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The sermon teaches that outward religious identity has no saving value when it is not accompanied by genuine spiritual life and fruit. Spurgeon emphasizes human sinfulness, the danger of false assurance, and the certainty of severe judgment for hypocritical profession. True grace produces humility, perseverance, obedience, and service through the work of God’s Spirit. The proper response is self-examination, repentance, prayer for mercy, and wholehearted trust in Jesus Christ, who alone saves.
Theological center: Salvation is by God’s grace through genuine union with Christ, evidenced by repentance, holiness, and spiritual fruit rather than outward profession.
Applications: Examine your profession · Choose whom you serve · Repent of hypocrisy · Seek genuine conversion
Primary texts: Ezekiel 15:1-8 · Judges 9:12-13 · Matthew 6:24
“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: Son of man, What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?” Ezekiel 15:1-2 THE Jewish nation had arrogant ideas of themselves. When they sinned against God, they supposed that on account of the superior sanctity of their forefathers, or by reason of some special sanctity in themselves, they would be delivered—sin as they pleased. In consequence of the infinite mercy of JEHOVAH, which He had displayed towards them in delivering them out of so many distresses, they gradually came to imagine that they were the favorite children of providence and that God could by no means ever cast them away. God, therefore, in order to humble their pride, tells them that they in themselves were nothing more than any other nation. And He asks them what there was about them to recommend them? “I have often called you a vine; I have planted you, and nurtured you in a very fruitful hill, but now you bring forth no fruit; what is there in you why I should continue you in My favor? If you imagine there is anything about you more than about any other nation, you are mightily mistaken.” “What is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?” Let us remember that these things might be said without implying that God in the least degree alters His eternal purpose towards any chosen vessel of mercy. The Israelitish nation was not chosen to eternal salvation as a nation, but chosen to special privileges—a type and shadow of that eternal personal election, which Christ has given to His church. From His own elect church, God will never withdraw His love. But from the outward and visible church, He sometimes may. From His own people, He will never take away His affection—but from professors, from those who merely stand in His people’s external condition and are not His children— He may, yea, and He will withdraw every token of His favor. God humbles Israel by reminding them that they had nothing which other nations had not—that in fact they were a contemptible nation, not worthy to be set side by side with the cedar of Lebanon or with the oak of Samaria. They were of no use—they were “worthless, unless they brought forth fruit to him.” He checks their pride and humbles them with the parable we have here before us. Beloved, we shall, by God’s help, use this parable for ourselves and learn two lessons from it. The first shall be a lesson of humility for saints. And the second, a lesson of searching for all who are professors. I. First, here is A L…