THESE solemn words were spoken by John the Baptist. Christ’s testimony concerning John was that “among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. xi.—11). His coming was predicted hundreds of years before he was born. Isaiah, who lived about seven hundred years before John was born, speaks of him as “the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness” (Isa. xl.—3). Malachi who was four hundred years before him, described him as: “My messenger who shall prepare the way before me.” All the prophets looked forward to the coming of Christ and greatly desired to see His day but John could actually point Him out and say: “Behold the Lamb of God.”
John began his ministry in the wilderness of Judea and his preaching caused a great sensation. The cardinal doctrines of God’s Word such as regeneration and repentance were entirely discarded by the Scribes and Pharisees. They had taken away the key of knowledge so that when these doctrines were preached by John they stirred up the people and they flocked to hear him. When the Pharisees whose sole ambition was to be in the lime light, saw the people going after John they also went but they heard something they did not relish for he plainly told them what they were and described them as “a generation of vipers.”
Now, when the people were in expectation and musing in their hearts as to whether John were the Christ or not he dispelled their doubts and false ideas by plainly telling them that he was not the Christ but the predicted messenger. He also shows them the insufficiency of his baptism that it would neither change their state nor nature but points them to one whose prerogative it was to baptise them with the Holy Ghost and with fire, “whose fan was in His hand.”
In considering the words of our text let us notice—I. The floor to be purged—”His floor.” II. How was He to purge this floor? By His “fan.” III. How was He to treat the material on the floor? “He was to gather the wheat into His garner, but burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
I. The floor to be purged: “His floor.”
1. What was this floor which Christ was to thoroughly purge.
The language is metaphorical but it was a metaphor which would be easily understood in its literal meaning by an agricultural people like the Jews but the deep and momentous meaning of it could only be comprehended by those who were taught by the Holy Spirit—“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.” (I. Cor. ii.—11).
This floor which He is to thoroughly purge and which purging He did not commit to any creature, is the visible Church. There are two and only two churches in the World “the visible” and the “invisible.” The visible church is made up of all who are baptised in the name of the Trinity and who profess the Christian religion. The invisible church consists of all who are regenerated by the Spirit. The invisible is inside, as it were, the visible, but there is no mixing of wheat and chaff in the invisible all the mixture is in the visible church. Men may mix the wheat with the chaff and the chaff with the wheat but He whose prerogative it is to thoroughly purge the floor” will make no mistake but make a clean separation. “The Lord knoweth them that are His:” “I know my sheep.”
Many are members of the visible church through baptism who are not members of the invisible through regeneration. “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter.” (Rom. ii.—28).
2. The Lord had a “floor” in the world from the beginning on which there was wheat and chaff.
Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect to his offering. There was blood in his offering and he offered it by faith. Cain brought of the fruit of the ground but there was neither blood nor faith in his offering and he was rejected. There we have the wheat and chaff on the floor. This is what will make an eternal separation at the Great Day between the righteous and the wicked. Faith in the atoning blood of Christ by the righteous and the rejection of Christ by the wicked. The Lord entered into covenant with Abraham and took him and his seed to be the “floor.” But on this floor there was wheat and chaff. There was Isaac and Ishmael. The one born after the flesh and the other after the Spirit. Alexander Gair speaking of Isaac and Ishmael said that they were arguing one day and Isaac said; “I am the son of Abraham.” and Ishmael replied: “I am the son of Abraham as well as you. But, said Isaac: “I was circumcised,” “So was I,” said Ishmael. “I got a deliverance from heaven,” said Isaac. “So did I,” said Ishmael. “Yes,” replied Isaac, “you got a deliverance from your mother’s bottle but I got deliverance by sacrifice.”
That is what will make the difference between the wheat and the chaff. The door of admission into the floor was circumcision. All the males in Israel were circumcised but their entrance by that door did not make them wheat. For they are not all Israel which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children; but in Isaac shall thy seed be called” (Rom. ix.—6).
