Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2200
“And I will put My Spirit within you.” Ezekiel 36:27.
No preface is needed and the largeness of our subject forbids our wasting time in beating about the bush. I shall try to do two things this morning—first, I would commend the text. And, secondly, I would, in some measure, expound the text.
I. First, as for THE COMMENDATION OF THE TEXT, the tongues of men and of angels might fail. To call it a golden sentence would be much too commonplace—to liken it to a pearl of great price would be too poor a comparison! We cannot feel, much less speak, too much in praise of that great God who has put this clause into the Covenant of His Grace. In that Covenant, every sentence is more precious than Heaven and earth—and this line is not the least among His choice words of promise—“I will put My Spirit within you.”
I would begin by saying that it is a gracious Word. It was spoken to a graceless people, to a people who had followed “their own way” and refused the way of God—a people who had already provoked something more than ordinary anger in the Judge of all the earth, for He, Himself, said (v 18), “I poured My fury upon them.” These people, even under chastisement, caused the holy name of God to be profaned among the heathen wherever they went! They had been highly favored, but they abused their privileges and behaved worse than those who never knew the Lord. They sinned wantonly, willfully, wickedly, proudly and presumptuously and, by this, they greatly provoked the Lord. Yet to them He made such a promise as this—“I will put My Spirit within you.” Surely, where sin abounded Divine Grace did much more abound!
Clearly this is a Word of Grace, for the Law says nothing of this kind. Turn to the Law of Moses and see if there is any Word of God spoken therein concerning the putting of the Spirit within men to cause them to walk in God’s statutes. The Law proclaims the statutes, but only the Gospel promises the Spirit by which the statutes will be obeyed. The Law commands and makes us know what God requires of us, but the Gospel goes further and inclines us to obey the will of the Lord and enables us, practically, to walk in His ways. Under the dominion of Grace the Lord works in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure!
So great a gift as this could never come to any man by merit. A man might so act as to deserve a reward of a certain kind, in measure suited to his commendable action, but the Holy Spirit can never be the wage of human service—the idea verges upon blasphemy! Can any man deserve that Christ should die for him? Who would dream of such a thing? Can any man deserve that the Holy Spirit should dwell in him and work holiness in him? The greatness of the blessing lifts it high above the range of merit and we see that if the Holy Spirit is bestowed, it must be by an act of Divine Grace—Grace infinite in bounty, exceeding all that we could have imagined. “Sovereign Grace over sin abounding” is here seen in clearest light. “I will put My Spirit within you” is a promise which drops with Graces as the honeycomb with honey! Listen to the Divine music which pours from this Word of Love. I hear the soft melody of Grace, Grace, Grace and nothing else but Grace. Glory be to God, who gives to sinners the indwelling of His Spirit!
Note, next, that it is a Divine Word— “I will put My Spirit within you.” Who but the Lord could speak after this fashion? Can one man put the Spirit of God within another? Could all the Church combined breathe the Spirit of God into a single sinner’s heart? To put any good thing into the deceitful heart of man is a great achievement, but to put the Spirit of God into the heart, truly, this is the finger of God! No, here I may say, the Lord has made bare His arm and displayed the fullness of His mighty power! To put the Spirit of God into our nature is a work peculiar to the Godhead and
to do this within the nature of a free agent, such as man, is marvelous! Who but Jehovah, the God of Israel, can speak after this royal style and, beyond all dispute, declare, “I will put My Spirit within you”?
Men must always surround their resolves with conditions and uncertainties, but since Omnipotence is at the back of every promise of God, He speaks like a king, yes, in a style which is only fit for the eternal God! He purposes and promises and He as surely performs. Sure, then, is this sacred saying, “I will put My Spirit within you.” Sure, because Divine! O Sinner, if we poor creatures had the saving of you, we should break down in the attempt, but, behold, the Lord, Himself, comes on the scene and the work is done! All difficulties are removed by this one sentence, “I will put My Spirit within you.” We have worked with our spirit, we have wept over you and we have entreated you—but we have failed. Lo, there comes One into the matter who will not fail, with whom nothing is impossible! And He begins His work by saying, “I will put My Spirit within you.” The Word is of Grace and of God—regard it, then, as a pledge from the God of Grace.