THE Apostle in this chapter first calls himself and the rest of the Apostles, workers together with Christ, and shows what they had to suffer for His sake. Then at the fourteenth verse he begins to show that believers should not be yoked with unbelievers, and makes it plain that there can be no concord between Christ and Belial and no agreement between the temple of God and idols. Hence he comes to the conclusion that there must be a coming out from among them. The words of the text are quoted from the Prophet Isaiah. In considering these words, let us notice: I.—The command; II.—A few of the things implied in this coming out; III.—Some motives why we should “come out from among them;” and IV.—The promise to those who, through grace, comply with the command.
I.—The command, wherein we have, first, the Person who commands, and secondly, those who are commanded.
1. It is the Lord that gives the command.
He has every right to do it. “Has not the potter power over the clay?” He rules over all, as He created all, and has a Sovereign right to command men everywhere to believe. He is our lawgiver. To Him we must all come, as our Judge, as He saith, “Unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess.” But here He calls as the Saviour of His people, as He is “in Christ reconciling sinners unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.”
2. Those who are here commanded.
(1) They are sinners who are in need of being saved from sin. (2) They are such as profess to have been convinced of their sins and of their need of Christ as their Saviour. (3) Men who are in danger of being led astray, and this is true of us all.
II.—Let us now consider a few of the things implied in this coming out.
It is a moral and spiritual coming out. Although these words had, when first uttered by the Lord through the Prophet, a reference to the coming out of the children of Israel from the land of their captivity, yet it is now to such as professed their faith in Christ, that such words were written, and they are for our “edification upon whom the ends of the world have come.” This is the last dispensation. The world has a freezing effect on the souls of God’s people. All who are taught by Him know that its carnal pleasures and amusements have the effect on the new-born soul, that frost has on living bodies.
1. We must see, by the teaching of God’s Spirit, the vanity of the things of the world.
The Psalmist saw the end of all perfection here below, and we must see it, or be lost in it. Solomon saw it and bitterly lamented how he gave his heart to pleasure. “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
2. We must see that God is, and that He has a claim upon us.
We must see that He is our King, that it is sinful to be away from Him, and that we cannot have Him and our idols. He said of Ephraim, “He is joined to his idols; let him alone.” We naturally love our idols, and their name is legion, for they are many—our own righteousness, self-love, vain glory, self-confidence, lusts, evil companions and evil practices. We must realize that the wrath of God is by nature on us, while we delight in those things. “For which things’ sake, the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.” The end of those things is eternal death. We must understand, by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, that God is just in punishing us for our sins. His glory will He “not give to another nor His praise to graven images.”
3. Again, we must be changed in our wills, so as to leave them all behind.
“What have I to do any more with idols?” They must become gall and wormwood to the soul; as another said, “My soul hath them still in remembrance.” This Apostle’s own case is a clear illustration of this fact. He counted them all but dross and dung that he might win Christ. He found that there was something better to choose. Oh, dear friends, what a poor lot they have who make choice of the world! It will leave them at last as the chief priests left poor Judas. “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not?” See the glory of Christ, as the God-man who can put His hand upon the Father and us, fairer than all the sons of men, altogether lovely. Oh, how suitable for our case in all His offices, in His obedience and sufferings, death and resurrection; how infinitely worthy of our love. His company is the best of all society. “Whom have I in the heavens high But thee, O Lord, alone; And on the earth whom I desire, Besides thee there is none?” The Apostle counted all things but loss for the glory of Jesus Christ. Oh, young friends, seek His company in the days of your youth. How God’s people have lamented in every age, how much of their precious time they spent in sin! And you will do so also, if the Lord will open your eyes in mercy, and, if not, you will eternally wail because of Him. “Every eye shall see Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” How sweet it is to the soul when drawn by the love of Christ! “The love of Christ constraineth us” saith the Apostle in another place. It is a daily coming out. They feel the world a wilderness, a dry parched land wherein is no water. The unconverted think that God’s people must be very unhappy when they do not “run with them to the same excess of riot.” But there is more real pleasure in the soul, when on the arm of his Saviour he leaves the world behind, and speeds him on to think of the time when this mortal shall put on immortality, than was ever found by the worldling in any of his haunts of pleasure. How many precious souls, as they are nearing the New Year, think that they cannot live without something for their lusts! Oh, how much better it would be to take in the year pleading with Jesus, that He might give a word warm from heaven! “More joy thy testimonies way than riches all me gave.”
III.—Let us now consider some motives why we should come out from among them.
