Chapter 21: Nine Rules to be Observed in Coming Rightly to Christ
Chapter 21:
Nine Rules to be Observed in Coming Rightly to Christ.
1. Do not rest in the outward means that lead to Christ before you actually enjoy Christ Himself.
2. Focus more on Christ Himself than on the good things that come from Him.
3. Come with your whole soul.
4. Keep Christ continually in your sight.
5. Be convinced that anything keeping you from Christ does not come from God.
6. Be wary of all discouragements and hindrances.
7. Keep your heart constantly directed towards Christ.
8. Surrender yourself to God's Spirit.
9. Frequently renew the act of coming to Christ.
Now, two things remain: to set forth some rules for coming to Christ rightly and to outline some means of drawing sinners' hearts to Christ.
First, the rules, so that we may observe them rightly when coming to Christ and come in the proper way. I speak to those whose hearts are already stirred toward Christ and are setting upon all the means of coming to Him.
RULE I.
First, although God requires that you seek Christ through all His ordinances and in the performance of all duties, your great care must
be not to rest in the means that lead to Christ before you actually come to enjoy Christ Himself. This is a great mistake in the world: people rest in the means that lead to Christ, even though they have not yet found Christ.
For instance, when you come to hear the Word, if I ask why you come, you might say that you come to find Christ there. But how many people merely rest in the fact that they hear the Word, listen to sermons, and never ask themselves, "Have I met with Jesus Christ in the Word today? Have I found Jesus Christ there?" Their hearts are not troubled about this. They simply come to hear the Word, thinking it is a good thing in itself. But they rest in the means that lead to Christ without actually reaching Christ.
It is like a man on a journey to a certain place for important business who merely satisfies himself by saying, "I am on my way," without ever asking, "Have I obtained what I am journeying for?" We must remember that prayer, the Word, and the sacraments are merely the means to bring us to Christ. How foolish it is to be content that we are on the journey but to neglect to ask, "Do I have the thing for which I am travelling?" Jesus Christ is the one we seek. Have we found Him?
The wise merchant in the parable bought the field because he saw that there was a pearl of great value in it. He then sold everything he had to obtain that pearl. The field represents the preaching of the Word and other ordinances, but the pearl is Christ. We should look for the pearl in the ordinances and use the field only for the sake of the pearl. Thus, we must pass through the ordinances until we have laid hold of Him whom our soul loves.
Most people in the world are stuck in the ordinances themselves.
They engage in duties and ordinances—they pray because God
requires it of them, and they hear the Word because God requires it of them—but they do not consider that there is something beyond prayer and beyond the Word. Have I found Jesus Christ in prayer?
Have I found Jesus Christ in the Word? It is a good sign when sinners are not satisfied with ordinances unless they find Jesus
Christ in them. Be sure to go through the ordinances until you reach Christ.
RULE II.
Second, in your seeking after Christ, be sure to fix your heart and your gaze more upon the person of Christ Himself than upon the good things that come from Christ. When coming to Christ, it is like being married to Him. When a person marries, they focus more on the person they are marrying than on the portion or wealth that comes with the marriage. They are attracted by the excellency of the person. So too, the soul, when coming to Christ, should look upon Him as the great Mediator of the Covenant, the only Reconciler between God and man, the one in whom all our good, happiness, and glory are found.
Labour to see the excellence of Christ Himself and to seek union with Him. Many souls come to Christ because they think there is no mercy except in Christ, and they fear going to hell. So they cry out to God for mercy in Christ. But they do not see the excellence in Christ
Himself. You must come to Christ, not merely for mercy, but because you see in Him a surpassing beauty and glory. Look through the ordinances toward union with Christ, and let your soul be drawn to Him. Be able to say, "I see the glory of the Father in Him, and my soul desires union with Him."
RULE III.
