John 5:44

DISCOURSE: 1633
FAITH INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE LOVE OF MAN’S APPLAUSE

John 5:44. How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?

IT is certain that great care is requisite in interpreting the Holy Scriptures; lest, on the one hand, we explain away their meaning altogether; or, on the other hand, we take occasion, from the strength of some particular expressions, to maintain doctrines which they do not fairly establish. And the more unqualified any declarations are, the greater caution we should use in affixing to them their true import. The passage before us is of the deepest importance to every soul of man: but on the explanation of it, its force must entirely depend. Shall it be said, that no kind of faith will consist with our seeking honour from man, rather than from God? or, that the mere “receiving” of honour from man is incompatible with true faith? Either of these positions would be utterly false. Let us then proceed to the consideration of these words with that care which their importance demands; and may God, of his infinite mercy, guide me, whilst I endeavour to shew,

I. What we are to understand by “believing” in Christ!

It can never surely be meant, that we cannot receive the Scriptures as a revelation from God, or have a general view of the leading doctrines contained in them, whilst we are seeking honour from man: for the mere weighing of evidences, and determining according to evidence, are acts of the mind, which every man of sense, whatever be his feelings as to human applause, is capable of performing. Certainly much more than a bare assent must be comprehended in the faith here spoken of. It must import two things:

1. An acceptance of Christ, as he is set forth in the Holy Scriptures—

[The Scriptures speak of our “receiving the Lord Jesus Christ [Note: 2 Chronicles 2:6; 2 Chronicles 2:6; 2 Chronicles 2:6.].” We must receive him as the gift of God the Father to a sinful world; and must receive him, too, for all the ends and purposes for which he is given. If we embrace him not under all the relations, and for all the ends for which he is sent, we reject him, rather than acknowledge him; and put him away from us by unbelief, instead of receiving him into our hearts by faith. It is not optional with us to separate his offices, and to acknowledge him in those only which are agreeable to our own minds. Whatever “God has made him to us,” that he is to be with our full consent; our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our complete redemption [Note: 1 Corinthians 1:30.].”]

2. A surrender of ourselves to him, as his obedient followers—

[Without this we can never be acknowledged by him as his: “If any man will be my Disciple, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” And so unreserved must our surrender of ourselves to him be, that, if we be not ready even to lay down our lives for him, we shall be regarded by him in no other light than as aliens or traitors. A faith which does not operate in this manner, and to this extent, is no better than “the faith of devils:” it is “dead,” and will leave the soul dead to all eternity [Note: James 2:19; James 2:26.].

Such, then, is the faith of God’s elect; and such the faith of which our Lord speaks in the words before us; a faith that “works by love,” and “purifies the heart,” and “overcomes the world.”]
Having ascertained what is meant by faith, we proceed to shew,

II.

Who they are who are declared incapable of exercising it—

[The mere “receiving” of honour from man has no such effect: for the good man passes “through honour as well as dishonour, and through good report as well as evil report.” It is the seeking of honour from man that is here spoken of; that is, the seeking of it, either independently of “the honour that cometh from God,” or in preference to it. All desire of man’s approbation is not wrong: a child may properly seek the approbation of his parent; a servant, of his master; a subject, of his prince. But to make man’s approbation the main object of our pursuit, is to put man in the place of God: and this can never be pleasing to the Supreme Being; who is “a jealous God,” and “will not give his glory to another [Note: Isaiah 42:8.].” Nor is it necessary that what we do should be substantially and in itself evil, in order to provoke God to jealousy: our actions may be good in themselves; and yet, if they be done to please man, their character is altogether changed, and they become hateful in the sight of God. Almsgiving and prayer are good; but if either the one or the other be done in order to obtain applause from man, it is vitiated, and debased, and execrable: and fasting itself is odious, when proceeding from no better principle than this [Note: Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:16.]. It was this base desire of man’s applause which chiefly characterized the Pharisees of old [Note: Matthew 23:5.]: and, where-ever it prevails, it destroys all pretensions to uprightness before God, and all hope of ever being acknowledged by Christ, as his Disciples: as St. Paul says, “If I yet pleased men, I could not be the servant of Jesus Christ [Note: Galatians 1:10.].”

In like manner we err, if we seek man’s approbation, in preference to the honour that cometh of God. The two often stand in competition with each other; or rather, I should say, are always opposed to each other, where the higher duties of Christianity are concerned: for, of “the circumcision of the heart, which is in the Spirit and not in the letter,” we are told, “its praise is not of men, but of God [Note: Romans 2:29.].” Indeed the praise of God is frequently not to be obtained without incurring the deepest odium from men. But, when that is the case, there must be no hesitation on our part whom to obey, and whose honour to seek. Our reply to the whole universe must be, “Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Neither parental authority, nor brotherly affection, must have any weight with us in opposition to God: for, if “we come to Christ, and hate not father and mother, and brother and sister, yea, and our own lives also,” in comparison of him, “we cannot be his Disciples [Note: Luke 14:26.].”

