trees which ought to bear figs and do not. Remember the parable of the talents. The man with one talent was condemned not for squandering his Lord’s money, but because he had not increased it. So in God’s opinion not doing good is sufficient to condemn men, even if they have not committed positive evil.
When the Holy Spirit convinces men of sin, what is the special sin which he reveals? Adultery? Robbery? No, a sin of omission—‘of sin, because they believe not on me’. Omitting to trust in Jesus is the master sin of which the Holy Spirit convicts the world. Remember that solemn question in Hebrews 2:3—‘how shall we escape if we’ what? Swear? Frequent the tavern? No, ‘if we neglect so great salvation’? Lifelong neglect of salvation involves us in danger from which there is no escape.
FOR MEDITATION: Unbelievers express surprise at the foolish things Christians refuse to do (1 Peter 4:4). The Lord Jesus Christ expresses sadness at the wise things unbelievers refuse to do (Matthew 23:37–38), such as receiving him and trusting in him for salvation (John 1:11; 3:18). To fail to do what we know to be right is sin (James 4:17).
C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 3), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2005), 306.
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