If He Wash You Not

I was at a church recently, which to me typified modern evangelism in America today. Between the loud rock songs, the music minister yelled out to his congregation, you don't have to wait for the invitation to be saved. Just put your faith in Jesus right now and you can sing this next song as a believer.

Just do it now. Only two seconds elapsed from his comments and he began strumming his guitar and jumped into the next song. And I sat there and thought, how in the world can someone pass from death to life in two seconds by responding to such a weak and perverted view of the gospel? It made me think of how easy it is to be deceived in our efforts to reach people for Christ.

We overlook the main fact that they must be born again and only God can perform that supernatural act. I want to relate to you today, friends, a story about the British evangelist George Whitfield. George Whitfield, while a student at Pembroke College in Oxford, was a member of the Holy Club.

The Holy Club was comprised of a small group of students who gathered on a weekly basis to pray, to sing hymns and to read the word of God together in an effort to encourage one another in their faith. Both John and Charles Wesley were members of this group as well. They would become known as Oxford Methodists because of their strict method of religious behavior and duties.

I have been to Dr. Williams Library in London and I have held in my hand a page from Whitfield's diary and on it was a very strict regimen of holy duties for each hour of the day. And I have been to Wesley's church in London down in the basement where his papers are kept and I have examined as well the pages of John Wesley's diary and they're pretty much identical to Whitfield's in regard to the method of religious duties written down for the day. It's very obvious that John Wesley taught this to George Whitfield.

So here was this little band of students, the Holy Club, who were zealous in their religion and active in their service to God. But the problem was in 1732 when they were meeting so frequently neither John Wesley, Charles Wesley or George Whitfield were truly converted. George Whitfield even adopted a monk-like behavior in denying himself decent food and warm clothing as he tried to work his way to heaven.

It was a book written by Scotsman Henry Schugle that awakened Whitfield to his lost condition. The book was entitled The Life of God in the Soul of Man. And as George Whitfield read it he realized he'd not experienced a new birth and it shook him to his core how many today friends try to reach God by their good works and a good opinion of themselves without truly being born again.

I want to read for us this afternoon a page from my biography on Whitfield because it pertains to our message today on true conversion versus false conversion. Let me read you this section from my chapter entitled His Days at Oxford and in it I quote Luke Tierman who writes about Whitfield's conversion experience at Oxford. Whitfield would often comment when he was preaching, I know the place, it may be superstitious perhaps, but whenever I go to Oxford I cannot help running to that place where Jesus Christ first revealed himself to me and gave me the new birth.

Let me read you now friends this section from the chapter His Days at Oxford where a young George Whitfield experiences the new birth. I cast myself down on the bed crying out, I thirst, I thirst. Soon after this I found and felt in myself that I was delivered from the burden that had so heavily oppressed me.

The spirit of mourning was taken from me and I knew what it was truly to rejoice in God my Savior and for some time could not avoid singing psalms wherever I was but my joy gradually became more settled and blessed be God has abode and increased in my soul saving a few casual intermissions ever since. Thus were the days of my mourning ended after a long night of desertion and temptation. The star which I had seen at a distance before began to appear again and the day star rose in my heart.

Now did the spirit of God take possession of my soul and as a humbly hope seal me unto the day of redemption. Whitfield's biographer Luke Tierman goes on to say here we must pause. Whitfield evidently considered this to be the time of his conversion.

The date was about seven weeks after Easter in the year 1735. This was three years before the Wesley brothers professed to receive the same blessing. In fact young Whitfield seems to have been the first of the Oxford Methodists who attained to the experience expressed in Romans chapter 8 15 and 16.

Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and of children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. Now friends bear that story in mind the Oxford Methodists under the name of the Holy Club from 1732 to 1735 were a group of zealous religious young men who were completely lost and unconverted including both Wesley's and Whitfield. They thought their foundation was good and their position secure as to heaven but they each were still unconverted men trying to reach God through good works and a good opinion of themselves.

Is this not where the church in America stands today a predominantly unconverted church zealous in good works. My message this afternoon is entitled If He Was You Not and our text is found in the Gospel of John chapter 13 and verse 8. You may turn in your Bibles there now. My message friends is on the doctrine of regeneration.

Regeneration is a message you won't hear much about today because most church members just reform themselves a little. They clean themselves up a little on the outside to fit in better with the existing church crowd. They are happy to serve in the choir or to sit on a deacon board but although they have joined the church and been baptized they are still unchanged individuals who rest upon a false bottom of security.