1. The great example we have in the Glorious Head Himself in the days of His humiliation.
Although in a sinful world, His thoughts were above the world—on the Father. Even in His sufferings and death His thoughts were on the will of the Father. Oh, friend, what an example in suffering! Should it not shame us all? Think of yourself, how corrupt your thoughts are! When the Lord but touches you with trouble, how like you are the troubled sea with all kinds of corrupt thoughts! Is it not troubling you as you come to the end of another year how unlike Christ you are? Oh how much we all need a faith’s view of Him who, when He was reviled, reviled not again. If God were to deal with the best according to their thoughts even, would not the lake of fire be our portion? Oh mercy, mercy, what we owe thee! Take care, my friend, that your thoughts be not fuel to burn you eternally. The Saviour who was holy, harmless, in thought, word, and deed, calls you to look unto Him, that you may be made holy, as He is holy. And it is only through faith in Him we can have our souls purified from an evil conscience, to serve the living God. By His example, we are taught that instead of following the multitude in sin, we should pray for, and weep over them, who follow the broad way that leadeth to destruction. Let us by His example, call them away from that which will prove their ruin if they persist in it. Many, who have the name of being His servants and children, encourage such as are votaries of pleasure, to continue in their foolish way. What will they have to say when He cometh to take vengeance on them who obey not the Gospel?
2. We were not created to bury our souls in the world.
The soul of man is a spirit; and it is, to say the least of it, unreasonable that it should be prostituted in such a way. Our souls and bodies were created for the glory of God, and according to the teaching of the Spirit, through this same Apostle, to give our bodies to sin is to make them the members of an harlot.
3. Some of us profess to have another spirit, to be born from above—born of God—new creatures.
“If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.” Oh, how strange and unnatural it would be to see men living in company with seals and other creatures of the sea. So it is strange that such as profess to be born again should delight themselves in the pleasures of sin and forget the glory of Him who has called them from darkness to His marvellous light.
4. Our duty to the world demands of us to come out from among them.
If those who profess the name of the Lord live like the careless, it will harden them in their sins and vanity. How many poor sinners, because ministers will be found at balls and at all the gatherings of Skyemen and the Highlanders of Argyll—as may be seen from the public prints—I say, how many poor sinners are hardened by their example! It is the great day alone that will reveal the effect such conduct has on the careless. How much better it would be for us to be considered narrow in time than to have the lost cursing us in eternity for leading them astray! A holy living may, and will, make some shun your company, yet your holy walk will speak louder in their consciences than your words can.
5. Our own safety demands that we should come out from among them.
“If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.” It will infect us if we go with them. “Shall we sin that grace may abound? God forbid.” “Can a man carry fire in his bosom, and not be burned?” A baker has the mark of his work on him. Even so, we cannot delight in idols, and not contract guilt. “If in my heart I sin regard the Lord me will not hear.” It will take the presence of the Lord from us. “I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their sin.” Look at all the examples you have in the word of God. Lot chose the plains of Sodom, and he had to leave it with his bare life. He had to leave all his cattle behind. And even his wife, he had to leave her on the plain a beacon to coming ages. Samson fell into the hands of the Philistines, and he lost his two eyes. Oh for grace to flee to Jesus Christ, who is a shelter from the storm!
IV.—The promise to such as will, through grace, obey the command, “And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
1. The person who gives the promise.
It is the Lord, who has a right to do it. He is Lord that ruleth all. Herein is love, the Lord, against whom we have sinned, offering and promising to be a Father unto us, if we for His sake withdraw from a sinful communion with idolaters and scandalous persons. And He shows Himself as Lord Almighty, and as such can perform what He has promised, and can protect us from all the powers that be against us.
2. He will receive them into His favour and fellowship.
As long as we are taken up with the creature, we cannot expect to have the Lord’s presence. He receives them in justification as to their state, and forgives them all their iniquities, receives them “as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone.” Oh, how many sweet hours we lose on account of our lukewarmness in the things that belong to His glory!
3. “I will be a father unto you.”
Yes, He will show even to their enemies that His arm is stronger to protect them than all the powers that be against them. “Stronger is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father is greater than all; none is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” Yea, and He will at times give them to believe that He is for them. “The Lord was here and I knew it not.” “Henceforth thy going out and in God keep for ever will.” Oh, dear friends, how valuable it is to the soul to feel that there is an Almighty arm around him! It is a taste of heaven on earth.
4. “And ye shall be my sons and daughters.”
Yea, He will be such willingly and to your soul’s comfort. Satan seeks to weaken the Lord’s children in many ways, but that by which he succeeds most often is, when he is able to keep them looking at their own unworthiness and carnal nature, and thus causes them doubt their interest into Christ. Nevertheless, when the Lord enables them, through His word, to see that it is not what they are, but what He is for them, that is the ground of hope, they are ready to say with Thomas, “My Lord and my God.” When this is given them, there is a joy which the world cannot give. “Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.” We are called upon to give all diligence to make our calling and our election sure. Let us seek this above everything else, that we may fear and obey the Lord in all things. Amen.
Gospel Holiness.—Evangelical holiness will not allow of, nor will consist with, the constant habitual omissions of any one duty, or the satisfaction of any one lust of the mind or of the flesh. This is that which loseth it so many friends in the world. Would it barter with the flesh, would it give and take allowances of any kind, or grant indulgences to any one sin, multitudes would have a kindness for it, who now bid it defiance. Every one would have an exemption for that sin which he likes best, and this would be virtually a dispensation for all unholiness whatever. But these are the terms of the gospel; not one duty is to be neglected, no one sin is to be indulged; and such terms are looked upon as intolerable (by the world).—Orwen.