p. 181 | Spared Not by James Smith

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Mar 19, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 12.

"Spared Not."

By James Smith

It is a solemn fact; but there is such a thing with God as not sparing. There is justice in God's nature, and in certain circumstances that justice must be manifested. A careful analysis will show that the manifestations of mercy and the manifestations of justice, as recorded in Scripture, are about equally balanced. Sin is a fact; and God must deal with it. He deals with it in two ways, and in two ways only—he forgives it or he punishes it; he acquits the sinner in mercy, or he spares him not in judgment. The phrase, "spared not," is a graphic way of expressing the actual infliction of suffering or judgment; and the Scriptures record several instances when God actually "spared not," or when he did let his hand smite the object of his penal justice. Taking these instances in the order of time, we find the following:—

1. Spared not the angels. Original sin is not human but angelic. The devil and his angels were sinners before Adam. The Scriptures do not wait to satisfy morbid curiosity as to how angels sinned without a tempter, or how man sinned by means of a tempter; but they record two solemn facts, namely, that angels sinned and that God spared them not. Thus the apostle Peter expresses it: "For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved unto judgment." 2 Peter 2:4, Rev. Ver. This was the first manifestation of penal justice, the first infliction of punishment in the universe of God so far as we know, and that too without an offer of mercy. Any solution, therefore, of punishment inflicted by God must include the question of "original" or angelic sin. How dreadful for sinners to trifle with sin with such a signal instance before them of "judgment without mercy!"

2. Spared not the old world. Again the same apostle writes: "And spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah . . . when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly." Such was God's answer to human corruption. The moment came when the lawless corruption could not be allowed to go any farther. "The end of all flesh" had come before God. The Spirit ceased to strive. The testimony of Enoch and Noah was disregarded; and so the judgment day arrived. By a desolating deluge God "took them all away," and cleansed the earth. Thus we see that God has already judged men as well as angels. And something similar to the flood-judgment will happen again, for, "As it was in the days of Noah so shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed." A startling comparison! A sad and solemn terminus to an age characterized by the free offer of remission of sins and eternal life.

3. Spared not the natural branches. That means Israel. We get this thought through Paul. In Romans 11:20 we read: "Be not highminded, but fear; for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee" (the Gentiles). If God gave Israel many privileges, he also gave her much correction and severe chastisement. There was rich mercy, but also unsparing judgment. He "spared not the natural branches" in the wilderness, for their carcasses fell there. He spared them not when they were carried away captive to Babylon. And he spared them not when the Roman power destroyed their place and nation, and scattered them to the ends of the earth. And now this is our day. The Jew knew not his day of visitation; do we know ours? Do the nations know that this is their day of mercy and privilege? Have the Gentiles acted more wisely with regard to God's grace than the Jews did with regard to his law? If not, the sentence has gone forth, and what happened before will happen again. He "spared not the natural branches," neither will he spare thee. "Thou also shalt be cut off." Unspeakably solemn reflection! God help the Gentiles to remember that this age is their day of favor!

4. Spared not his only Son. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. 8 : 32. Here is the foundation for God's action and for our faith. Once admit that Christ pledged himself to be the Mediator, the Redeemer, the Surety, the Sacrifice, and what follows? It follows that God could not spare him. Not one iota can be subtracted from the suffering for sin. When God made "his soul an offering for sin;" when the Lord "laid on him the iniquity of us all;" "poured out his soul unto death;" when he was "wounded," "bruised," "smitten," and "afflicted," not a drop could be taken from the bitter contents of that "cup." God spared him not. Such was the cost of our salvation. In Christ God "found a ransom," and now he can say: "Deliver from going down to the pit." On the ground of this "ransom for many" (Matt. 20 : 28) God will, in the day when he makes up his jewels, "spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." And on the ground of that "ransom for all" (1 Tim. 2 : 6), God will not spare, in the day of Judgment, those who reject it. These "spared nots" are given as examples of time-judgments for our warning; and in the face of these awful inflictions, it is sheer trifling to deny "eternal punishment."—Rev. James Smith.