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08 - The First Fruits of the Spirit - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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The first fruits of the Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation to them
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which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
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the Spirit Romans eight, verse one. By them which are in Christ Jesus,
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Saint Paul evidently means those who truly believe in Him, those who,
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being justified by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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They who thus believe do no longer walk after the flesh, no longer follow
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the motions of corrupt nature, but after the Spirit. Both their thoughts,
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words, and works are under the direction of the blessed Spirit of God.
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There is therefore now no condemnation to these. There is no condemnation to them
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from God, for He hath justified them freely by His grace through the redemption
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that is in Jesus. He hath forgiven all their iniquities and blotted out all
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their sins. And there is no condemnation to them from within. For they
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have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of
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God, that they might know the things which are freely given to them of
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God. One Corinthians two, verse twelve, which spirit beareth witness with their
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spirits, that they are the children of God. And to this is added
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the testimony of their conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with
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fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, they have had their conversation
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in the world second Corinthians one, verse twelve. But because this scripture has
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been so frequently misunderstood, and that in so dangerous a manner, because such
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multitudes of unlearned and unstable men hoi Ametheus kai asterich TOI, men untaught of
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God and consequently unestablished in the truth which is after Godliness, have rested it
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to their own destruction. I propose to show as clearly as I can,
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first who those are which are in Jesus Christ and walk not after the flesh,
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but after the spirit. And secondly, how there is no condemnation to
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these I shall conclude with some practical inferences. First, I am to show
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who those are that are in Christ Jesus, And are they not those who
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believe in His name, Those who are found in Him, not having their
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own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of God by faith. These who
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have redemption through His blood are properly said to be in Him. For they
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dwell in Christ, and Christ in them. They are joined unto the Lord
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in one's spirit. They are engrafted into Him as branches into the vine.
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They are united as members to their head, in a manner which words cannot
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express, nor could it before enter into their hearts to conceive. Now,
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whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not, walketh not after the flesh. The flesh,
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in the usual language of Saint Paul, signifies corrupt nature. In this
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sense, he uses the word, writing to the Galatians, the works of
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the flesh are manifest Galatians five, verse nineteen, and a little before walk
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in the spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust or desire of the
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flesh verse sixteen. To prove which, namely, that those who walk by
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the spirit do not fulfill the lust of the flesh, he immediately adds,
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for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit lusteth against the flesh.
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For these are contrary to each other. That ye may not do the
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things which ye would. So the words are literally true translated Heina may Ha
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and Theli Tauta poetae not so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,
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as if the flesh overcame the Spirit, a translation which hath not only
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nothing to do with the original text of the Apostle, but likewise makes his
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whole argument nothing worth yea assert just the reverse of what he is proving.
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They who are of Christ, who abide in Him, have crucified the flesh
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with its affections and luss. They abstain from all those works of the flesh,
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from adultery and fornication, from uncleanness and lasciviousness, from idolatry, witchcraft,
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hatred, variance, from emulations, wrath, strife, sedition, heresies,
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en beings, murderers, drunkenness, revelings, from every design and word
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and work to which the corruption of nature leads. Although they feel the root
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of bitterness in themselves, yet are they endued with power from on high to
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trample it continually under foot, so that it cannot spring up to trouble them,
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insomuch that every fresh assault which they undergo only gives them fresh occasion of
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praise, of crying out thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory
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through Jesus Christ, our Lord. They now walk after the Spirit, both
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in their hearts and lives. They are taught of Him to love God and
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their neighbor with a love which is as a well of water springing up into
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everlasting life. And by Him they are led into every holy desire, into
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every divine and heavenly temper, till every thought which arises in their hearts is
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holiness. Unto the Lord, they who walk after the Spirit are also led
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by Him into all holiness of conversation. Their speech is always in grace,
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seasoned with salt, with the love and fear of God. No corrupt communication
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comes out of their mouth, but only that which is good, that which
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is to the use of edifying, which is meet to minister grace to the
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hearers. And herein likewise do they exercise themselves day and night, to do