Thirdly, in your coming to Christ, be sure to come with your whole soul. Do not come to Christ as merely one means of help among many, thinking it is good to make use of every possible means and that Christ seems as likely a means as any other. No, you must come to Christ as the only means, casting your entire soul upon Him, without relying on anything else. Do not hold onto anything else as a backup plan in case Christ fails you.
For example, when we go to a friend for help, we might also make sure we have other friends to rely on if that one lets us down. But when you come to Christ, you must lay the full weight of your soul upon Him alone. It is like being over a deep pit, with two things to rest upon—one sound and secure, and the other rotten. You might be hesitant to trust the strong one, not knowing for certain that it will hold, so you rest part of your weight on the rotten one. As a result, you fall and perish because the full weight was not placed on what was sound.
Likewise, the Lord presents His Son as an all-sufficient Redeemer for us, full of righteousness and salvation, and He requires that those who come to His Son come with their whole souls, laying the entire weight of their salvation, life, and happiness upon Him. If you try to rely on two things—Christ and something else, such as the world or your own ways—there is a great chance you will fail.
There is an excellent example in Genesis 45:20, where Joseph sends for his father, Jacob, telling him not to worry about his possessions:
"Do not be concerned about your belongings, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours." So, when the Lord calls any poor sinner to come to Him, He says, "Do not be concerned about earthly things; let your heart be completely taken off all creature comforts, for they are mere trifles. Heaven and the riches of Christ are yours." The soul
truly comes to Christ when it lays everything upon Him and is satisfied with Him alone.
RULE IV.
Fourthly, when your soul is moving towards Christ, labour to keep Him continually in your sight. Look upon Him in His excellency, glory, and beauty; keep the object of your desire before you as you come to Him.
It is like being on a journey—if I can see the end of my journey, if the steeple of my destination is visible in the distance, or if a mariner can see the harbour he is heading towards, it brings comfort. In the same way, the soul that comes to Christ must resolve to keep Him in its sight, focusing on His splendour and beauty. You must see a greater good in Christ than in anything else, recognising that His goodness surpasses all.
One of the greatest hindrances to coming to Christ is losing sight of Him along the way. The devil may present other things before your eyes as distractions, so you look into the deep pit of your own heart and see nothing but discouragement. Instead, keep your eyes fixed on Christ, the Son of God, who is opening His arms, ready to embrace you. There is a secret power and influence that comes from Christ to draw the soul towards Him. So long as the soul keeps Christ in view, as the woman with the issue of blood said, "If I can just touch the hem of His garment..." You can go even further: if you can but catch a glimpse of Christ, that sight will draw your heart to Him.
Just as some creatures are said to have such deadly poison that merely looking at them brings death, so in the case of Christ, merely seeing His excellency has the virtue to draw the soul to Him. If you are coming to Christ, take note: some who are on their way to Christ
find themselves like the children of Israel when they were nearing Canaan. They had made good progress, but then encountered a little discouragement, and fell into discontent. As a result, they were forced to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Similarly, some souls get close to Christ, only to fall into discontent, discouragement, and fretting, and then wander in the wilderness of discouragement for years.
RULE V.
Fifthly, thoroughly convince your soul that whatever sorrow for sin, humiliation, or trouble of spirit keeps you from coming to Christ, it is not from God, but from your own corruption. Such sorrow is not from God except in the sense that God allows the devil to try you as an affliction. But if your sorrow for your wretchedness or unworthiness discourages you from coming to Christ, you must understand that it is not a gracious work of God in you but rather the devil troubling you.
Many poor sinners, when troubled by their sins, take a sort of satisfaction in their distress, thinking it is a good thing, and are glad of it. Yes, trouble for sin is a good thing, and it is right to be glad of it.
But if your trouble for sin keeps you from coming to Christ, making you believe you are too unworthy to come, then your sorrow is not mixed with godly repentance. Be convinced of this.
RULE VI.
