Ezekiel 9:10 - Homiletics.

The inexorable God.

We are so accustomed to dwell upon the forbearance, long suffering, and merciful disposition of God, that the inexorable character of his righteousness is not sufficiently considered. There are conditions in which he cannot show mercy.

I. GOD WILL NOT SPARE THE IMPENITENT . He pardons on condition of repentance. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" ( 1 John 1:9 ). But if we will not humble ourselves to admit our guilt, nor cease to court and favour the things that God hates, it is simply impossible that he should regard us with complacency.

II. GOD WILL NOT SPARE ANY FAVOURED PERSONS . The perpetual fallacy of Israel lay in considering itself a privileged nation, sure of the favour of God in spite of its own unfaithfulness, instead of understanding that it stood under covenant relations with him which involved a loyal observance of certain conditions if the Divine blessings were to be received. Christians are in danger of flattering themselves with a similar delusion, nod cast off his own people the Jews when they were faithless. God will cast off a faithless Church. Christians who break away from Christ will merit and will receive the "wrath of the Lamb." Those in highest positions in the Church will find. no immunity. No excuses will be available for real guilt.

III. GOD WILL NOT SPARE ANY SIN . He means to destroy sin. If the sinner hold to it and identify his fate with it he must come under the destruction. If he cast it off as an alien, hateful, deadly thing—a viper that he has plucked from his bosom—God will destroy the sin. In the discipline of the Christian life God is always fighting against sin. He will not cease till he has killed the last of the vile brood of the serpent. Christ has come as the friend of the sinner, and therefore as the enemy of his sin. "He will throughly purge his floor," etc. ( Matthew 3:12 ).

IV. GOD WILL NOT SPARE ANY NEEDFUL CHASTISEMENT . It hurts the kind parent to have to chastise his son. Yet it would be an unkindness and a selfishness to spare himself the pain of inflicting wholesome punishment. The surgeon has a steadier hand than the soldier. His knife is more inexorable than the sword of war. The very fact that it cuts to heal makes it the more strong and certain. "Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth" ( Hebrews 12:6 ). Therefore the chastisement which love inspires is the more certain to fall.

V. GOD DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON ( Romans 8:32 .) In the sacrifice of Christ God showed the firmness and strength of his love to us. A weak and soft love would not have gone to so great a cost. Even the tears of Gethsemane did not move the inexorable God, though, of course, this was really with the consent of Christ, who freely gave himself for as, and to whom therefore no wrong was done.