Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 838
Delivered on Lord’s-Day Morning, October 25, 1868, by C. H. SPURGEON, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington..
“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.
JEREMIAH was commissioned of God to bring a solemn accusation against rebellious Israel and he commences by solemnly mentioning their sins of omission. Observe that neglect of the Divine command is the charge brought in the text. In the next verses, the Prophet goes on to mention their sins of commission, but he very properly gives the first place to their shortcomings in positive service. He reminds them of what they had not done which they ought to have done and how constantly and persistently they had refused to render active obedience to the righteous will of the Most High.
Brothers and Sisters, it is well for us to have our sins brought to our remembrance. This morning we may spend a little time most profitably by looking into the glass of Holy Scripture to discover the spots upon our countenances. Perhaps some of your sins have never been forgiven because you have never sought to have them pardoned—you may have never been sufficiently conscious of the danger in which they placed you—may you be, by the Holy Spirit, this morning convicted of sin and led to Jesus!
While I shall be trying to speak of your great omissions, perhaps conscience may be at work, and the Holy Spirit may work through conscience so that you may be led to repentance, and to faith, and through faith to salvation. “It is a consummation devoutly to be wished.” Others here who have been pardoned—who rejoice everyday in the perfect forgiveness which they have found at the foot of Christ’s Cross—will, nevertheless, be benefited by being reminded of their sins, for thus they will be humbled. Thus they will be led to prize more the great atoning sacrifice. Thus they will be driven again to renew the simplicity of their faith as they look to Him on whom Jehovah made to meet the iniquities of all His people.
God grant that also, for His name’s sake, I shall, this morning, take rather the spirit of the text than the words of it. The subject will be sins of omission.
I. First, I would call your attention to THE GREAT COMMONNESS OF THESE. Their commonness in the wide world. Their frequency in our own circle of society. And to each man, to each woman, I would say to their abundance in your own heart. Here it is observed at the outset that in a certain sense all offenses against the Law of God come under the head of sins of omission, for in every sin of commission there is an omission—an omission, at least, of that godly fear which would have prevented disobedience.
Our Lord has told us that the whole law is summarized in these two Commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself.” Since, then, every sin must be a breach of this all-comprehensive Law, every sin must, from a certain aspect, be a sin of omission. Consider, then, how multitudinous have been your omissions and mine! Have we loved the Lord our God with all our heart? Perhaps you have omitted to love Him at all. You who have loved Him have omitted to love Him with “all your heart.” And if at any time you have loved with “all your heart,” yet you have omitted to continue in this.
There have been slowing downs and intermissions—and every omission of obedience becomes a distinct act of disobedience to the Most High. We have not served Him with “all our mind,” any more than with all our heart. That is to say we have not yielded up our understanding to His infinite wisdom and authority. We have even dared to re-judge His judgments and murmur against His Providences. We have not surrendered our wills to His will, but have desired things contrary to His purpose and to His Truth.
Neither has our strength been entirely devoted to His service. We have not done unto You, Creator and Preserver, at all according to the benefits which we have received. Take the first four Commandments, which make up the first table, and what sins of omission have we all committed there! We have omitted to make God the Chief, the First, the Foremost, the only Lord of our spirit, and we have too often had other gods before Him. We have omitted to treat His name with the reverence which He demands. And if we have not committed profanity or blasphemy, yet that name has not always been hallowed by us as it should have been.
As for His day, it has not always been sacredly guarded as a day of mental as well as bodily rest. We have done servile work in our minds, if not with our hands, by our many cares and fretfulness and so have failed to honor our God with the joyful worship which He deserves. Think, dear Friends, especially you who know God, and rejoice in Him, how ill you have treated the Father of your spirits! He deserved, since He has bought you with the blood of His dear Son, to be served with an all-consuming earnestness. He rightly claims the cream of our thoughts, the best of our meditations, and that our souls should always be diligent in His service. But alas, we have been sluggards and idlers! We have not spoken well of His name. We have not sounded abroad His Glory. We have not been obedient to His will. We are unprofitable servants. We have not done what it was our duty to have done towards our God.