When we come to the New Testament dispensation we find the same order of things, wheat and much chaff on the floor. Under this dispensation the door into the floor is baptism but as circumcision did not change the state or nature of the Jews neither will baptism change us. The Church of Rome and the High Church party in the Church of England and, indeed, many Presbyterian Ministers hold what is known as “baptismal regeneration” that is that baptism regenerates the baptised person. That is a delusion for there is no such doctrine in God’s Word. Nothing will make us wheat or members of the invisible Church but to enter by the door of the new birth. As Christ said to Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of heaven.”
Now, the floor, under the gospel dispensation, was not changed but the door of admission was from circumcision to baptism. That fact strikes at the position of Baptists who maintain that infants ought not to be baptised. If the male child was circumcised on the eighth day and admitted into the “floor” on what authority do Baptists deprive infants of the privilege of entering the “floor” by baptism under the New Dispensation? Christ appeared personally on the floor and entered both by the door of circumcision and baptism. He was, as it were, the Omega and the Alpha, the end of the Old and the beginning of the New Dispensation. How was He received by those on “the floor?” “He came to His own and His own received Him not.” “He was despised and rejected of men.” He was by “wicked hands,” ignominiously crucified and put to death. There were a few grains of wheat to whom He was precious and who heartily received Him as the Messiah.
Now, all of us who were baptised in the name of the Trinity are on “the floor,” but what reception have we given to Christ? He is to come and thoroughly purge His floor and make a clean separation between the wheat and the chaff and unless we are among the wheat we shall be among the chaff which shall be burned with unquenchable fire.
II. How is He to purge His floor? By “His fan.”
1. We may notice first that Christ did not commit this purging to any creature.
It is His own absolute prerogative. He sent forth ambassadors to preach the gospel and to be fellow-workers with Him to keep the floor clean and for this purpose gave them rules and laws so that “they might know how they ought to behave in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth.” (I. Tim. iii.—15).
But, however, faithful His ambassadors may be in endeavouring to keep the floor clean and to strenuously oppose whatsoever may tend to corrupt it yet to thoroughly purge it is Christ’s work. “He shall sit as refiners fire, and like fuller’s soap.” But shall abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth?” (Mal. iii.—2). To thoroughly purge the floor needs infinite and infallible knowledge of the thoughts, motives, and intents of the hearts of men. None can have this but the omniscient God who searched the hearts and reins of men. When He takes His fan in His hand to purge He will not leave one grain of wheat among the chaff nor any chaff among the wheat. “He will thoroughly purge it.”
2. Let us notice the material on the floor—”Wheat and Chaff.”
(1). The chaff—What are we to understand by the chaff?
Those who know anything about farming know that there are two kinds of chaff. There is the light outward husk and there is what appears to be grain but has no substance and which when put through the fanners, is carried away like the real chaff. The same in true spiritually. There are those who by their careless lives and conversation prove that they are of their father the devil for his works they do. The drunkard, the blasphemer, the immoral and Sabbath desecrator prove that they are chaff. But there is the graceless professor who has the outward covering of the wheat but is void of the inward life of regeneration. The prophet Zechariah probably refers to these two classes when he says: “Two parts therein shall be cut off and die (Zec. xiii.—18). All men except those who are born again: are among the chaff that will be burned up with unquenchable fire.
(2). Wheat—Who are they?
They are those who came into the floor of the invisible church through the door of regeneration. Wheat is a living grain and so are the Lord’s people. They were quickened in a day of power, “you hath He quickened.” Christ, who is their life, was begotten in them and “He lives after the power of an endless life,” and because He lives they shall live also. They live a life of faith upon Him.
These we take to be the third part of which Zechariah speaks—”He will bring them through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tried.”
He has left them as part of His legacy that: “In this world they are to have tribulation.” But out of all their troubles He will deliver them and bring them at last to His heavenly garner.
3. Not only is there a separation to be made between persons but a separation is made in the souls of His people between grace and sin.
Their sins were forgiven them in the day of their justification but sin is still in their nature and will be while they are in this world. They must be sanctified for their sanctification is as necessary as their justification. “Without holiness no man can see the Lord.” The daily cry of the child of God is: “Do thou with hyssop sprinkle me.” But He will thoroughly purge them by bringing them through fire and water, and will at last present them holy and without blemish. What a wonderful company they shall be and may we be among them.