Our passage of scripture from John chapter 13 relates the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and here we have rash Peter putting his foot in his mouth once again by telling Jesus what he can do and what he can't do. Peter saith unto him thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me.

That is our text friends and there are three truths from the word of God I want to bring before you this afternoon. The first one is this if he washed you not you have no part in him. Number two if you live after the flesh you shall die in your sins and number three that except you be converted you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

I want to tackle each of these one by one. I fear many today have much in common with George Whitfield and the young Wesley brothers. They are church members in good standing.

They are zealous for God and demonstrate their zealousness by their good works. They have a good opinion of themselves in regard to their future acceptance into heaven but sadly they are deceived for they are victims of a modern gospel that has no saving power. They enter the church as members and have their names on the membership roll but their names are not written in the Lamb's book of life for they are still unconverted individuals who were lost and on their way to hell.

So this is a solemn subject and a serious matter which I bring before you all today. Let us focus on our first statement which relates to our text from the gospel of John. If he washed you not you have no part in him and that's the title of my message today friends.

If he washed you not listen carefully as we proceed. Jesus tells Peter if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me. Jesus is speaking figuratively and referring to regeneration of being washed in his blood as a believer.

Let us turn to the wise comments of the Bible commentator Matthew Henry to elaborate on this point from John 13 8 and need I mention that George Whitfield read Matthew Henry's entire Bible commentary on his knees. Let me read you what Matthew Henry wrote. All those and those only that are spiritually washed by Christ have a part in Christ.

This may be taken as a declaration of the necessity of spiritual washing. It is to be understood if I wash not our soul from the pollution of sin that you have no part with me no interest in me no communion with me no benefit by me. It's necessary to have our part in Christ that he wash us all those whom Christ owns and saves he justifies and sanctifies and both are included in his washing them.

We cannot partake of his glory if we partake not of his merit and righteousness and of his spirit and grace. There are two companion verses friends that relate to this aspect of the necessity of our sins being washed in the blood through regeneration. Actually they are warnings to those who lie in an unconverted state.

The first is from Proverbs and it to me best describes the condition of many church members today. Proverbs 30 12 declares there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness. People join the church and still hug their sins and our other companion verses from the book of revelation in chapter 22 verse 11 which states he that is unjust let him be unjust still and he which is filthy let him be filthy still.

If you die in your sins friend this describes you as a tree falls so it shall lie. If you are a member of a church and you have never had your sins washed in the blood and if you have never been born from above then you will surely die in your sins and be filthy still be unjust still be under the wrath of God still. So this first point is seen very plainly if he washed you not you have no part in him.

Now for our second point if you live after the flesh you shall die in your sins. This is seen from Romans 8 13 which declares for if ye live after the flesh you shall die. That means to die eternally friend to die in your sins spell certain doom to the wicked.

If you live to please your flesh and sit on the throne of your life in rebellion to God and the lordship of Christ it will be the ruin of your soul friend the ruin of your soul. What Jesus said to his disciples applies to everyone today who names the name of Christ. If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Listen friend salvation is when self is dethroned and another is enthroned there the lord Jesus Christ he's a living lord who sits on a throne and if you want him you must come to him there bow to him submit to his reign in your life. If you fail to do this then you fall into the category of our second point which is if you leave it live after the flesh you shall die that means die in your sins and end up in hell and its fires. Oh friends how careful we must be not to be deceived here and rest upon a false foundation of carnal security based on a track record of service and a good opinion of ourselves I know of which I speak I was a unconverted church member for years I was greatly deceived by the false gospel of our day don't let it happen to you friend let this sermon be a loud alarm to your conscience may it awaken you to your great danger of not being washed by Christ and this leads us to our third point which is that except you be converted you shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Our text from this is found in Matthew 18 3 verily I say unto you except you be converted and become as little children you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Christ's words are a stern warning here little children are humble under command and governed by a superior that you must be converted that means of course you must be born again through the supernatural act of the new birth which is regeneration and if he washed you not friend you have no part in him your sins must be under his blood a true convert has experienced change like young George Whitfield did there must be a life of God in the soul of man you can't reach by your good works friend you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven through the pride of a self-righteous opinion of yourself you must be humble like a little child and be governed like a little child the Lord Jesus must reign in your life he must wash you from your filthiness lest you be filthy still when you die without holiness no one will see the Lord if he washed you not let it ring in your ears if he washed you not let it be an alarm to awaken you if he washed you not you have no part in him friend no part in him if you live after the flesh you shall die ye shall surely die I will leave you with God's word which declares seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon