It is not enough, brethren, that we should go through all these
previous steps, if we then go utterly astray at the end, by
forgetting that there is only one way by which we become partakers of
any of the benefits and blessings that Christ has wrought out. It is
much to say that for inheritance there must be sonship. It is much to
say that for sonship there must be a divine regeneration. It is much
to say that the power of this regeneration is all gathered together
in Christ Jesus. But there are plenty of people that would agree to
all that, who go off at that point, and content themselves with
_this_ kind of thinking--that in some vague mysterious way, they
know not how, in a sort of half-magical manner, the benefit of
Christ's death and work comes to all in Christian lands, whether
there be an act of faith or not! Now I am not going to talk theology
at present, at this stage of my sermon; but what I want to leave upon
all your hearts is this profound conviction,--Unless we are wedded to
Jesus Christ by the simple act of trust in His mercy and His power,
Christ is nothing to us. Do not let us, my friends, blink that
deciding test of the whole matter. We may talk about Christ for ever;
we may set forth aspects of His work, great and glorious. He may be
to us much that is very precious; but the one question, the question
of questions, on which everything else depends, is, Am I trusting to
Him as my divine Redeemer? am I resting in Him as the Son of God?
Some of us here now have a sort of nominal connection with Christ,
who have a kind of imaginative connection with Him; traditional,
ceremonial, by habit of thought, by attendance on public worship, and
by I know not what other means. Ceremonies are nothing, notions
are nothing, beliefs are nothing, formal participation in worship is
nothing. Christ is everything to him that trusts Him. Christ is
nothing but a judge and a condemnation to him who trusts Him not. And
here is the turning-point, Am I resting upon that Lord for my
salvation? If so, you can begin upon that step, the low one on which
you can put your foot, the humble act of faith, and with the foot
there, can climb up. If faith, then new birth; if new birth, then
sonship; if sonship, then an heir of God, and a joint-heir with
Christ.' But if you have not got your foot upon the lowest round of
the ladder, you will never come within sight of the blessed face of
Him who stands at the top of it, and who looks down to you at this
moment, saying to you, 'My child, _wilt_ thou not cry unto Me "Abba,
Father?"'