Prior to our Lord’s crucifixion, the Apostle Peter had an opportunity to give his testimony of Christ. But he shamefully denied any knowledge or relationship with Him. Then Christ Jesus was crucified and died. He was buried, and three days later He arose from the grave. At that point there were a series of meetings between the Saviour and various disciples – including Peter. In all of this, there was no doubt that Christ died on the cross, and there was ample evidence about His resurrection.
In John 21 Peter said to some of the brethren, “I go a fishing,” and several agreed to join him. As you know, fishing doesn’t necessarily mean catching, and “that night they caught nothing.” But then a mysterious figure appeared, facilitating a miraculous catch of fish, and when John figured it out, he acknowledged, “It is the Lord.” When everyone came to the shore, Christ said, “Come and dine,” inviting them all to a fish-fry. That is when Jesus and Peter had the conversation about Peter’s love. “Lovest thou me?” After Peter’s earlier denial, Jesus’ questions of love must have felt like punches from a heavy-weight boxer. “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?” Rather than calling him the more affectionate name of “Peter,” the Lord used his formal name, which raised His questions to a more official level. And at this point, Jesus didn’t ask His disciple about anything else – just about his love.
I’m not so much interested in the details of Jesus’ repeated questions, or His comments after Peter’s answers. What concerns me today is the general implication. More important than Peter’s sorrow over his failure; more important than baptism or dedication to Christ. More important than confidence in Jesus’ resurrection or any other point of doctrine… More important than any other thing the Lord might have brought up, He asked, “Simon, do you love me?” What would it mean if Peter did NOT love Christ? What does it mean if you and I don’t love Christ?
Let’s table this thought for a minute, while we consider an illustration. Picture a family of four on vacation, finally arriving at their exotic destination and entering their rooms in a five star hotel. The two children are teenagers, and each has been permitted to invite their best friend to join them. Dad has gone all out on this trip; money is not a problem, and it is the parent’s fiftieth anniversary. Under the circumstances, he has booked three rooms: one for Mom and himself, one for their daughter and her friend, and a third one for their son and his best friend. In some hotels, three rooms like that would be described as “adjacent,” meaning that they were side-by-side, but with each one accessible only from the hallway outside. But if there are doors going from the parent’s room directly into the those on either side, then they would be “adjoining.” In this case there is one central room and two adjoining rooms, directly connected by a pair of doors – one to the right and the other to the left of the parent’s suite.
Let’s consider first of all, that central room. Let’s say that it represents Heaven, the Lord’s throne room. What must an outsider – a sinner – do in order to enter into the presence of God? He must come in though the doorway from the hall. What must someone do in order to be saved from the penalty for their sins? There are hundreds of religions and Christian denominations all with a variety of answers. But the proper and Biblical answer is very simple: there is absolutely nothing anyone can DO to be saved. Salvation from sin is a gift given to unworthy people by our very gracious God. We are allowed into His presence by invitation only. Acts 15:11 – “We believe that through the GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved…” Romans 3:24 – “Being justified freely by (God’s) grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” “And if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace…” – Romans 11:6. Ephesians 1:7 – “In (Christ Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches of his GRACE.” “… that in the ages to come (God) might show the exceeding riches of his GRACE, in his kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus.”
On and on we could go proving from the pages of the inspired Word of God that deliverance from sin is a gift of God, given to us through His grace and love. THAT salvation – that deliverance – necessitated the death of God’s Son on the cross. But with that payment being made, there is nothing left for the sinner to do, but to accept the gift. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold…” – I Peter 1:18. And “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according his mercy he saved us…” – Titus 3:5.
“BUT” says an attentive visitor, ”Why do you Baptists demand that people repent and believe on Christ in order to be saved?” “Aren’t those two things religious works?” “You tell us that the Lord Jesus said,” – “Except ye REPENT, ye shall all likewise perish?” Yes, that is true. “Didn’t the Apostles say things like,” – “BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved?’ Yes. But these two things are NOT works of the flesh. They can’t be compared to climbing a flight of stairs on your knees in order to be absolved of sin. They are not like paying a sum of money to buy a few masses to deliver a soul from purgatory. Faith and repentance are nothing more than a part of receiving God’s gift.
