CanTherebeUnity
His steps are all ordered from grace to glory. He is kept on earth till he is ripe for heaven, and not one moment longer. The harvest of the Lord must have its appointed proportion of sun and wind, of cold and heat, of rain and storm. And then when the believer's work is done, the angels of God will come for him, as they did for Lazarus, and carry him safely home. No, the men of the world think little about who they are despising, when they mock Christ's people. They are mocking those whom angels are not ashamed to serve. They are mocking the brothers and sisters of Christ Himself. Little do they consider that these are those for whose sakes the days of tribulation are shortened. These are those by whose intercession kings reign peacefully. Little do they consider that the prayers of men like Lazarus have more weight in the affairs of nations than millions of soldiers. Believers in Christ, how little you know the full extent of your privileges and possessions. Like children at school, you don't know half of what your Father is doing for your welfare. Learn to live by faith more than you have done. Acquaint yourselves with the fullness of the treasure laid up for you in Christ even now. This world, no doubt, must always be a place of trial while we are in the body. But still there are comforts provided for the brothers and sisters of Lazarus, which many never enjoy. 5. Observe, in the last place, "what a dangerous and soulruining sin is the sin of selfishness." You have the rich man, in the parable, in a hopeless state. There is no other clearer picture of a lost soul in hell, in the entire Bible, than what you have here. You meet him in the beginning, dressed in rich purple robes and fine linen. You part with him at the end, tormented in the everlasting fire. And yet there is nothing to show that this man was a murderer, or a thief, or an adulterer, or a liar. There is no reason to say that he was an atheist, or an infidel, or a blasphemer. For everything we know, he was faithful to all the rules of the Jewish religion. But we do know that he was lost forever! There is something very solemn in this thought. Here is a man whose outward life in all probability was correct. We know of no charges against him. He dresses richly, but then he had money to spend on his clothing. He gives impressive banquets and parties, but then he was wealthy, and could well afford it. We read nothing recorded against him that might not be recorded of hundreds and thousands in the present day, who are counted respectable and a good sort of people. And yet the end of this man is that he goes to hell. Surely this deserves serious attention. (a) I believe this passage is meant to teach us to "beware of living only for ourselves." It is not enough that we are able to say, "I live a moral and respectable life. I pay everyone his due. I discharge all the affairs of life with integrity. I attend church, I read the Bible, I pray to God." There remains behind another question, to which the Bible requires an answer. "To whom do you live? to yourself or to Christ? What is the great end, aim, object, and ruling motive in your life?" Let men call the question extreme if they please. For myself, I can find nothing short of this in Paul's words: "He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." [2 Corinthians 5:15] And I draw the conclusion, that if, like the rich man, we live only to ourselves, we will destroy our souls. (b) I believe, further, that this passage is meant to teach us "the damning nature of the sins of omission." It does not seem that it was so much the things the rich man did, but the things he left undone, which made him miss heaven. Lazarus was at his gate, and he let him alone. But isn't this exactly in keeping with the history of the judgment, in the 25thchapter Matthew? Nothing is said there of the sins of commission of which the lost are guilty. How does the charge read? — "I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me." [Matthew 25:42-43] The charge against them is simply that they didn't do certain things. On this their sentence is based. And I draw the conclusion again, that, unless we are careful, sins of omission may ruin our souls. Truly it was a solemn saying of a godly man, on his deathbed: "Lord, forgive me all my sins, but especially my sins of omission" [Usher]. (c) I further believe, that the passage is meant to teach us that "riches bring special dangers with them." Yes! riches, which the vast majority of men are always seeking after— riches for which they spend their lives, and of which they make an idol—riches cause their possessors immense spiritual peril! The possession of riches has a very hardening effect on the soul. They chill. They freeze. They petrify the inward man. They close the eye to the things of faith. They insensibly produce a tendency to forget God. And doesn't this stand in perfect harmony with all the language of Scripture on the same subject? What does our Lord say? "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." [Mark 10:23, [25] What does Paul say? "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." [1 Timothy 6:10] What can be more striking than the fact that the Bible has frequently spoken of [the love of] money as a most fruitful cause of sin and evil.
For money Achan brought defeat on the armies of Israel, and death on himself. For money Balaam sinned against God, and tried to curse God's people. For money Delilah betrayed Samson to the Philistines. For money Gehazi lied to Naaman and Elisha, and became a leper. For money Ananias and Sapphira became the first hypocrites in the early Church, and lost their lives. For money Judas Iscariot sold Christ, and was ruined eternally. Surely these facts speak loudly. Truly, money is one of the most "unsatisfying of possessions." It takes away some cares, no doubt; but it brings with it quite as many cares as it takes away. There is trouble in getting it. There is anxiety in the keeping of it. There are temptations in the use of it. There is guilt in the abuse of it. There is sorrow in the losing of it. There is perplexity in the disposing of it. Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world, arise from one simple causemoney! Money most certainly is one of the most "ensnaring and heartchanging" of possessions. It seems desirable at a distance. It often proves a poison when in our hand. No man can possibly tell the effect of money on his soul, if suddenly he gains a large amount of it. Many people live close to God when they are poor, but then forget God when they are rich. I draw the conclusion that those who have money, like the rich man in the parable, ought to be very careful about their souls. They live in a most unhealthy atmosphere. They have a very serious need to be on their guard. (d) I believe that the passage is meant to "stir up special caution about selfishness in these last days." You have a special warning in 2 Timothy 3:1, 2: "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy." I believe we have come to the last days, and if we love our souls that we ought to beware of the sins mentioned here. Perhaps we are poor judges of our own times. We are apt to exaggerate and magnify their evils, just because we see and feel them. But, after every allowance, I doubt whether there ever was more need of warnings against selfishness than in the present day. I am sure there never was a time when all classes of people ever had so many comforts and so many temporal good things. And yet I believe there is an utter disproportion between men's expenditure on themselves and their outlay for charity and for missions. I see this in the miserable miniscule donations, which many rich men give to charity. I see it in the languished condition of many of our best mission organizations, and the painfully slow growth of their annual incomes. I see it in the small number of contributors to any good work. There are, I believe, thousands of rich people in this country who literally give away nothing at all. I see it in the notorious fact, that few, even of those who give, give anything proportioned to their means. I see all this, and mourn over it. I regard it as the selfishness and greed predicted to rise up in "the last days." I know that this is a painful and delicate subject. But it must not, on that account, be avoided by the minister of Christ. It is a subject for the times, and it needs to be pressed home. I desire to speak to myself, and to all who make any profession of Christianity. Of course I cannot expect worldly and utterly ungodly persons to view this subject in the light of the Bible. To them the Bible is no rule of faith and practice. To quote texts to them would be of little use. But I do ask all professing Christians to carefully consider what Scripture says against greed and selfishness and on behalf of liberality in giving money. Is it for nothing that the Lord Jesus spoke the parable of the rich fool, and blamed him because he was not "rich towards God"? [Luke 12:21] Is it for nothing that in the parable of the sower He mentions the "deceitfulness of wealth" as one reason why the seed of the Word bears no fruit? [Matthew 13:22] Is it for nothing that He says, "Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves." [Luke 16:9] Is it for nothing that He says "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and thus you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." [Luke 14:12-14] Is it for nothing that He says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." [Luke 12:33] Is it for nothing that He says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive?" [Acts 20:35] Is it for nothing that He warns us against the example of the priest and Levite, who saw the wounded traveler, but passed by on the other side? Is it for nothing that He praises the Good Samaritan, who denied himself to show kindness to a stranger? [Luke 10:31] Is it for nothing that Paul classes greed with sins of the grossest description, and denounces it as idolatry? [Colossians 3:5] And is there not a striking and painful difference between this language and the habits and feeling of society about money? I appeal to anyone who knows the world. Let him judge what I say. I only ask you to consider calmly the passages of Scripture to which I have referred. I cannot think they were meant to teach nothing at all. I freely acknowledge that the habits of the East and our own are different. That some of the verses I have quoted are figurative, I freely admit. But still, after all, a principle lies at the bottom of all these expressions. Let us be careful that this principle is not neglected. I wish that many professing Christians in this day, who perhaps dislike what I am saying, would endeavour to write a commentary on these passages, and try to explain to themselves what they mean. To know that giving money to the poor cannot atone for sin is good.
To know that our good works cannot justify us is excellent. To know that we may give all our goods to feed the poor, and build hospitals and churches, and still lack real love, is very important. But let us beware lest we go to the other extreme, and because our money cannot save us, give away no money at all. Does anyone have money? Then "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." [Luke 12:15] Remember you are carrying extra weight in the race towards heaven. All men are naturally in danger of being lost forever, but you especially so because of your possessions. Nothing will put out a fire so quickly as dirt being thrown on it. Nothing I am sure has such a tendency to quench the fire of Christianity as the possession of money. It was a solemn message which Buchanan, on his deathbed, sent to one of his old pupils, he said, that "He was going to a place where few kings and great men would come." No doubt it is possible for the rich to be saved as well as others. With God nothing is impossible. Abraham, Job, and David were all rich and yet saved. But oh, be careful! Money is a good servant, but a bad master. Let that saying of our Lord's sink down into your heart: "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" [Mark 10:23] It was well said by an old godly Christian, "The outer and upper surface above gold mines is generally very barren." Old Latimer began one of his sermons quoting three times the Lord's words: "Take heed and beware of greed," and then saying, "What if I should say nothing else for the next three or four hours?" There are few prayers wiser and more necessary than this petition, "In the time of our wealth, good Lord deliver us." Has anyone with little or no money heard what I have been saying? Then do not envy those who are richer than you. Pray for them. Pity them. Be charitable to their faults. Remember that high places are unsteady places, and don't be too hasty in your condemnation of their conduct. Perhaps if you had their difficulties you would do no better yourself. Beware of the "love of money." It is the "root of all evil." [1 Timothy 6:10] A man may greatly love money without having any at all. Beware of the love of self, it may be found in a poor man's home as well as in a mansion. And beware of thinking that poverty alone will save you. If you would sit down with Lazarus in glory, you must not only have fellowship with him in suffering, but also in grace. Does anyone desire to know the remedy against that love of self which ruined the rich man's soul, and cleaves to us all by nature, like our skin? I tell you plainly there is only one remedy, and I ask you to note well what that remedy is. It is not the fear of hell. It is not the hope of heaven. It is not any sense of duty. Oh, no! The disease of selfishness is far too deeply rooted to yield to such secondary motives as these. Nothing will ever cure it but a personal and intimate knowledge of Christ's redeeming love. You must know the misery and guilt of your own sin. You must experience the power of Christ's atoning blood sprinkled on your conscience, and making you whole. You must taste the sweetness of peace with God through the mediation of Jesus, and feel the love of a reconciled Father poured in your heart by the Holy Spirit. Then, and not until then, will the root of selfishness be destroyed. Then, knowing the immensity of your debt to Christ, you will feel that nothing is too great and too costly to give to Him. Feeling that you have been loved much when you deserved nothing; you will willingly love in return, and cry out, "How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?" [Psalm 116:12] Feeling that you have freely received countless mercies, you will think it a privilege to do anything to please Him to whom you owe everything. Knowing that you have been "bought at a price," and are no longer your own, you will labor to glorify God with body and spirit, which are His. [1 Corinthians 6:20] Yes: I repeat it. I know no effective remedy for the love of self, but a committed belief in the love of Christ. Other remedies may soften the pain of the disease: this alone will heal it. Other remedies may hide its deformity: this alone will work a perfect cure. An easy, good-natured temper may cover over selfishness in one man. A love of praise may conceal it in a second. A self-righteous spirit of self-denial may keep it out of sight in a third. But nothing will ever cut out selfishness by the roots but the love of Christ revealed in the mind by the Holy Spirit, and felt in the heart by simple faith. Once you let a man see the full meaning of the words, "Christ loved me and gave Himself for me," then he will delight to give himself to Christ, and all that he has to His service. He will live to Him, not in order that he may be secure, but because he is secure already. He will work for Him, not that he may have life and peace, but because he already has life and peace. Go