Sixthly, beware of all kinds of discouragements and hindrances in your coming to Christ. But especially take heed of making determinations against yourself. Do not say things like: "Surely, the Lord will never show mercy to me. The time is past; the Lord has
forsaken me. I have sought Him for so long, and He has not come to me. No, the Lord never intends good for me."
Be cautious of such determinations, for they are sinful wherever they exist. No matter how vile your heart may seem, there is no just cause for such conclusions. When you give way to such thoughts, you are only ensnaring and fettering your own soul. It is like tying shackles around your own legs and then saying you cannot come to Christ.
Christ calls to you, but you are held back by your own thoughts. Just as one can place chains on their own legs and then claim they cannot walk, so too can you hinder your spiritual coming to Christ by your own thoughts.
Do not sit down and say, "I will never receive mercy; I am not one of the elect; I will never come to Christ." When you are about to come to Jesus Christ, cast off such thoughts.
RULE VII.
Seventhly, at those times when you do not feel your heart as active as you would like in seeking after Christ, still keep your heart directed towards Him. You might say, "Why can't I go to Christ? Christ calls me, yet I have a dead, heavy heart." But even so, you are nearer to Christ by being in this position than if you were to neglect His ordinances altogether.
You should present your soul where Jesus Christ is and say, "Perhaps He will impart some virtue into my heart to stir it towards Him." But resolve this: "I will not turn away from Christ. Even if I cannot go any further, here I will stand, look, and cry to Him. I will say as the Church does: 'Draw me, and I will run after You.'"
Though you may not be able to believe as you wish, stand where you are, sigh, cry, and call out to God. Say, "Draw my heart, O God, and I will run after You." Blessed Redeemer, do You call us? Then send forth Your Spirit to draw our hearts, and we will run after You. Keep your heart in such a frame, for this is a great help in coming to Christ.
Take heed also of any temptation that may draw your heart away from coming to Christ. Consider the notable Scripture from 1 Samuel
12:20-21, where Samuel speaks to the people of Israel after they had sinned against the Lord and were troubled by their sin. He says, "Do not be afraid. Yes, you have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
Do not turn aside after worthless things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are vain."
In the same way, I say to you: Yes, you have sinned against the Lord, and though Christ calls you to come to Him, you may complain of having a dead, dull heart. But do not turn away from Christ to vain things. Instead, continue to set yourself before God and attend to Him in the ordinances where He reveals Himself.
RULE VIII.
Eighthly, when your heart begins to turn towards Christ, give yourself over to the stream of God's Spirit. The Spirit of God will stir within you from time to time, though not always in the same way.
When you are attending to the ordinances and waiting for the Spirit to draw your heart to Christ, wait for this stirring. If you feel the Spirit beginning to draw your heart to Christ in any measure, then join with the work of the Spirit. Give yourself fully to the stream of God's Spirit; do not draw back.
Perhaps the Spirit is drawing you towards Christ, but then you pull back due to discouraging thoughts about your vileness or insufficient humility. When you feel the Spirit stirring within you, give yourself over to the strength of God's Spirit.
It is like learning to swim. When a person first learns to swim, they may struggle and thrash about, trying to keep afloat. But to succeed, they must learn to relax and trust the water to support them.
Sometimes people who do not know how to swim make more of a fuss trying to stay afloat than those who can swim. They are sinking, confused, and fearful, whereas those who have learned the art of swimming trust the water and stay above the surface.
In the same way, some who come to Christ, not understanding how to give themselves over to Him, experience great confusion of spirit and turmoil. They thrash about, fearing they will sink into destruction. But others, who have come to understand what it means to come to Christ, may have no strength in themselves but have learned to give their souls over to the stream of God's Spirit. They come to Christ in a more peaceful and solid way, finding safety in Him.
You see an example of this in 1 Kings 20:33, where the servants of Ben-Hadad, seeking mercy from the King of Israel, watched carefully for any word that might offer them hope. When they heard the king refer to Ben-Hadad as his "brother," they quickly took hold of this and pursued mercy. Likewise, when a sinner seeks after Christ, they must diligently watch for any movement of the Spirit of Christ that offers hope.
