Works of John Bunyan – The Greatness of The Soul, And Unspeakableness of the Loss Thereof; The Persons Interested In The Intercession Of Christ. 180.

 

by Thomas Sadler, oil on canvas, 1684

THIRD, The third particular is to show WHO ARE THE PERSONS INTERESTED IN THIS INTERCESSION OF CHRIST, and they are those that come to God by him. The words are concise and distinctly laid down; they are they that come, that come to God, that come to God by him. 'Wherefore he is able also to save them, to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.'

[Of coming to God by Christ.]—A little, first, to comment upon the order of the words, 'that come unto God by him.'

Some come unto God, but not 'by him'; these are not included in this text; they have no share in this privilege. Thus the Jews came to God, the unbelieving Jews, 'who had a zeal of God but not according to knowledge.' (Rom 9:30–34, 10:1-4) These submitted not to Christ, the righteousness of God, but thought to come to him by works of their own, or at least, as it were, by them, and so come short of salvation by grace, for that reigns to salvation only in Christ. To these Christ's person and undertaking were a stumbling stone, for at him they stumbled and did split themselves to pieces, though they indeed were such as came to God for life.

As there are that come to God, but not by Christ, so there are that come to Christ, but not to God by him:11 of this sort are those who, hearing that Christ is the Saviour, therefore come to him for pardon but cannot abide to come to God by him, for that he is holy, and so will snub their lusts and change their hearts and natures. Mind what I say. There are a great many who would be saved by Christ but would love not to be sanctified by God through him. These make a stop at Christ and will go no further. They might as well have pardon, they care not whether ever they went to heaven or not. Of this kind of coming to Christ I think it is, of which he warneth his disciples when he saith, 'In that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.' (John 16:23) As who should say, when you ask for anything, make not a stop at me, but come to my Father by me; for they that come to me, and not to my Father, through me, will have nothing of what they come for. Righteousness shall be imputed to us, 'if we believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.' (Rom 4:24,25) To come to Christ for a benefit, and stop there, and not come to God by him, prevaileth nothing. Here the mother of Zebedee's children erred; and about this, it was that the Lord Jesus cautioned her. Lord, saith she, 'Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.' But what is the answer to Christ? 'To sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but for whom it is prepared of my Father.' (Matt 20:21-23) As who should say, Woman, of myself I do nothing, my Father worketh with me. Go therefore to him by me, for I am the way to him; what thou canst obtain of him by me thou shalt have; that is to say, what of the things that pertain to eternal life, whether pardon or glory.