When Blood Quenched the Fire — E.A. Johnston

The Forgotten Strictness of God's Law

The most forgotten doctrine in the church today, friends, is the Law of God. The strictness and severity of the Law of God is seldom preached anymore, and consequently, our churches are filled with the self-righteous and the proud, who know nothing of Holy Spirit conviction for sin, nothing of biblical repentance, who've never seen themselves as lost sinners in need of a Savior from sin, and who have merely walked an aisle and repeated a prayer and joined the church as unconverted individuals and are now nothing more than baptized pagans.

Yes, you heard me right, friends. Baptized pagans make up the majority in our churches today. I believe the biggest mission field in America is the church. We live in a day of great spiritual declension and apostasy in the church.

And many unconverted pastors teach their many unconverted members each Sunday how to be better salted for the fire, the fire of hell. Old-time preachers knew better and warned their hearers to flee from the wrath to come, that any unsafe sinner stands under God's condemnation and will soon face the terribleness of damnation when they die in their sins and are cast into everlasting burnings.

But somewhere down the line, pastors grew to fear their congregations more than God, and they changed their message so not to offend anyone, especially the chairman of the deacons. They said that the law is not for our day as we live in a day of grace.

Christ Fulfills the Unchanging Law

But what they don't realize is that the law cannot be abrogated or moderated every jot and tittle of the law must be fulfilled. Jesus declared in Matthew 5, 17 and 18, Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets.

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle, shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Under old-time preachers, it was the threatenings of the law that made men and women cry out, What must I do to be saved?

The Law, Human Guilt, and Coming Judgment

They trembled beneath the burning sword of justice as the law binded them over to condemnation. God requires perfection to get into his holy heaven, and no man is perfect but all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. God, the judge of all the earth, will arraign every mother's son at his bar of justice to be held up against the strictness and severity of his holy law.

And if you stand there, friend, in your own merits, you will fail that test. The challenges of the law must be answered because God will allow no guilty rebel into his holy heaven. And when a law is broken, then the sentencing of the law must be carried out upon all transgressors who have broken that law.

You will stand guilty before holy God and your mouth will be stopped. I used to work with a man who lied about me behind my back. And when I confronted him with the evidence, he just stood there silent.

He knew he was guilty. And you will stand silent in shame, friend, before that throne of judgment as God holds up all of your life actions, your words and deeds and thoughts will all be reviewed and held up against the strict law of God.

And you will tremble then, friend, as the searching, as the sentencing of the law is carried out upon you because of your guilt of sin and the fire of God's wrath will be poured out upon you in hell for eternity as you squirm and shriek and suffer in that unquenchable fire.

The Inability of Self-Righteous Works to Save

Listen to me, lost church member who sits upon a false foundation of self -righteousness and good works. You will stand before God with your guilty mouth shut as he sends you to hell to pour out his wrath upon you for sin.

The law must be answered. Your best works will only merit you his condemnation as your best works do not answer the law. Your righteousness will only condemn you as it does not answer the law when the strictness and severity of the law of God is placed upon you as you stand there in your own merits.

You will be found guilty and the sentencing of the law will be carried out upon your guilty head. The challenges of the law must be answered. Who then can answer them? The Lord Jesus Christ. His sacrifice was acceptable to God.

Christ's Substitutionary Sacrifice and Quenched Wrath

He has redeemed us from the curse, having borne the curse for us. The guilt of sin was translated to Christ, the sinless sinner. The law has been answered by him because the law has been executed on him.

On the cross at Calvary, Christ was crucified for sin, becoming sin for us and taking the wrath of God upon him. His blood quenched the fire of God's wrath. When blood quenched the fire, all those who believe on Christ stand in the merits of another and they receive pardon for sin.

Listen to me, friend. You must get to Christ and you must get under his blood or you will die in your sins and face the wrath of God upon you for sin. God is faithful to his offers of the gospel to all who come to Christ and believe on him.

John 6 .37 declares God's gospel promise to all guilty sinners who come to Christ for salvation. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. Listen, friend.

Faith in Christ, Atonement, and Final Appeal

When his blood quenched the fire of God's wrath, atonement was made and God is reconciled. Jesus is the substitute for sin. You are completely safe to appear before God standing in his righteousness. Acts 10 .43 declares that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Yes, friend. There was a day on Calvary's hill when a crucified Christ took your place as your sin substitute. He answered the laws. The guilt of sin was transferred to him. He redeemed us from the curse by bearing the curse for us.

The day when his blood quenched the fire of God's wrath mercy was free to all guilty sinners who come to Christ in repentance and believe on him and on him as Savior and Lord. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Get to Christ, friend. Repent before it's too late. Let us pray.