Not of Man

In the third place, we read, “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man.” From the humblest clergyman up to the pope of Rome, or, if you want to turn it around the other way, from the pope up to a Protestant parson, there is no man on earth so holy and so closely in touch with God that he can make a Christian of you by anything he can do for you. He might baptize you, he might confirm you, he might recommend that you be received into church membership, but he could not make a Christian of you by voting you into the membership of the church. If you came in without being born again, you would be just a poor lost sinner with a false profession.
I remember some years ago when that mighty man of God, Henry Varley, was in California having meetings in a large church. One night he said to me, “I want you to come downstairs with me; they are going to have a church meeting, and they have some applicants for membership. I would like to get a line on them, see how careful they are about receiving people, for this will help me to know how to preach.” There were four candidates for membership. The minister said, “We are glad to have our brethren here to apply for membership in this church, and we want them to give us a word, and then they will be voted on.”
The first man stood to his feet, and said something like this; “My friends, you all know me; my father and mother have been members of this church for years. I have often felt I should join the church, and so I made up my mind that if you would accept me, I would like to feel that I am a member of the church of my parents.”
A gentleman spoke up, and said, “May I ask the young man a question?” and the minister said, “Well, if it is a proper one, you may.”
“I would like to ask if you have ever been born again.”
The minister jumped to his feet, and said, “I object; I do not want our brother to attempt to answer that question. That is downright impertinence; that matter is entirely between the individual and his God.”
And so they voted him in; but I remembered that my Bible said, “Not of blood.”
The second young man stood to his feet, and spoke somewhat as follows: “Well, friends, you know me. I haven’t always been what I ought to be, but last New Year I made up my mind to turn over a new leaf, and try to do better. I think it would help me to join the church, and so I have applied for membership.” And they voted him in.
My friend had found it did not pay to ask questions, so did not try it again. I remembered then that my Bible said, “Nor of the will of the flesh.”
The third young man arose, and with choice English accent said, “You know, my friends, I haven’t been in the habit of attending a church of this nomenclature. Over in England I attended the state church. When I was a little child, I was baptized by the Archbishop of Canterbury. But since coming to America, I have enjoyed coming down here, and thought I would Like to join with you.” So they voted him in.
But I remembered again that my Bible said, “Nor of the will of man.”
There were the three of them. One of them thought he was a Christian because his parents were, the second because he had turned over a new leaf, and the third because he had been baptized by a great church dignitary.
There was one other man sitting there, older than these others, and I could see the marks which sin had left upon his brow. When he was introduced, he spoke with great fervency: “My friends, I do not need to say very much; you know my story. My dear wife and children have been members with you here for a number of years. You know what a life I have led; I have been a drunkard, a poor sinner; I alienated my wife and children from me so that they had to leave me. I was going down, down, down in my sins, and it seemed there was no power to stop me. About six months ago, I made up my mind there was no help for me, and started down Market Street toward the water front, intending to jump in and end it all; but as I got to Seventh and Market, the Salvation Army were having an open air meeting. I went over and they were singing of the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.”
“Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
“I listened! They sang it over and over, until they sang the words right into my soul, and I said: ‘I wonder if it is true, if there is hope for a sinner like me’; and then I listened to one and another tell how they too had been lost in sin, and Jesus had saved them, and when someone invited any poor sinner to come and kneel with them at the old drum, I threw myself down, and cried, ‘O God, if there is hope for a sinner like me, save me tonight.’ Something happened that night; I trusted Christ; He took me in; He made me a new creature; I was born of God; and all has been different ever since; we have a happy home now” — and then he burst into tears. Well, they voted him in, but I could not help but wonder why he wanted to get into an ice-box like that.
There you have three ways by which you cannot become a child of God, and there is the way and the only way, by which you can become a child of God. This getting converted is a divine thing; it is a divine work — something that the Spirit of God does for the poor sinner who comes to Christ. How is it all brought about?