to the cross of Christ, all you that want to be delivered from the power of selfishness. Go and see what a price was paid there to provide a ransom for your soul. Go and see what an astounding sacrifice was made there, that an open door to eternal life might be provided for poor sinners like you. Go and see how the Son of God gave Himself for you, and give yourself to Him. The disease, which ruined the rich man in the parable, may be cured. But oh, remember there is only one real remedy! You must not live for yourself, but you must live for Christ. See to it that this remedy is not only known, but applied—not only heard of, but used. (1) And now let me conclude by reminding everyone of the great need of self-examination. A passage of Scripture like this parable should cause many to search their hearts— "Who am I? Where am I going? What am I doing? What is likely to happen to me after death? Am I prepared to leave the world? Have I any home to look forward to in the world to come? Have I put off the old man of sin and put on the new life in Christ? Am I really one with Christ, and a forgiven soul?" Surely such questions as these may well be asked when the story of the rich man and Lazarus has been heard. Oh, that the Holy Spirit may incline many hearts to ask these questions! (2) In the next place, I invite everyone who desires to be saved, and have come to realize that they are lost in their sins, to seek salvation while it can be found. I beg you to seek Him—the only One who can make it possible for man to enter heaven and be saved—Jesus Christ the Lord. He has the keys of heaven. He is sealed and appointed by God the Father to be the Saviour of all that will come to Him. Go to Him in serious and intense prayer, and tell Him your case. Tell Him that you have heard that "He receives sinners," and that you come to Him as such. [Luke 15:2] Tell Him that you desire to be saved by Him in His own way, and ask Him to save you. Oh, that you may take this course without delay. Remember the hopeless end of the rich man. Once a person dies there is no longer any opportunity for the salvation of the soul. (3) Last of all, I plead with all professing Christians to encourage themselves in habits of liberality towards all kinds of charities and mercies. Remember that you are God's stewards, and give money liberally, freely, and without grudging, whenever you have an opportunity. You cannot keep your money forever. You must give account one day of the manner in which it has been expended. Oh, use it with an eye on eternity while you can! I do not ask rich men to leave their situations in life, give away all their property, and go live in the slums. This would be refusing to fill the position of a steward for God. I ask no man to neglect his worldly calling, and to stop providing for his family. Diligence in business is a positive Christian duty. Provision for those dependent on us is proper Christian wisdom. But I ask all to look around continually as they journey on, and to remember the poor—the poor in body and the poor in soul. Here we are for a few short years. How can we do most good with our money while we are here? How can we so spend it as to leave the world somewhat happier and somewhat holier when we are removed from it? Might we not restrain some of our luxuries? Might we spend less on ourselves, and give more to Christ's cause and Christ's poor? Is there no one that we can do good to? Are there no sick, no poor, no needy, whose sorrows we might lessen, and whose comforts we might increase? Such questions will never fail to elicit an answer from some quarter. I am thoroughly persuaded that the income of every religious and charitable organization might easily be increased ten times, if Christians would give in proportion to their means. There are surely none to whom such appeals ought to come home with such power as professing believers in the Lord Jesus. The parable of the text is a striking illustration of our position by nature, and our debt to Christ. We all lay, like Lazarus, at heaven's gate, sick unto death, helpless, and starving. Blessed be God! we were not neglected, as he was. Jesus came to relieve us. Jesus gave Himself for us, that we might have hope and live. For a poor Lazarus—like world He came down from heaven, and humbled Himself to become a man. For a poor Lazarus—like world He went everywhere doing good, caring for men's bodies as well as souls, until He died for us on the cross. I believe that in giving to support works of charity and mercy, we are doing that which is according to Christ's mind—and I ask all of you to begin the habit of giving, if you never began it before; and if you are already giving, then I ask you to give more. I believe that in offering a warning against worldliness and greed, I have done no more than bring forward a warning especially called for by the times, and I ask God to bless the consideration of this message to many souls.