But in these two respects the persons described in our text are essentially defective. In respect of moral virtue, as it is called, they may be exemplary enough; and it is even taken for granted that they are so, by their “receiving of honour from men,” which may be supposed to be accorded to them on account of their virtues: but, inasmuch as they do not utterly despise man’s approbation in comparison of God’s, and even “glory in shame” itself for the Lord’s sake, they are incapable of exercising a true and saving faith in the Lord Jesus. I say again, It is not the immoral man, of whom our Lord speaks, but of the man who, from any cause whatever, prefers the praise of man before the praise of God.]

But why can they not exercise faith in Christ? Let us inquire,

III.

Whence their incapacity arises—

The disposition to prefer the applause of man,

1. Unfits them for discerning truth—

[External evidences, as I have before observed, they may judge of: but the real excellency of the Gospel is hid from their eyes. The glory of Christ, and the beauty of holiness, they cannot appreciate; because they possess not that spiritual discernment whereby alone they can be seen [Note: 1 Corinthians 2:14.]. There is a film over their eyes: “their eye is evil; and therefore their body and soul are full of darkness [Note: Matthew 6:22.].” Sin and “Satan have altogether blinded them [Note: 2 Corinthians 4:4.].” The sublimer truths, when offered to their view, produce only the effect which a flood of light does when poured upon a disordered patient in a dark chamber. “They hate the light, and will not come to it [Note: John 3:19.]:” and when truth is set before them, they reply, “This is a hard saying: who can hear it [Note: John 6:60.]?” Especially if they be called to renounce self altogether, and to glory in Christ alone, they have no ears to hear it: they are like those of whom our Lord said, “Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my words [Note: John 8:43.].”]

2. Indisposes them for walking according to the light they have—

[Much, doubtless, they may see: but they are kept in bondage by “the fear of man that bringeth a snare.” As far as relates to a speculative view of the truth, they may have a strong conviction of it; so strong as, in the common acceptation of the term, to be said to possess faith. Thus we are told, respecting many who beheld our Lord’s miracles: “Among the chief rulers, many believed on him: but, because of the Pharisees, they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God [Note: John 12:42.].” Here their incapacity to give themselves up to Christ is marked as proceeding from the very same cause to which it is ascribed in the text: “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” Thus it is that this evil principle operates in ten thousand instances, keeping men from an attendance on public ordinances, from the society of the Lord’s people, and from that public confession of Christ, whereby they ought to glorify his name.]

3. Leads them into courses directly contrary to the truth—

[A desire of worldly favours draws men, of necessity, not only to a neglect of what is good, but also to the positive commission of evil. The world will never he satisfied, till they bring us, in some measure at least, into a conformity with their views and habits. The compliances which they first desired are perhaps innocent: but gradually they increase their demands upon us, till they ensnare our feet, and defile our conscience, and lead us to dishonour our holy profession, if not altogether to renounce the faith.]

Now let me make this subject—
1.

A matter of appeal—

[Our blessed Lord appeals to the persons themselves, whose spirit he reproves. And I also will venture to ask of you, my brethren, Whether you have not found in your converse with others, that a love of man’s applause, wherever it has obtained, has proved a bar to the introduction of light into their souls; so that either you could produce no conviction upon their minds, or, if you have silenced their objections, you could not prevail upon them to act agreeably to the light they had received? I ask also, in reference to yourselves, Whether, if at any time you have suffered your minds to be influenced by that unworthy principle, it has not rendered your views of truth obscure, and your compliance with it difficult? I will yet further ask, Whether a carnal and a spiritual mind be not opposed to each other, as darkness to light; and whether the prevalence of one must not, in proportion as it prevails, dispel the other? Yes: it is an acknowledged and unquestionable truth, “that we cannot serve God and Mammon.” If, then, the intimation in our text be confirmed by all that we see in others, and all that we experience in ourselves, let it be treasured up in our minds as a rule of action, and be referred to continually for the regulation of our hearts and lives.]

2. A ground of exhortation—

[Look not for the honour that cometh of man; for it is not to be obtained without sacrifices that are far too costly for so worthless an acquisition. Let your hearts be right with God. Let his revealed will be your sure directory: and regard nothing in opposition to it. Seek to please him at all events, though you should displease the whole world. I mean not by this, that you should not listen to good advice: for it is highly desirable that you should “walk wisely in a perfect way.” But let that advice alone be followed, that is founded on the word of God. And be careful to keep a conscience void of offence: and so to walk before God, that you may be approved of him, and receive from him at last that testimony of his approbation, “Well done, good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”]