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only the things which please God in all their outward behavior. To follow Him
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who left us an example that we might tread in his steps in all their
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intercourse with their neighbor, to walk in justice, mercy, and truth,
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and whatsoever they do in every circumstance of life, to do all to the
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glory of God. These are they who indeed walk after the Spirit, being
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filled with faith and with the Holy Ghost. They possess in their hearts and
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show forth in their lives, in the whole course of their words and actions,
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the genuine fruits of the Spirit of God, namely love, joy,
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peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, temperance,
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and whatsoever else is lovely or praiseworthy. They adorn in all things the Gospel
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of God or Savior, and give full proof to all mankind that they are
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indeed actuated by the same spirit which raised up Jesus from the dead. I
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propose to show in the second place, how there is no condemnation to them
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which are thus in Christ Jesus, and thus walk not after the flesh,
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but after the Spirit, and first to believers in Christ walking. Thus there
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is no condemnation on account of their past sins. God condemneth them not for
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any of these. They are as though they had never been. They are
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cast as a stone into the depth of the sea, and He remembereth them
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no more. God, having set forth his son to be a propitiation for
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them them through faith in his blood, hath declared unto them his righteousness for
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the remission of the sins that are past. He layeth therefore none of these
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to their charge. Their memorial is perished with them, and there is no
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condemnation in their own breast, no sense of guilt or dread of the wrath
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of God. They have the witness in themselves. They are conscious of their
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interest in the blood of sprinkling. They have not received again the spirit of
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bondage and a fear unto doubt and racking uncertainty. But they have received the
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spirit of adoption, crying in their heart Abbah Father. Thus being justified by
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faith, they have the peace of God ruling in their hearts, flowing from
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a continual sense of His pardoning mercy, and the answer of a good conscience
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toward God. If it be said, but sometimes a believer in Christ may
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lose his sight of the mercy of God. Sometimes such darkness may fall upon
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him that he no longer sees him that is invisible, no longer feels that
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witness in himself of his part in the atoning Blood. And then he is
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inwardly condemned. He hath again the sentence of death in himself. I answer,
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supposing it so to be, supposing him not to see the mercy of
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God, then he is not a believer. For faith implies light. The
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light of God shining upon the soul. So far therefore, as anyone loses
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this light, he for the time loses his faith. And no doubt,
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a true believer in Christ may lose the light of faith, and so far
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as this is lost, he may for a time fall again into condemnation.
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But this is not the case of them who now are in Christ Jesus,
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who now believe in His name. For so long as they believe and walk
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after the Spirit, neither God condemns them, nor their own heart. They
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are not condemned. Secondly, for any present sins for now transgressing the commandments
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of God. For they do not transgress them. They do not walk after
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the flesh, but after the Spirit. This is the continual proof of their
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love of God, that they keep His commandments. Even as Saint John bears
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witness, whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed
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remaineth in him. And he cannot sin because he is born of God.
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He cannot so long as that seed of God, that loving, holy faith
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remaineth in him, So long as he keepeth himself herein that wicked one toucheth
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him. Not. Now it is evident he is not condemned for the sins
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which he doth not commit at all. They, therefore, who are thus
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led by the spirit, are not under the law Galatians five, verse eighteen,
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not under the curse of condemnation of it, for it condemns none but
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those who break it. Thus, that law of God thou shalt not steal,
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condemns none but those who do steal. Thus remember the Sabbath day to
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keep it holy, condemns those only who do not keep it holy, but
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against the fruits of the spirit. There is no law Chapter five, verse
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twenty three. As the Apostle more largely declares in those memorable words of his
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former epistle to Timothy, we know that the law is good if a man
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use it lawfully, knowing this. If while he uses the law of God
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in order either to convince or direct, he know and remember this Hoti de
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kayo nomos ao qitai, not that the law is not made for a righteous
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man, but that the law does not lie against a righteous man. It
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has no force against him, no power to condemn him, but against the
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lawless and disobedient, against the ungodly sinners, against the unholy and profane.
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According to the glorious Gospel of the Blessed God one Timothy one, Verses eight,
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nine and eleven. They are not condemned. Thirdly for inward sin,
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even though it does now remain that the corruption of nature does still remain even
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in those who are the children of God, by faith that they have in
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them the seeds of pride and vanity, of anger, lust and evil desire.
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Yea sin of every kind is too plain to be denied, being matter
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of daily experience. And on this account it is that Saint Paul, speaking
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to those whom he had just before witnessed to be in Christ Jesus first Corinthians
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one, Verses two and nine, to have been called of God into the
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fellowship or participation of his son Jesus Christ. Yet declares, brethren, I
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could not speak unto you as undo spiritual, but as unto carnal, even
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as unto Babes in Christ. One Corinthians three, verse one. Babes in
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Christ. So we see they were in Christ. They were believers in a
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low degree. And yet how much of sin remained in them of that carnal
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mind which is not subject to the law of God. And yet for all
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this they are not condemned, although they feel the flesh the evil nature in
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them, although they are more sensible day by day that their heart is deceitful
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and desperately wicked. Yet so long as they do not yield there too,
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so long as they give no place to the devil, so long as they
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maintain a continual war with all sin, with pride, anger desire, so
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that the flesh hath not dominion over them, but they still walk after the
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Spirit, there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. God
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is well pleased with their sincere, though imperfect obedience, and they have confidence
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toward God, knowing they are His by the spirit which He hath given them
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First John three, verse twenty four. Nay, Fourthly, although they are
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continually convinced of sin, cleaving to all they do, although they are conscious
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of not fulfilling the perfect law, either in their thoughts or words or works,
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although they know they do not love the Lord their God with all their
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heart and mind and soul and strength, although they feel more or less of
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pride or self will, stealing in and mixing with their best duties. Although
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even in their more immediate intercourse with God, when they assemble themselves with the
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great congregation, and when they pour out their souls in secret to Him who
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seeth all the thoughts and intents of the heart, they are continually ashamed of
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their wandering thoughts, or of the deadness and dulness of their affections. Yet
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there is no condemnation to them still, either from God or from their own
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heart. The consideration of these manifold defects only gives them a deeper sense that
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they have always need of that blood of sprinkling, which speaks for them in
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the ears of God, and that advocate with the Father, who ever liveth
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to make intercession for them. So far as these from driving them away from
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Him in whom they have believed, that, they rather drive them the closer
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to Him, whom they feel the want of every moment. And at the
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same time, the deeper sense they have of this want, the more earnest
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desire do they feel, and the more diligent they are as they have received
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the Lord Jesus so to walk in him. They are not condemned. Fifthly,
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for sins of infirmity, as they are usually called. Perhaps it were
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advisable rather to call them infirmities, that we may not seem to give any
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countenance to sin, or to extenuate it in any degree by thus coupling it
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with infirmity. But if we must retain so ambiguous and dangerous an expression by
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sins of infirmity, I would mean such involuntary failings as the saying a thing
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we believe true though in fact it proved to be false. Or they're hurting
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our neighbor without knowing or designing it, perhaps when we design to do him
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good. Though these are deviations from the holy and acceptable and perfect will of
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God, yet they are not properly sins, nor do they bring any guilt
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on the conscience of them which are in Christ Jesus. They separate not between
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God and them, neither intercept the light of His countenance, as being no
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ways inconsistent with their general character of walking not after the flesh but after the
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spirit. Lastly, there is no condemnation to them for anything whatever which it
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is not in their power to help, whether it be of an inward or
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outward nature, and whether it be doing something or leaving something undone. For
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instance, the Lord's supper is to be administered, but you do not partake
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thereof Why do you not. You are confined by sickness. Therefore you cannot
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help omitting it. And for the same reason you are not condemned. There
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is no guilt because there is no choice, as there is a willing mind.
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It is accepted according to that a man hath not, according to that
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he hath not. A believer indeed may sometimes be grieved because he cannot do
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what his soul longs for. He may cry out when he is detained from
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worshiping God in the great congregation. Like as the heart panteth after the water
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brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God. So is a thirst
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for God, yea even for the living God. When shall I come to
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appear in the presence of God? He may earnestly desire, only, still
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saying in his heart, not as I will, but as THOU wilt to
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go again with the multitude and bring them forth into the House of God.
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But still, if he cannot go, he feels no condemnation, no guilt,
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no sense of God's displeasure, but can cheerfully yield up those desires with
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O, my soul, Put thy trust in God, for I will yet
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give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance and my God.
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It is more difficult to determine concerning those which are usually styled sins of surprise,
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as when one who commonly impatience possesses his soul on a sudden and violent
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temptation, speaks or acts in a manner not consistent with the royal law Thou
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shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Perhaps it is not easy to fix a
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general rule concerning transgressions of this nature. We cannot say either that men are
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or that they are not condemned for sins of surprise in general. But it
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seems whenever a believer is, by surprise overtaken in a fault, there is
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more or less condemnation, as there is more or less concurrence of his will
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in proportion as a sinful desire or word or action is more or less voluntary.
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So we may conceive God is more or less displeased, and there is
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more or less guilt upon the soul. But if so, then there may
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be some sins of surprise which bring much guilt and condemnation. For in some
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instances our being surprised is owing to some wilful and culpable neglect or to a
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sleepiness of soul which might have been prevented or shaken off before the temptation came.
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A man may be previously warned, either of God or man, that
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trials and dangers are at hand, and yet may say in his heart,
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a little more slumber, a little more folding of the hands to rest.
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Now if such an one afterwards fall, though unawares, into the snare which
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he might have avoided, That he fell unawares is no excuse. He might
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have foreseen and have shunned the danger. The falling even by surprise. In
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such an instance as this is in effect a wilful sin, and as such
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must expose the sinner to condemnation both from God and his own conscience. On
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the other hand, there may be sudden assaults, either from the world or
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the God of this world, and frequently from our own evil hearts, which
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we did not and hardly could foresee. And by these even a believer,
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while weak in faith, may possibly be borne down, suppose into a degree
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of anger or thinking evil of another, with scarce any concurrence of his will.
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Now in such a case, the jealous God would undoubtedly show him that
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he had done foolishly. He would be convinced of having swerved from the perfect
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law, from the mind which was in Christ, and consequently grieved with a
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godly sorrow and lovingly ashamed before God. Yet need he not come into condemnation.
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God layeth not folly to his charge, but hath compassion upon him,
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even as a father pitieth his own children, and his heart condemneth him.
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Not In the midst of that sorrow and shame, he can still say,
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I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength
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and my song. He also is become my salvation. It remains only to
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draw some practical inferences from the preceding considerations. And first, if there be
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no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, and walk not after the
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flesh but after the spirit, on account of their past sin, then why
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art thou fearful, O, thou of little faith, though thy sins were
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once more in number than the sand? What is that to thee Now thou
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art in Christ Jesus, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect
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It is God that justifieth, Who is he that condemneth all the sins thou
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hast committed from thy youth up until the hour when thou wast accepted in the
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beloved, are driven away, as chaff are gone, are lost, swallowed
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up, remembered no more. Thou art now born of the spirit. Wilt
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thou be troubled or afraid of what is done before thou wert born away with
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thy fears. Thou art not called to fear, but to the spirit of
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love, and of a sound mind. Know thy calling. Rejoice in God,
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thy Savior, and give thanks to God thy Father through him. Wilt
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thou say, but I have again committed sin, since I had redemption through
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His blood. And therefore it is that I abhor myself and repent in dust
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and ashes. It is meet thou shouldst abhor thyself. And it is God
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who hath wrought THEE to this self same thing. But dost thou now believe
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hath He again enable THEE to say, I know that my Redeemer liveth and
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the life which I now live I live by faith in the Son of God.
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Then that faith again cancels all that is past, and there is no
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condemnation to THEE. At whatsoever time thou truly believest in the name of the
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Son of God all thy sins and accedin to that hour vanish away as the
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morning. Do now then stand thou fast in the liberty, wherewith Christ hath
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made thee free. He hath once more made thee free from the power of
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sin, as well as from the guilt and punishment of it. Oh,
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be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, neither the vile, devilish
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bondage of sin, of evil desires, evil tempers, or words or works,
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the most grievous yoke on this side hell, nor the bondage of slavish
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tormenting, fear of guilt and self condemnation. But secondly, do all they
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which abide in Christ Jesus walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
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Then we cannot but infer that whosoever now committeth sin hath no part or
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lot in this matter. He is even now condemned by his own heart.
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But if our heart condemn us, if our own conscience beareth witness that we
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are guilty, undoubtedly God doth, for he is greater than our heart,
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and knoweth all things, so that we cannot deceive him. If we can
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ourselves and think not to say I was justified. Once my sins were once
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forgiven me. I know not that, neither will I dispute whether they were
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or no. Perhaps at this distance of time it is next to impossible to
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know with any tolerable degree of certainty whether that was a true, genuine work
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of God, or whether thou didst only deceive thy own soul. But this
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I know with the utmost degree of certainty. He that committeth sin is of
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the devil. Therefore thou art of thy father, the devil. It cannot
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be denied for the works of thy father. Thou doest o flatter not thyself
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with vain hopes, Say not to thy soul peace peace, For there is
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no peace. Cry aloud, cry unto God out of the deep. If
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haply he may hear thy voice come unto him as at first, as wretched
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and poor, as sinful, miserable, blind and naked. And beware thou
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suffer thy soul to take no rest till his pardoning love be again revealed,
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till he heal thy backslidings and fill thee again with the faith that worketh by
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love. Thirdly, is there no condemnation to them which walk after the spirit.
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By reason of inward sin still remaining, so long as they do not
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give way thereto, nor by reason of sin, cleaving to all they do.
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Then fret not thyself because of ungodliness, though it still remain in thy
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heart. Repine not because thou still comest short of the glorious image of God,
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nor yet because pride self will or unbelief. Cleave to all thy words
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and works, And be not afraid to know all this evil of thy heart.
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To know thyself as also thou art known yea desire of God, that
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thou mayest not think of thyself more highly than thou oughtest to think. Let
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thy continual prayer be show me as my soul can bear the depth of inbred
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sin. All the unbelief, declare the pride that lurks within. But when
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He heareth thy prayer and unveils thy heart, when he shows THEE thoroughly what
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spirit thou art of, then beware that thy faith fail Thee, not that
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thou suffer not thy shield to be torn from THEE, be abased, be
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humbled in the dust, see thyself nothing less than nothing and vanity. But
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still let not thy heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid still hold
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fast. I even I have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
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Righteous. And as the heavens are higher than the earth, so is his
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love higher than even my sins. Therefore God is merciful to THEE a sinner,
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such a sinner as thou art. God is love, and Christ hath
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died. Therefore the Father himself loveth thee. Thou art his child. Therefore
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he will withhold from THEE no manner of thing that is good? Is it
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good that the whole body of sin, which is now crucified in THEE,
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should be destroyed? It shall be done. Thou shalt be cleansed from all
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filthiness, both of flesh and spirit. Is it good that nothing should remain
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in thy heart? But the pure love of God alone be of good?
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Cheer Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart and
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mind and soul and strength. Faithful is he that hath promised, who also
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will do it? It is thy part patiently to continue in the work of
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faith and in the labor of love, and in cheerful peace, in humble
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confidence, with calm and resigned and yet earnest expectation, to wait till the
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zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall perform this. Fourthly, if they that
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are in Christ and walk after the Spirit are not condemned for sins of infirmity,
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as neither for involuntary failings, nor for anything whatever which they are not
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able to help, then beware, o thou that hast faith in His blood,
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that satan herein gain no advantage over thee Thou art still foolish and weak,
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blind and ignorant, more weak than any words can express, more foolish
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than it call. Yet enter into thy heart to conceive, knowing nothing yet
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as thou oughtest to know. Yet let not all thy weakness and folly,
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or any fruit thereof which thou art not yet able to avoid, shake thy
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faith, thy flile trust in God, or disturb thy peace or joy in
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the Lord. The rule which some give as to wilful sins, and which
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in that case may perhaps be dangerous, is undoubtedly wise and safe if it
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be applied only to the case of weakness and infirmities. Art thou fallen no
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man of God? Yet do not lie there fretting thyself and bemoaning thy weakness,
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But meekly say, Lord, I shall fall every mon, unless thou
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uphold me with thy hand, and then arise, leap and walk go thy
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way, run with patience the race that is set before thee. Lastly,
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since a believer need not come into condemnation, even though he be surprised into
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what is soul a horrors, suppose his being surprised is not owing to any
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carelessness or wilful neglect of his own. If thou, who believest art thus
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overtaken in a fault, then grieve unto the Lord, it shall be a
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precious balm. Pour out thy heart before him, and show him of thy
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trouble, and pray with all thy might to him who is touched with the
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feeling of thy infirmities, that he would establish and strengthen and settle thy soul,
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and suffer thee to fall no more. But still he condemneth thee.
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Not. Wherefore shouldst thou fear. Thou hast no need of any fear that
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hath torment. Thou shalt love him that loveth THEE, and it sufficeth more.
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Love will bring more strength. And as soon as thou lovest him with
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all thy heart, thou shalt be perfect and entire, lacking nothing wait in
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peace for that hour when the God of Peace shall sanctify thee Holy, so
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that thy whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless under the coming
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of our Lord Jesus Christ. End of Section eight.