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The sermon teaches that possession of the Holy Spirit is essential to salvation and cannot be replaced by morality, orthodoxy, denominational affiliation, or ritual washing. The Spirit gives new birth, convicts of sin, comforts the repentant, and progressively purifies the believer. The true church consists of those who have received the Spirit, so Spirit-filled Christians should resist sectarian separation and recognize one another as members of one family. The sermon combines a strong warning to the unregenerate with a gospel invitation to abandon self-reliance and take refuge in Christ.
Theological center: Salvation and true church membership are defined by the regenerating, indwelling, convicting, comforting, and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.
Applications: Examine whether you have the Spirit · Renounce sinful ways and flee to Christ · Refuse needless separation from Spirit-filled Christians · Consider the Spirit’s essential role
Primary texts: Jude 1:19 · John 3:5
“These be they that separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” Jude 1:19 WHEN a farmer comes to thrash out his wheat and get it ready for the market, there are two things that he desires—that there may be plenty of it, of the right sort—and that when he takes it to market, he may be able to carry a clean sample there. He does not look upon the quantity alone—for what is the chaff to the wheat? He would rather have a little clean than he would have a great heap containing a vast quantity of chaff, but less of the precious corn. On the other hand, he would not so winnow his wheat as to drive away any of the good grain and so make the quantity less than it needs to be. He wants to have as much as possible—to have as little loss as possible in the winnowing and yet to have it as well-winnowed as may be. Now, that is what I desire for Christ’s church and what every Christian will desire. We wish Christ’s church to be as large as possible. God forbid that by any of our winnowing we should ever cast away one of the precious sons of Zion. When we sharply rebuke, we would be anxious lest the rebuke should fall where it is not needed, and should bruise and hurt the feelings of any whom God has chosen. But on the other hand, we have no wish to see the church multiplied at the expense of its purity. We do not wish to have a charity so large that it takes in chaff as well as wheat. We wish to be just charitable enough to use the fan thoroughly to purge God’s floor—but yet charitable enough to pick up the most shriveled ear of wheat, to preserve it for the Master’s sake, that is the husbandman. I trust, in preaching this morning, God may help me so to discern between the precious and the vile that I may say nothing uncharitable which would cut off any of God’s people from being part of His true and living and visible church. And yet at the same time I pray that I may not speak so loosely, and so without God’s direction, as to embrace any in the arms of Christian affection whom the Lord has not received in the eternal covenant of His love. Our text suggests to us three things. First, an inquiry—Have we the Spirit? Secondly, a caution—if we have not the Spirit, we are sensual. Thirdly, a suspicion—there are many persons that separate themselves. Our suspicion concerning them is that notwithstanding their extra-superfine profession, they are sensual, not having the Spirit—for our text says, “These be they that separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.” I. First, then, our text suggests AN INQUIRY—Have we the Spirit? This is an inquiry so important…