And what a message that is, men and
women! What an appeal that is to people
who are without hope and without God?[1] We can say to our hearers, “There is no
insincerity whatever in this call, and in this offer to you. There is something on offer for you,
something real, something you need very badly and very urgently.” We can tell them that with confidence. This message is absolutely urgent. We can press on their consciences the need
for sinners, for all men, everyone, to close with Christ’s offer of grace and
forgiveness. We know that God’s sovereign
grace will be given to all who repent and believe in Christ, for without it,
they simply will not respond in faith to the Gospel call.
There is a distinction to be drawn here
between moral inability and human inability, an issue already
highlighted. Calvin, Amyraut, Davenant,
Baxter and Ryle taught the former, whereas the high orthodox, such as, Owen,
Gill, Smeaton, etc, taught the latter.
What is it that prevents men entering into God’s rest? Hebrews answers that question for us. It is their unbelief that shows itself in
disobedience.[2] Disobedience is not a human inability
– it is a moral inability, it is a choice that sinners make when they hear the
appeal of the gospel in their ears and in their hearts. They say with those of old, “We will not have
this man to reign over us!”[3] Refusing to come to Christ and to believe in
him is a definite act of the will. As
Jesus himself lamented, “You will not come to me that you might have life.”[4]
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