Chapter 41: Why God Will Not Himself Immediately Dispense This Gospel Reconciliation
only from those who are lost; it is hidden from them through these outward means.
Thus, you see why God has committed the ministry of reconciliation to men rather than to angels.
Chapter 41:
Why God Will Not Himself Immediately Dispense This Gospel Reconciliation But further, one might ask: why will God not immediately preach this doctrine of the Gospel himself, the mystery of reconciliation? We see many infirmities in men; people are quick to stumble over the faults of Gospel ministers (which, by the way, should teach ministers to be mindful of their conduct). Given that there are so many things to criticise about men, we might be inclined to think that if God himself were to preach the Gospel from heaven, people would pay more attention.
No, God will not do that. Though he will assist the ministry to make it effective in the hearts of those who will be saved, he will not speak directly from heaven but will instead send men like themselves. Let men hear or not; even if they think they would listen if God himself spoke, those who do not listen to men would not listen to God either.
God did speak from heaven in delivering the Law, but people still did not keep it. Now, God chooses to speak through men because he delights in using every creature according to its capacity.
The Lord takes great delight in employing all means suitable to his creation. Therefore, you will find (which is very noteworthy) that although God began to speak from heaven to Saul when he converted him (later called Paul), he did not do the entire work himself directly.
Before the work could be completed, he used means. In Acts 9:4, Christ speaks from heaven. But observe this carefully: what does
Christ say from heaven? He does not preach the Gospel but merely speaks a word of conviction: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
This was enough to strike Saul with astonishment, so that he fell to the ground and said, "Lord, what would you have me do?"
But notice what answer is given to him: "Go into the city, and it shall be told you." You must not think that just because I have begun to speak from heaven to you, I will complete the work myself. You must be content to rely on means, and so Saul did. He arose from the ground (verse 8), and God made him wait before telling him what to do. He spent three days and nights without eating, praying all the while. Then, in verse 10, the Lord spoke to Ananias (one of his ministers), saying, "Go to such a place, and there you shall reveal my mercy to Saul—this doctrine of reconciliation."
It is true that God began to think of Saul, but he would not complete the work himself. Instead, he chose to use Ananias, and Saul had to depend on Ananias's ministry to learn about God's mercy in Christ for his soul. God then blessed Ananias's ministry to Saul's soul.
You see, then, how God insists on using means. I am confident that God's dealings with many of you are similar. Though God may initially strike terror into your hearts, like when a person is going about their business and is suddenly struck with the thought, "Lord, where am I? What if I were to die now? How can I answer for all I've done before God?" Thus, a person may become troubled in their
conscience through an immediate work of God, but God does not continue this work directly. Instead, he sends that person to the ministers of his Word, who show them what they must do for their good.
Let me share with you a notable text that demonstrates how God uses means. In Acts 10:2, we read about Cornelius, a soldier and a centurion of the Italian band. Although many of his soldiers were wicked, he was a devout man, full of prayer, as it is commendable for soldiers to be. Because they carry their lives in their hands, they need to carry grace in their hearts.
In verse 3, God accepts Cornelius's prayers and appears to him in a vision, sending an angel to tell him that his prayers have been well received. However, Cornelius knew very little of Christ.
Objection: You might say, "Since God sent an angel to Cornelius, why did the angel not reveal Christ to him?"
No, God would not do that. He sent an angel to tell Cornelius to send for Peter, a minister of the Gospel. The angel's message was to inform him that God regarded his prayers and alms, but as if the angel were saying, "God has more to tell you, but I have no commission to tell you myself. My commission is to tell you to send for a minister." So, Cornelius sent for Peter, and Peter came and preached Christ to him, as you can read in verse 34.
Thus, you see that God usually works through means. Indeed, by doing this, God honours human nature by involving it in his work. To further demonstrate how God honours the ministry of his Word, consider this: when Christ himself preached on earth, we never read of him converting as many souls as the ministers of the Gospel did.
Peter, when he preached the Gospel, converted three thousand souls