Not Profit

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
— Acts 13:46

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
— Romans 10:16-17

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
— 1 Corinthians 13:3

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
— Hebrews 3:12

And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
— Hebrews 3:18-19

An Exposition of Hebrews 4:2, by John Owen. The following contains an excerpt from his work.

Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Hebrews 4:1-2

Obs. 7. Many to whom the promise of the gospel is proposed and preached do, or may, through their own sins, come short of the enjoyment of the things promised.

The caution here given unto the Hebrews, with the foundation of it in the example of those who did so miscarry, not only warrants, but makes necessary this observation from the words. And I wish it were a matter of difficulty to confirm the truth of what is here observed. But what is affirmed is but expressive of the state and condition of most of those in the world to whom the gospel is preached. They come short of all benefit or advantage by it. It ever was so, and it may be, for the most part, ever will be so in this world. That sentence of our Savior contains the lot and state of men under the dispensation of the gospel: “Many are called, but few am chosen.” It is true, “faith cometh by hearing,” but bare hearing will denominate no man a believer; more is required thereunto, Men, indeed, would probably much esteem the gospel, if it would save them merely at the cost and pains of others in preaching it. But God hath otherwise disposed of things; their own faith and obedience are also indispensably required hereunto. Without these, the promise considered in itself will not profit them; and as it proposed unto them it will condemn them. What are the ways and means whereby men are kept off from enjoying the promise, and entering by faith into the rest of God, hath been declared on Hebrews 3:12. Again,

Obs. 8. Not only backsliding through unbelief, but all appearances of tergiversation in profession and occasions of them, in times of difficulty and trials, ought to be carefully avoided by professors: “Lest any of you. should seem.” Not only a profession, but the beauty and glory of it is required of us.

We have often observed that it was now a time of great difficulty and of many trials unto these Hebrews. Such seasons are of great concernment to the glory of God, the honor of the gospel, the edification of the church, and the welfare of the souls of men. For is them all the things of God, and the interests of men in them, have a public, and as it were a visible transaction in the world. Now, therefore, the apostle would not have the least appearance of tergiversation, or drawing back, in them that make profession of the truth So he gives us caution elsewhere with the same respect, Ephesians 5:15-16, “Walking circumspectly, redeem the time, because the days are evil.” The reason of both the duties enjoined is taken from the consideration of the evil of the days, filled with temptations, persecutions, and dangers. Then in all things professors are to walk ἀκριβῶς , “exactly,” “circumspectly,” “accurately.” And there are two heads of circumspect walking in profession during such a season. The first is, to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things,” Titus 2:10; κοσμοῦντες τὴν διδασκαλίαν , rendering beautiful, lovely, comely, the doctrine of truth which we profess. Κοσμέω is so “to adorn” anything, as a bride decketh or adorneth herself with her jewels, to appear lovely and desirable, an allusion which the Scripture elsewhere maketh use of, Isaiah 61:10, and by which Solomon sets out the spiritual glory and beauty of the church in his mystical song. This is a season wherein, by all accurate circumspection in their walking and profession, believers ought to render what they believe and profess glorious and amiable in the eyes of all. And this for two ends:

1. That those who are of “the contrary part,” those that trouble and persecute them, may have μηδὲν φαῦλον , to say of them, Titus 2:8, “nihil improbum nut stultum,” no wicked, no foolish matter to lay to their charge. And though the conviction that falls upon ungodly men may have no effect upon them, but a secret shame that they should pursue them with wrath and hatred against whom they have no evil or foolish matter to say, but are forced openly to fall upon them in things only “concerning the law of their God,” as Daniel 6:5, yet God makes use of it to check and restrain that wrath, which if it brake forth would not turn to his praise, 1 Peter 3:16.

2. That others, who by their trials may be occasioned to a more diligent consideration of them than at other times, may, by the ornaments put upon the truth, be brought over to a liking, approbation, and profession of it. In such a season believers are set upon a theater and made a spectacle to all the world, 1 Corinthians 4:9-13; all eyes are upon them, to see how they will acquit themselves. And this is one reason whence times of trouble and persecution have usually been the seasons of the church’s growth and increase. All men are awakened to serious thoughts of the contest which they see in the world. And if thereon they find the ways of the gospel rendered glorious and amiable by the conversation and walking of them that do profess it, it greatly disposeth their minds to the acceptance of it. At such a season, therefore, above all others, there ought to be no appearances of tergiversation or decays. The next head of circumspect walking in such a condition, that no semblance of “coming short” may be given, is, a diligent endeavor to avoid “all appearance of evil,” 1 Thessalonians 5:22, every thing that may give occasion unto any to judge that we are fainting in our profession. Things that, it may be, are lawful or indifferent at another time, things that we can produce probable and pleadable reasons for, yet if, through the circumstances that we are attended with, they may be looked on by persons of integrity, though either weak or prejudiced, to have an eye or show of evil in them, are carefully to be avoided.

