Chapter 66. The Sixth Argument: Manifesting the Exceeding Willingness of God and Christ to Be Reconc
Fifthly, the Lord does not only express His desire with a sigh but also with an oath. He takes a solemn oath to show how willing He is for sinners to come in and be reconciled to Him. It is the greatest oath that God has ever taken – about sinners coming in – to profess
His willingness that sinners should not die but instead come and be reconciled to Him. You find this in Ezekiel 33:11: "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
As if a poor sinner were lying down, saying, "The Lord is provoked against me, and He will not be reconciled to me; no, the wrath of God is upon me, and He will take vengeance on me." The Lord looks upon a sinner lying in this state and bids His servants to go and say to him:
The Lord swears by His own life, saying, "As I live, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner; I swear by Myself because I have no greater to swear by."
Chapter 66.
The Sixth Argument: Manifesting the Exceeding Willingness of God and Christ to Be Reconciled to Sinners Another argument is this, in which God reveals in His word that above all works that are pleasing to Him, the work He most desires people to respect in this world is the act of believing in His Son and grasping the mercy He offers through Him. This is the work that pleases Him the most; and failing to do so is the greatest offence one
can commit against God. There is nothing else in this world that offends Him more. This demonstrates God's willingness to be reconciled to sinners, as He is pleased when a sinner comes to believe in His Son.
You find this in John 6:29: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent," said with emphasis above all other works. It is as if God were saying, "If you were to perform the most renowned work ever accomplished in this world, I would not delight in it. I would not care for that in comparison to the work of coming in and believing in My Son."
If there were a man who conquered the entire world, one who was renowned throughout all the earth, yet there were a humble soul with a repentant heart coming in and embracing God's grace in Jesus
Christ, casting itself upon His mercy for reconciliation – this humble soul (even if the lowest imaginable in the whole nation) would be a more glorious work in God's eyes than the greatest conquest of the mightiest ruler of the earth.
If you could control the sea, govern the entire world, or command the heavens, it would not be as glorious in God's eyes as coming and laying hold of His Son as He is offered in the Gospel. Even if you gave all your alms to the poor and surrendered your body to be burned, it would still be nothing compared to the work of believing in His Son.
In John 3, we see that God is most displeased when His Son is not believed. It is as if God were saying, "It's true, you are naturally my enemies, and you have lived in ways of hostility against Me. O! You have provoked Me all your days; in your youth, you were a drunken, unclean, profane person; a liar, a swearer, a Sabbath-breaker, and so forth. Yet now you live to hear the voice of the Gospel echoing in your ears, offering Jesus Christ to your souls for the pardon of your sins.