4. Another thing we may observe is that wherever this life is implanted there is love in God’s law.
“How love I thy law,” said David. “If ye love me keep my commandments,” said Christ. We need not flatter ourselves that we are among His wheat if we deliberately trample God’s law under our feet. How can those who tear and deny the infallibility and inerrancy of God’s Word and so make Him a liar, be classed among the “wheat.” The large majority of ministers and people to-day do not believe in a whole inspired Bible. But God said: “I testify unto every man that heareth the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of this prophecy, God shall take away His part out of the book of life.” (Rev. xxii.—18). God will deal in terrible judgments with all who daringly cavil at His Word. Those who desecrate God’s holy day cannot be counted among His wheat. The extent to which Sabbath desecration has come to in our day, by high and low is sad and alarming. Our political rulers who ought to be an example to others show no respect to God’s day: the most of them, and our Prime Minister among them, make their political speeches on that day. The majority of our soldiers, sailors and airmen show no regard to the Lord’s day, neither do the people in general. Should there be no other reason why the hand of God should be so heavily upon us as a nation but our Sabbath desecration it would be enough.
The floor must be purged when you consider the unscriptural practices of churches in this land. If we take the Church of Rome which is described in scripture as: “Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abomination of the earth,” should we as a nation have no other sin but the place we give to that church, especially in high places, it would be enough to bring the judgment of God upon us. It was lately reported in our church Magazine that there were no less than 48 Roman Catholics members in the House of Lords and 21 in the House of Commons. This is alarming and it is to be feared that this land which was delivered from the power of Papacy at the Reformation will suffer because of the place we give to the “mother of harlots.”
The floor of Presbyterian Churches must be cleansed of all the unscriptural rubbish that men have introduced into the service of God’s house. What authority have hymns and instrumental music to be in the service of God’s house. To what an alarming extent is the floor of churches in Scotland polluted to-day with Arminianism, Sacramentarianism, and many other -isms but the “floor” will be purged from all these unscriptural abominations when God will arise to purge it.
5. The “floor” shall be thoroughly purged when Christ shall take the fan in His hand at the Great Day of judgment.
He shall make a clean separation between the righteous and the wicked, between them that serveth God and them that serve Him not. May we be found among the wheat that day.
III. How was He to treat the material on the floor?
“He will gather His wheat into His garner, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.”
The wheat and chaff will be differently dealt with then.
1. The wheat, which He claims as His own, “His wheat.”
(1). They are His because they were given to Him by the Father in the past eternity.
“Thine they were and Thou givest them to me.”
(2). They are His because He purchased them.
They had sold themselves for nought, and were the children of wrath even as others. But Christ redeemed them not by silver and gold but by His own precious blood. So “they are bought with a price.”
(3). They are His because He called them by His Spirit in a day of power.
He convinced them of their lost and ruined state and made them willing to accept of Him as their only Saviour. He justified them freely through the merits of His own blood.
(4). They are His because He sanctifies them by His Spirit.
Though their sins were all forgiven them in the day of their justification, yet their nature is as corrupt as ever. But He will cleanse them so that when He presents them to the Father they shall be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.”
(5). He shall finally gather them into His garner to be with Him in glory; gather them from North, South, East and West, what a wonderful day that will be to them.
Often did they conclude while in this world, they would never see that day. But then all their doubts, fears and troubles will be at an end. “They shall be brought with gladness great and mirth on every side, into the palace of the King and there they shall abide.” (Ps. 45.—15).
2. We have then, what is to be done with the chaff.
“He shall burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The lot of the wicked is too terrible to speak of, and may we never know it. Some think that there is material fire in hell. No, but the wrath of God burning in their conscience forever. Christ shall say to the righteous “come ye blessed of my Father and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.” But to the wicked He shall say, “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” These shall be the last words they shall hear from His mouth and shall ring in their ears through eternity. We read that the wicked shall cry to the mountains and hills to fall upon them but their cry will not be heard but will be in being forever.
May we listen to His invitations which says. “Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die, O house of Israel.” “Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” (Isa. 55.—3).