Biblical Essays
LANDMARKS AND STUMBLING-BLOCKS
(The Doctrine of Election Misplaced)

“Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old have set in thine inheritance” (Deut. 19:14).

“Take up the stumblingblock out of the way of My people” (Is. 57:14).

What tender care; what gracious considerateness, breathe in the above passages. The ancient landmarks were not to be removed; but the stumbling-blocks were to be taken up. The inheritance of God’s people was to stand entire and unchanged, while the stumbling-blocks were to be sedulously removed out of their pathway. Such was the grace and care of God for His people. The portion that God had given to each was to be enjoyed, while, at the same time, the path in which each was called to walk should be kept free from every occasion of stumbling.

Judging from recent communications, we believe we are called on to give attention to the spirit of those ancient enactments. Via email, some have freely opened hearts and minds to their spiritual condition. They have told us of their doubts and fears, difficulties and dangers, conflicts and exercises. We are truly grateful for such confidence; and it is our earnest desire to be used by God to help by pointing out the landmarks that by His Spirit He has set up, and thus remove the stumbling-blocks that the enemy diligently flings in our path.

In pondering the cases that have been submitted, we have found some in which the enemy was obviously using as a stumbling-block the doctrine of election misplaced. In its right place, instead of being a stumbling-block in the pathway of anxious inquirers, the doctrine of election will be found to be a landmark set by them of old time, even by the inspired apostles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in the inheritance of God’s spiritual Israel.

But we all know that misplaced truth is more dangerous than positive error. If a man were to stand up, and boldly declare that the doctrine of election is false, we would without hesitation reject his words; but we might not be quite so well prepared to meet one who, while admitting the doctrine to be true and important, puts it out of its divinely appointed place. This latter is the very thing that is constantly done, to the damaging of the truth of God, and darkening of the souls of men.

What then is the true place of the doctrine of election? Its true, divinely appointed place is for those within the house – for the establishment of true believers. Instead of this, the enemy puts it outside the house, for the stumbling of anxious inquirers. Hearken to the following language of a deeply exercised soul: “If I only knew that I was one of the elect I would be happy, because I could then confidently apply to myself the benefits of the death of Christ.”

Doubtless, if many would expose their true feelings of heart, this would be their language. But they are making a wrong use of the doctrine of election – a doctrine blessedly true in itself – a most valuable “landmark,” but made a “stumbling-block” by the enemy. It is needful for the anxious inquirer to bear in mind that it is as a lost sinner, and not as “one of the elect,” that he can apply to himself the benefits of the death of Christ.

The proper stand-point from which to get a saving view of the death of Christ is not election, but the consciousness of our ruin. This is an unspeakable mercy, because we know we are lost sinners; but until we have received, through the Spirit’s testimony and teaching, the glad tidings of salvation through the blood of the Lamb, we do not know that we are one of the elect. Salvation – free as the sunbeams, full as the ocean, permanent as the throne of the eternal God – is preached to us, not as those of the elect, but as those utterly lost, guilty, and undone; and when we have accepted and received this salvation there is conclusive evidence of our election. “Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God; for our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance” (1 Thess. 1:4-5).

Election is not our warrant for accepting salvation; but the reception of salvation is the proof of election. For how is any sinner to know that he is one of the elect? Where is he to find it? It must be a matter of divine revelation; else it cannot be a matter of faith. But where is it revealed? Where is the knowledge of election made an indispensable prerequisite, an essential preliminary, to the acceptance of salvation? Nowhere in the Word of God. Our only title to salvation is that we are guilty, hell-deserving sinners. If we wait for any other title, we are only removing a valuable landmark from its proper place, and putting it as a stumbling-block in our way. To say the least, this is unwise.

But it is more than unwise. It is in opposition to the Word of God; not only to the quotations at the head of this essay, but to the spirit and teaching of the entire Volume. Hearken to the risen Savior’s commission to His first heralds: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Is there so much as a single point in these words on which to base a question about election? Is anyone to whom this glorious Gospel is preached called to settle a prior question about his election? Assuredly not.

“All the world” and “every creature” are expressions that set aside every difficulty, and render salvation as free as the air; as wide as the human family. It is not said, “Go ye into a given section of the world, and preach the gospel to a certain number.” No; this would not be in keeping with that grace which was to be proclaimed to the whole world. When the law was in question, it was addressed to a certain number, in a given section; but when the Gospel was to be proclaimed, its mighty range was to be “All the world” – its object “Every creature.”

Again, hear what the Holy Spirit says, by the apostle Paul: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Is there any room here for raising a question regarding one’s title to salvation? None whatsoever. If Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and if we are sinners, then each of us are entitled to apply to our own soul the benefits of His precious sacrifice. Before we can possibly exclude ourselves, we must be something other than a sinner. If it were anywhere declared in Scripture that Christ Jesus came to save only the elect, then clearly we should, in some way or another, prove ourselves to be of that number, before we could make the benefits of His death our own. But there is nothing like this in the whole Gospel scheme.

