Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2608
“The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto ail and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:22,23.
THE Apostle here says that “there is no difference,” yet he does not mean that all men are alike in all respects. There are very many and important variations among men. It would be quite untrue and unjust to say that there are no differences of character even among unregenerate men, for there certainly are many varieties and gradations of sinners. There are some who have, as it were, sold themselves to work iniquity, and there are others who have, apparently, kept the Commandments of God from their youth up. There are some who delight in all manner of evil and there are others who, though they are not converted, hate the very mention of all the grosser vices and steer clear of such impurity. There are some people, not yet on the Lord’s side, who are like that rich young man of whom it is said that when Christ looked upon him, He loved him, for He saw much in him that was admirable. But, on the other hand, there are some who are manifestly sons of perdition, like Judas, of whom our Lord said that he was a devil. All men are not demons, or demoniacal. All are not equally hardened in heart. All do not go to the same excess of evil. So when Paul said, “There is no difference,” he did not mean that there are no differences of outward character.
Let us not be carried away with the idea that it does not matter what our outward character is—it matters a great deal! It shall be found, at the last, that the greatly guilty shall be greatly punished. “That servant who knew his lord’s will and prepared not himself, neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes.” God is not unjust! Even in taking vengeance upon His adversaries, He strictly observes justice at all times. It is for your good and for the good of those about you that you should be moral, temperate, chaste and honest—and God grant that you may be all that!
There are, then, differences of character among men, and there are, no doubt, differences of disposition which show themselves very early. Some children appear from the very first to be tender and docile, while others manifest a passionate and rebellious disposition. All of us probably know some friends who are not yet converted, but they are amiable, loving, considerate, kind—they have almost everything we could wish except the one thing necessary—God grant that they may soon have that, also! Though as yet they are not brought to Christ’s feet, they seem to have had a religious tendency from their very childhood and they delight to be found in the House of God and, at least externally, in the ways of God. even if their hearts are not, at present, renewed by Grace. There are, alas, others whose dispositions are the very reverse of all this—they seem disposed to everything that is bad. We have met with cases in godly families where young men, from the first moment in which they could have their liberty, have delighted to do that which at last broke their parents’ hearts. They have seemed to be, from the very first, fickle, vain, fond of pleasure, proud, willful and wicked. Beyond all question, there are differences of disposition in different persons. And when Paul says, “There is no difference,” he does not refer either to character or to disposition.
There are also in men who, as yet, are not saved, differences as to their readiness to receive the Word of God. There are some who are like the “honest and good ground” which is already plowed and harrowed—all that is needed is the handful of good Seed—and as soon as it is sown, they will take it in and, in due time, yield a harvest in return. Others are like the stony-ground hearers—apparently ready and prepared for the good Seed. They seem to receive the Word with joy, but, as the hard rock underneath has never been broken up and there has been no subsoil plowing, nothing permanent results from their hearing the Gospel message. There are others, again, who are like the hard-trodden highway— you may sow upon them as much seed as you like, but the only result will be to feed the birds. The fowls of the air will devour whatever is scattered upon them. May none of us be hearers of that sort!
So you see, dear Friends, that there are great differences among men in certain respects. The Apostle is speaking in this passage about one thing—and you must not stretch his meaning beyond that. There is one point in which there is no difference and that is that, “all have sinned.” All have forfeited every claim to personal righteousness! All must be made righteous by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to them—and all who would have that righteousness must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is one way of salvation, and only one—and whatever other differences there may be, there is no difference about this matter! If we are saved at all, we must all be saved in one way. My discourse is to run upon these lines. First, let us enlarge upon the doctrine that, in the matter of the Gospel and of salvation, “There is no difference.” Secondly, let us show its practical bearing upon ourselves. And then, thirdly, let us rejoice in the doctrine—let our hearts sing over it—for there is the raw material of many a holy song and Psalm within these few words, “There is no difference.”