Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2655
Jeremiah 5:3.
THERE is, in the heart of every one of us, the primary evil of sin. We have all transgressed against the Lord. So far, so bad, but that natural sin of ours may be greatly increased by a refusal to turn from it. It is bad enough to have violated God’s righteous Law, but to refuse to repent and to continue presumptuously in our iniquity must greatly increase our guilt in the sight of God. This guilt may be still further increased if we refuse to return unto the Lord when we are earnestly and affectionately invited to yield submission to Him. If gracious terms of peace are presented to us and matchless promises of blessing are made to us on condition that we return—and if we are often warned, often entreated, often threatened and yet we still refuse to return, then we continue to pile sin upon sin, till we make our first transgression to be incredibly great.
If I were now to preach to men as simply sinners, it would be a weighty message for me to have to tell them that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” But, alas, I have to preach to impenitent sinners, to those who, as our text puts it, “have refused to return,” yes, and to some who have given that refusal with great deliberation, after having been long entreated and persuaded to turn from the error of their ways. Some have been addressed in such tender, pleading language as this, “Turn you, turn you from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” Or this—“Seek you the Lord while He may be found, call you upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” If we have heard such language as that and yet have persisted in refusing to return, we have heaped guilt upon guilt—and the wrath of God will be in proportion to our sin!
I. My first objective, at this time, is to try to find out who are the persons to whom our text refers. And, to do so, I ask this question, WHO HAVE REFUSED TO RETURN? Perhaps I am addressing some persons who say, “You speak of those who have refused to return, who are they? We have done no such thing.” Listen and let conscience be at work while I am answering the question.
First, there are some who have refused to return and who have said as much. Perhaps not many of you, who are in this House of Prayer, have gone as far as that, but certainly many people in the great world have actually declared that they will not yield to God. Pharaoh said, “Who is Jehovah, that I should obey His voice?” And there are many who talk in the same fashion today. You may cry to them, “Turn you, turn you, for why will you die?” But they will not turn, they would rather die. They will sooner burn than turn! They will rather perish in their iniquities than be pardoned after repenting of their sins! And some even accompany their refusal with many a jest and gibe—they sneer at the majesty of Divine Mercy and ridicule that which is their only hope of safety! Concerning sinners of this type, the Lord says, “They have refused to return.”
Others there are who have promised to return, but they have spoken falsely. They have uttered fair words and pretty speeches, but there the matter has ended. When the Lord has said, “Go work today in My vineyard,” they have promptly answered, “Yes, we will go,” but they have not gone. In a very emphatic sense, “they have refused to return,” because they have promised to do so and then have not done it. He who says, “I will repent,” and then does not turn from his evil ways, is certainly no better than the man who said that he would not repent! As a matter of fact, he is even worse, for there is an honesty of outspokenness about the other man who says, “I will not,” while there is the falseness of gross hypocrisy in the one who says, “I go, Sir,” but who does not go. I fear I have a large number of this order of persons in my congregation—they have never flatly refused the Gospel invitation, as some have openly done, yet they have practically refused it.
There is many a man who has said to the preacher, by his actions if not in words, what Felix said to Paul, “Go your way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call for you.” But the convenient season has not yet arrived and, in all probability it never will, for they have no more idea of receiving the Gospel message today then they had 10 years ago! With all their friendly appearance and flattering words, they must be put down among those who “have refused to return.” I am sure that when I say this, I do but speak the words of truth and justice.
There are some others who “have refused to return” and who have tried to palliate their offense, and quiet their conscience by offering something else to God instead of really returning to Him. They will not turn from sin, but they will “take the sacrament,” as they call the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper. They will not leave their lusts, but they will go to a place of worship. They will not cease from their wicked ways, but they will go on giving to various charities. They will not leave off lying, or committing other offenses against God, but they will assume a pious appearance, they will sing a hymn, they will spend half an hour in reading the Scriptures and a form of prayer, though such an occupation is a great burden to them—but all that is utterly useless! The Lord has said that He will have mercy—not sacrifice. He desires us to turn from our wicked ways and to return to Him. And if we will not, any sacrifices that we may bring to Him will be but vain oblations and God will put them away from Him as things that are abhorred and detestable in His sight.