“The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). And is that not exactly what we are? Truly it is so. Well then, is it not from the standpoint of being lost that we are to look at the death of Christ? Without doubt. And can we not, while contemplating that precious mystery from thence, adopt the language of faith and say, “He loved me, and gave Himself for me”? Yes, as unreservedly and unconditionally as though each of us was the only sinner on earth.

Nothing can be more soothing and tranquillizing to the spirit of an anxious inquirer than to note the way in which salvation is brought to him in the very condition in which he is, and on the very ground he occupies. There is not so much as a single stumbling-block along the entire path leading to the glorious inheritance of the saints – an inheritance settled by landmarks that neither men nor devils can ever remove.

The God of all grace has left nothing undone or unsaid that gives rest, assurance, and perfect satisfaction to the soul. In such terms as to leave no room for any demur or hesitation, He has set forth the condition and character of those for whom Christ died. Listen to the following glowing words: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.” “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Rom. 5:6, 8, 10).

Can anything be plainer or more pointed than these passages? Is there a single term made use of that could possibly raise a question in the heart of any sinner regarding his full and undisputed title to the benefits of the death of Christ? Not one. Are we “ungodly?” It was for such Christ died. Are we “a sinner?” It is to such that God commendeth His love. Are we “an enemy?” It is such God reconciles by the death of His Son.

Thus all is made as plain as a sunbeam; and the theological stumbling-block caused by misplacing the doctrine of election is entirely removed. It is as a sinner that each of us receives the benefit of Christ’s death. It is as a lost one that each of us receives a salvation that is as free as it is permanent, and as permanent as it is free. In order to apply to ourselves the value of the blood of Jesus, all we need is to know ourselves as guilty sinners. Regarding this matter, it would not help us in the least to be told that we are one of the elect, because it is not in that character God addresses us in the Gospel, but in another character altogether – as lost sinners.

But then, some may feel disposed to ask, “Do we need to set aside the doctrine of election?” God forbid. We only need to see it in its right place. We need it as a landmark, not as a stumbling-block. We believe the evangelist has no business preaching election. Paul never preached election. He taught election, but he preached Christ. This makes all the difference. We believe that no one can be a proper evangelist who is, in any wise, hampered by the doctrine of election misplaced. We have seen serious damage done to two classes of people by preaching election instead of preaching Christ. Careless sinners are made more careless, while anxious souls have had their anxiety intensified.

These are sad results and should be sufficient to awaken serious thoughts in the minds of all who desire to be successful preachers of that free and full salvation which shines in the Gospel of Christ; that leaves all who hear it without a shadow of excuse. The grand business of the evangelist is to set forth in his preaching the perfect love of God, the efficacy of the blood of Christ, and the faithful record of the Holy Spirit. His spirit should be entirely untrammeled, and his Gospel unclouded. He should preach a present salvation, free to all, and stable as the pillars supporting the throne of God. The Gospel is the unfolding of the heart of God as expressed in the death of His Son, recorded by the Holy Spirit.

Were this more carefully attended to, there would be more power in replying to the oft-repeated objection of the careless, as well as in hushing the deep anxieties of exercised and burdened souls. The former would have no just ground for objection; the latter, no reason to fear. When people reject the Gospel on the ground of God’s eternal decrees, they are rejecting what is revealed on the ground of what is hidden. What can they possibly know about God’s decrees? Nothing whatsoever. How can that which is secret be urged as a reason for rejecting what is revealed? Why refuse what can be known, on the ground of what cannot? It is obvious that men do not act this way in cases where they wish to believe a matter. A man, who is willing to believe a thing, will not be found anxiously looking for a ground of objection. But men do not want to believe God. They reject His precious testimony which is as clear as the sun in meridian brightness, and urge, as their plea for so doing, His decrees which are wrapped in impenetrable darkness. What folly. What blindness. What guilt.

Regarding anxious souls who harass themselves with questions about election, we long to show them that it is not in accordance with the Divine mind that they should raise such difficulty. God addresses them in the exact state in which He sees them and in which they see themselves. He addresses them as sinners, and this is exactly what they are. There is nothing but salvation for any sinner, the moment he takes his true place as a sinner. This is simple enough for any simple soul. To raise questions about election is sheer unbelief. In another way, it is rejecting what is revealed on the ground of what is hidden; it is refusing what we can know on the ground of what we cannot.

God has revealed Himself in the face of Jesus Christ, so that we may know Him and trust Him. Also, He has made full provision in the atonement of the cross for all our need and all our guilt. Therefore, instead of perplexing ourselves with the question, “Am I one of the elect?” it is our happy privilege to rest in the perfect love of God, the all-sufficiency of Christ, and the faithful record of the Holy Spirit.

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