If the Spirit begins to move within you and draw you towards Christ, take hold of it! By now, you might have been in Christ's arms and
resting in His bosom if you had followed the Spirit's leading when it stirred within you.
RULE IX.
Ninthly, the soul that is in the process of coming to Christ, but does not yet know whether it has truly reached Him, should often renew the act of coming. Certainly, there are many who are already with Christ but are unaware of it. Some souls may say, "I thought I had come to Christ before, but now I see my corruptions prevail, and I fear I have not truly come to Him." Such souls might think they must not come to Christ until they have overcome their corruptions.
However, the best way to overcome your corruption is to come to Christ—to renew the act of coming to Him. The longer you delay in renewing this act, the stronger your corruptions will grow.
If you remain in a state of discouragement, telling yourself, "My corruptions are so strong, I am afraid I have never come to Christ," your corruptions will only increase. You must not wait until your corruptions are subdued before coming to Christ; instead, renew the act of coming to Him again. Say to yourself, "I will try again. Perhaps
I did not do it correctly the first time, but if I miss the mark the second time, I will try again and again—even a hundred times."
Do not say, "If I had overcome this sin or that sin, I would come to Christ." This is as if you are saying, "If I were already sanctified by Christ, then I would come to Him for justification." Is that the right order? No, you must come to Christ first so that He may subdue your corruptions. It would be strange for a woman to say to a king who offers to marry her, "No, if I were already a queen, I would marry him." But she must first marry him, and that is what makes her a queen.
Likewise, the soul must not say, "If I were sanctified and had overcome my corruptions, I would come to Christ." No, it is by coming to Christ and renewing the act of coming to Him that you are sanctified. This is a rule I would leave with all young believers: spend more time and energy renewing the act of believing, of casting your soul upon the grace of God in Christ, and laying your burdens upon Him than in any other work. There is nothing more profitable to spend your time and strength on than renewing the act of coming to Christ.
Christ says, "Come." The soul responds, "I thought I had come, but I was mistaken." Christ says, "Then come again, and come again and again." This is the only way to overcome any corruption in your heart. So, when Christ calls you to come, remember these rules. Oh, that you would lay them up and use them at all times. When you hear such things from God's word, remember what has been said in this text: what is implied in coming, and how you are to come.
Oh, that the Lord would help poor souls to come to Him. And know, for your encouragement, that if God gives you a heart to answer His call and come to His Son, this is an evident sign of your predestination. For those He calls, He has also elected. Indeed, consider this: what an infinite mercy it is that God calls you to come.
You could have been in a condition where God says, "Depart from me, you cursed." Many are cast away from God, and He says to them,
"Depart from me, you cursed." You may be as great a sinner as they, yet instead of hearing, "Depart from me, you vile, passionate, unclean soul," you hear the voice of Jesus Christ through the ministry of the word calling you, "Come to me."
He not only calls you, but He has also given you many rules on how you should come to Him. If a prince made a proclamation for a rebel
to come to him for a pardon and then sent messengers with detailed instructions on how to come, directing him to the right place, what a mighty encouragement this would be for the rebel to come. This is what the Lord Christ has done for you. He has not only proclaimed
Himself as the mediator between God and you, but He has also sent His Spirit to call you and His messengers to give you instructions on how to come. He has told you to avoid certain paths and given you guidelines to help you. This is what Christ has done for you.
If the Lord gives you a heart to answer Christ's call, know that this calling through His word is a forerunner of the call Christ will make to you on another day. There is a call that says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," and there will be another call: "Inherit the kingdom prepared for you." This is worth more than ten thousand worlds. When the soul answers His call now, it can go away comforted, knowing that Christ will call again in a different way. He calls the burdened soul now to give you rest, but one day He will call you before all men and angels to receive your inheritance. He will say, "Come, not just to rest, but come to inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world."