A Cooler Hell
The sermon emphasizes the importance of piety over morality, warning that even the most moral person can be Christless and destined for eternal misery.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that mere civility and common morality are insufficient for true sanctity and communion with God. He warns that many people mistakenly believe their moral behavior exempts them from the need for genuine holiness, while in reality, they may be far from God and unaware of their spiritual condition. Brooks illustrates that a moral person, though seemingly good, may still be Christless and graceless, ultimately leading to a cooler hell rather than salvation. He contrasts this with the humility of the tax collector, who recognized his sinfulness and sought God's mercy, demonstrating that true justification comes from a heart of repentance rather than mere moral conduct.
Text
"God, I thank You that I'm not like other people--greedy,
unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get."
Luke 18:11-12
Many please and satisfy themselves with mere civility and
common morality. They bless themselves that they are not
swearers, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, nor adulterers,
etc. Their behavior is civil, sincere, harmless, and blameless.
But civility is not sanctity. Civility rested in--is but a beautiful
abomination--a smooth way to hell and destruction.
Civility is very often . . .
the nurse of impiety,
the mother of flattery, and
an enemy to real sanctity.
There are those who are so blinded with the fair shows of
civility--that they can neither see the necessity nor beauty
of sanctity. There are those who now bless themselves in
their common morality, whom at last God will scorn and
cast off for lack of real holiness and purity.
A moral man may be an utter stranger . . .
to God,
to Christ,
to Scripture,
to the filthiness of sin,
to the depths and devices of Satan,
to their own hearts,
to the new birth,
to the great concerns of eternity,
to communion with Christ,
to the secret and inward ways and workings of the Spirit.
Well, sirs, remember this--though the moral man is good for
many things--yet he is not good enough to go to heaven! He
who rises to no higher pitch than civility and morality--shall
never have communion with God in glory. The most moral
man in the world, may be both Christless and graceless.
Morality is not sufficient to keep a man out of eternal misery.
All morality can do, is to help a man to one of the best rooms
and easiest beds which hell affords! For, as the moral man's
sins are not so great as others--so his punishments shall not
be so great as others. This is all the comfort that can be given
to a moral man--that he shall have a cooler hell than
others have. But this is but cold comfort.
Morality without piety is as a body without a soul. Will
God ever accept of such a stinking sacrifice? Surely not!
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even
look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have
mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than
the other, went home justified before God." Luke 18:13-14
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Civility
- The Limitations of Morality
- The Importance of Piety
- Piety is necessary for justification before God
- Morality without piety is unacceptable to God
- Civility is an enemy to real sanctity
Key Quotes
“Civility is not sanctity.” — Thomas Brooks
“Morality is not sufficient to keep a man out of eternal misery.” — Thomas Brooks
“Morality without piety is as a body without a soul.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Recognize the difference between civility and sanctity, and strive for true holiness in your heart and actions.
- Understand that morality alone is not enough for salvation, and that piety and a relationship with God are necessary.
- Be aware of the dangers of being a 'moral' person who lacks a personal relationship with Christ.