Be careful that no one lures you with riches; do not let a large bribe lead you astray. Sermons
I. MAN LOOKS FOB DELIVERANCE THROUGH A. RANSOM. This is not only a Christian idea. It is found in the Old Testament, and it is to be traced through heathen systems of religion, though among these systems it appears in a degraded and corrupted state. 1. Man has a sense of bondage. This he feels. When conscience is aroused, he has the most intense consciousness of its galling fetters. "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). 2. Man cannot escape from his bondage. The old brigand, Satan, that great robber of souls, has too tight a hand on his victims to let them go free whenever they choose to escape from his clutches. Habit is a stronger bandage than the cords with which Samson was bound. The deliverance must come from without. 3. This deliverance must be at a great cost. We do not know what the cost must be, nor how it should be settled. It cannot be true, as some of the Fathers held, that a price must be paid to Satan that he may consent to liberate man. He never consents. He can have no compensation. The liberation is by the overthrow of Satan and the conquest of his domain. The Bastille must be stormed and hurled down if its prisoners are to escape. But this can only be done at great cost. II. CHRIST IS THE RANSOM FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF MAN. This is his own statement (Matthew 20:28). His advent with humiliation in a state of servitude was a Divine payment - a sacrifice on the part of God. His death was his own surrender of his life for the liberation of man from sin. We need not understand why the ransom had to be paid in order to see that it has been paid. A clear idea of the reason and necessity of the payment might help our faith. Still, the fact is the great thing to know. Christ has given himself fur us, and through him we have liberty. III. THE GREATEST RANSOM MAY BE UNAVAILING. 1. If it is not rightly paid. Men make great sacrifices in asceticism; yet there is no reason to think that they are of any adequate value, because they are not required by God, and they serve no good end. 2. If there is no repentance. The work of Christ is for the benefit of all who will avail themselves of it. But a first condition of profiting by it is repentance. While a man holds to his sin he cannot enjoy the benefits of Christ's sacrifice. For him Christ has died in vain. 3. If it is not accompanied try faith. This is the connecting link that joins the soul to Christ. All that he has done for us remains outside us, not touching our life and need, till we learn to confide in him. CONCLUSION. It is worse for the ransom to be paid in vain than for it not to be paid at all. They who reject Christ are doubly without hope, for they are without excuse. - W.F.A.
Because there is wrath. Homilist. The language of the text may be spoken to every impenitent and unbelieving sinner of the human race.I. THE ACTUAL. "There is wrath." 1. This wrath is Divine. By virtue of God's perfection He is in the possession of an emotional nature, He has the attribute of wrath. Instead of this property being inconsistent with the other attributes of God, it is absolutely necessary to constitute Him morally perfect. This wrath is undoubtedly a great reality. 2. This wrath is merited. Sin merits wrath. Sin is the wrong act of a moral substance, a substance in the possession of free-will. In this act there are rebellion, robbery, and ingratitude. Hence sin merits the Divine indignation. Hence, wherever there is sin there is also suffering. 3. This wrath is impartial. It has been revealed from heaven against angels and against men, without respect of person. It has been revealed against every sinful act of every sinful being. II. THE PROBABLE. There may be destruction. "Beware lest He take thee away with His stroke." 1. He hath power to do it. 2. He has threatened to do so. 3. Some who were as near saved as you have been lost. III. THE IMPOSSIBLE. There cannot be deliverance. "Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee," literally, "cannot turn thee aside." Deliverance is impossible — 1. By a great ransom of material wealth. Though we could give mines of gems, oceans of pearls, worlds of gold and silver, yet such a ransom price could not deliver us. 2. By a great ransom of animal life. 3. By the ransom of the Highest, Christ Jesus. "Christ gave Himself a sacrifice for us." (Homilist.) Homilist. 