Now, there are two parts of our profession that we are to heed, lest we should seem to fail when times of difficulty do attend us. The first is personal holiness, righteousness, and upright universal obedience. The other is the due observance of all the commands, ordinances, and institutions of Christ in the gospel The apostle Peter joins them together, with respect unto our accurate attendance unto them in such seasons, 2 Peter 3:11, “Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be, ἐν ἁγίαις ἀναστροφαῖς , καὶ εὐσεβείαις ,” “in holy conversations;” that is, in every instance of our converse or walking before God in this world. Herein we meet with many changes, many temptations, many occasions, duties, and trials, in all which there ought a thread of holiness to run through in our spirits and actings. Hence it is expressed by “holy conversations,” which we have rendered by supplying “all” into the text, καὶ εὐσεβείαις ; and “godlinesses.” The word principally respects the godliness that is in religious worship, which constitutes the second part of our profession. And although the worship of God in Christ be one in general, and no other worship are Christians to touch upon, yet because there are many duties to be attended unto in that worship, many ordinances to be observed, and our diligent care is required about each particular instance, he expresseth it in the plural number, “godlinesses” or” worships;” or, as we, “all godliness.” About both these parts of profession is our utmost endeavor required, that we seem not to fail in them. Men may do so, and yet retain so much integrity in their hearts as may at last give them an entrance, as it were through fire, into the rest of God; but yet manifold evils do ensue upon the appearance of their failings, to the gospel, the church of God, and to their own souls. To assist us, therefore, in our duty in this matter, we may carry along with us the ensuing directions:

Have an equal respect always to both the parts of profession mentioned, lest failing in one of them we be found at length to fail in the whole. And the danger is great in a neglect hereof. For example, it is so, lest whilst we are sedulous about the due and strict observance of the duties of instituted worship, a neglect or decay should grow upon us as to holiness, moral righteousness, and obedience. For,

(1.) Whilst the mind is deeply engaged and exercised about those duties, either out of a peculiar bent of spirit towards them, or from the opposition that is made unto them, the whole man is oftentimes so taken up therewith as that it is regardless of personal holiness and righteousness. Besides the innumerable instances we have hereof in the Scripture, wherein God chargeth men with their wickedness, and rejects them for it, whilst they pretended highly to a strict observance of oblations and sacrifices, we have seen it manifoldly exemplified in the days wherein we live. Whilst men have contended about ordinances and institutions, forms and ways of religion, they have grown careless and regardless as unto personal holy conversation, to their ruin. They have seemed like keepers of a vineyard, but their own vineyard they have not kept many have we seen withering away into a dry, sapless frame, under a hot, contending, disputing spirit about ways and differences of worship! Whilst they have been intent on one part of profession, the other of more importance hath been neglected.

(2.) Corrupt nature is apt to compensate in the conscience the neglect of one duty with diligence in another. If men engage into a present duty, a duty as they judge exceeding acceptable with God, and attended with difficulty in the world, they are apt enough to think that they may give themselves a dispensation in some other things; that they need not attend unto universal holiness and obedience with that strictness, circumspection, and accuracy, as seems to be required. Yea, this is the ruin of most hypocrites and false professors in the world.

Let it therefore be always our care, especially in difficult seasons, in the first place to secure the first part of profession, by a diligent attendance unto all manner of holiness, in our persons, families, and all our whole conversation in this world. Let faith, love, humility, patience, purity, charity, self-denial, weanedness from the world, readiness to do good to all, forgiving of one another, and our enemies, be made bright in us, and shine in such a season, if we would not seem to come short. And this,

(1.) Because the difficulties in, and oppositions that lie against, the other part of our profession, with the excellency of the duties of it in such a season, are apt to surprise men into an approbation of themselves in a neglect of those important duties, as was before observed. It is a sad thing to see men suffer for gospel truths with worldly, carnal hearts and corrupt conversations. If we give our bodies to be burned, and have not charity, or are defective in grace, it will not profit us; we shall be but “as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal,” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.

(2.) God hath no regard to the observance of ordinances, where duties of holiness, righteousness, and love are neglected, Isaiah 1:13-17. And in this state, whatever use we may be of in the world or unto others, all will be lost as to ourselves, Matthew 7:21-23.

(3.) We can have no expectation of strength or assistance from God, in cleaving to the truth and purity of worship against oppositions, if we fail in our diligent attendance unto universal holiness. Here hath been the original of most men’s apostasy. They have thought they could abide in the profession of the truths whereof they have been convinced; but growing cold and negligent in personal obedience, they have found their locks cut, and they have become weak and unstable as water. God, for their sins, justly withholding the assistances of his Spirit, they have become a prey to every temptation.

(4.) What is it that we intend and aim at in our profession and our constancy in it? is it not that therein and thereby we may give glory unto God, and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel? If this be not our aim, all our religion is in vain. If it be so, we may easily see that without personal universal holiness we do on many accounts dishonor God, Christ, and the gospel by our profession, be it what it will. Here, therefore, let us fix our principal diligence, that there be no appearance of any failure, lest we should seem to come short of the promise.

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