1. There is "wrath" in the government of God.2. This "wrath" may overtake the sinner any moment. 3. When it overtakes him in this way, he has no means of deliverance. (Homilist.) Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons. Whether these words were suited to the ease of Job or not, they are certainly applicable to all impenitent sinners, and contain —I. AN IMPORTANT ASSERTION. "Because there is wrath." From this declaration it is evident that it has been known from the earliest ages that God is displeased with sin, and has often revealed His anger against the ungodliness of men. 1. This assertion must be explained. The anger, hatred, and wrath of God are not impure passions in Him, as they are in man. All who violate the precepts of His law become obnoxious to its awful penalties, and justly incur the punitive wrath of the Divine Lawgiver (Romans 2:3-9). 2. This assertion must be confirmed. This is evident from the Scriptures, which assure us that the Lord is "angry with the wicked." II. AN AFFECTIONATE ADMONITION. 1. The exercise of caution. "Beware!" Deeply consider your state and character before God — remember your awful responsibility, and the intimate connection which subsists between a state of mortal probation and eternal retribution (Galatians 6:7, 8); be wise, and know the day of your visitation. 2. The pursuit of salvation. An apprehension of Divine wrath should induce a diligent use of the means appointed for our deliverance; this is the only way of being rescued from sin and ruin. III. AN IMPRESSIVE ARGUMENT; "Lest He take thee away," etc. 1. The sinner's punishment is inevitable. "Lest He take thee away with His stroke." Incorrigible impenitence leads to unavoidable ruin (Romans 6:21); sin will surely find us out, "for the wicked shall not go unpunished." His stroke signifies a sudden calamity or awful judgment. Such was the deluge — the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah — the punishment of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram — the death of Herod, Ananias, and Sapphira, etc. (Genesis 7 and Genesis 19:27-29; Numbers 16:31-33; Acts 5:1-10 and Acts 12:20-23). 2. The sinner's punishment is irremediable. "Then a great ransom cannot deliver thee." To ransom is to deliver, either by price or by power. The present life is the only day of salvation. There is no Redeemer for the finally lost. They have nothing to offer for their ransom, nor can any possible price purchase, or power rescue them from interminable perdition. What, then, is our present state? (Sketches of Four Hundred Sermons.) People Elihu, JobPlaces UzTopics Abundance, Aside, Atonement, Avail, Beware, Bribe, Chastisement, Chastisements, Deliver, Entice, Entices, Greatness, Large, Led, Lest, Move, Ransom, Riches, Scoffing, Size, Stir, Stroke, Sufficiency, Turn, WrathOutline 1. Elihu shows how God is just in his ways16. How Job's sins hinder God's blessings 24. God's works are to be magnified Dictionary of Bible Themes Job 36:18 5238 bribery Library Whether by his Passion Christ Merited to be Exalted?Objection 1: It seems that Christ did not merit to be exalted on account of His Passion. For eminence of rank belongs to God alone, just as knowledge of truth, according to Ps. 112:4: "The Lord is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens." But Christ as man had the knowledge of all truth, not on account of any preceding merit, but from the very union of God and man, according to Jn. 1:14: "We saw His glory . . . as it were of the only-Begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth." … Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica Whether Christ Acquired his Judiciary Power by his Merits? Whether Christ Will Judge under the Form of his Humanity? Whether the Old Law was from God? Whether Man Can Know that He Has Grace? Whether the Judicial Power Corresponds to Voluntary Poverty? Whether Hypocrisy is the Same as Dissimulation? The Great Teacher "That which was from the Beginning," Whether Hypocrisy is Always a Mortal Sin? Whether those to whom Christ's Birth was Made Known were Suitably Chosen? Divine Grace. Messiah's Easy Yoke Epistle v. To Theoctista, Sister of the Emperor. The Greatness of the Soul, Job Links Job 36:18 NIVJob 36:18 NLT Job 36:18 ESV Job 36:18 NASB Job 36:18 KJV Job 36:18 Bible Apps Job 36:18 Parallel Job 36:18 Biblia Paralela Job 36:18 Chinese Bible Job 36:18 French Bible Job 36:18 German Bible Job 36:18 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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