The other day the Carters, Judy and I came out of a fast food place, and we saw a certain homeless man sitting on the curb, eating a sandwich or something. Perhaps it was a year ago, I bought that man a meal, gave him a gospel tract and invited him to church. I told him that we provide a lunch every Sunday, and he would be welcome. (I was trusting that you’d make him welcome.) But, obviously, in order for him to be fed, he would have to do two things – only two things: First, he’d have to believe me that there was a free meal available. And then he’d have to admit to being hungry enough to ride his bike over here to eat with us. In essence, he would have to repent and believe; he’d have to humble himself and trust me. But he would NOT have to pay for his meal; he wouldn’t have to sweep the parking lot or mow the lawn. He would not have to DO anything; he’d only have to come and dine. Going back to my illustration, he’d only need to walk up to that central hotel room and knock for admission. If he went to either of the other rooms, he wouldn’t be permitted to enter. He must go to the room of the parents.
“BUT” says our confused visitor, “Why does the Bible tell us to do things, like be baptized.” Wouldn’t that homeless man have to shower, shave and put on some clean clothes to eat with you? Doesn’t Peter tell the Jews in Acts 2 – “Repent and be BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?” Didn’t the Lord Jesus say, “He that believeth and is BAPTIZED shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned?”
With that question we leave the parent’s suite and enter into one of the adjoining rooms.
On either side of the room where salvation resides – entered by grace through faith – there are two adjoining rooms. It might be argued there are others, but I’m only concerned with two this morning. They are connected to the central room, but they are not the same as the parental abode. In fact, they aren’t nearly as fancy as the Anniversary Suite. And they are not a part of an extended suit of rooms – under different circumstances those doors would locked and perhaps covered with a curtain.
In my reading the other day I ran into a 1825 quote by Baptist Joseph Kinghorn which at first gave me pause. I had to grasp his mind-set and background, but once I got it – I got it. He said, “In early times baptism was called REGENERATION…” It came “from being originally administered to those who gave the church reason to hope that they were renewed by the Holy Spirit, who came and professed their faith in Christ, and were baptized on that profession. Till this was done, they were ordinarily not considered in a state of safety; but when they had fulfilled the injunction of the Lord (to be baptized), they were thought to be much more secure; (Then) they were enrolled in the number of believers; they partook of all the advantages of membership in the Christian church; and it was believed that their sins were forgiven, and they enjoyed a special effusion of spiritual blessings.”
Kinghorn was saying that in early Christianity, when there was real danger in becoming a follower of Christ… When there was persecution from the right and from the left – from the Jews and from the Romans… In those days, when someone was immersed in baptism, he or she was laying out his life for the Saviour. And if someone professed to repent and believe, but refused to take that soggy step of testimony, other believers, who were living in the risk of their lives, had reason to doubt that person’s sincerity. So, to many people, baptism was tangible representation of the person’s new life – regeneration, salvation.
That is what Peter was saying in his sermon to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost – “Repent and be baptized.” Those wicked, Christ-crucifying Jews needed to repent before God, and to acknowledge that Jesus of Nazareth was their Messiah. They needed to meet their God in the Person of Christ Jesus – the middle room. Then as a testimony of their new life in Christ, they should take the next step – they should go into the adjacent room and be baptized. They needed to take that step of testimony, even if it meant the hatred of their religious leaders.
Perhaps Jesus’ statement in Mark 16:16 makes it a bit clearer. “He that believeth and is BAPTIZED shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned?” What condemns the sinner to damnation? “He that BELIEVETH not shall be damned?” No where in the Bible do we read, “He that refuses to be baptized shall be damned.” Damnation falls on the sinner who refuses to humbly repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And everyone who DOES believe SHOULD be baptized. Perhaps I should say “everyone who believes on Christ WILL BE baptized.” Baptism is one of the adjoining rooms to salvation, but it is not a part of the central suite.
All of this developed in my mind after the Holy Spirit put another thought before me. This is where I’d like to take you this morning. There is another room adjacent to salvation on the other side, which perhaps we don’t emphasize enough.
That other room adjacent to salvation is LOVE.
Some people doubt the profession of faith of a man who refuses to be immersed in baptism. There may be a good argument for that doubt. But what about the person who doesn’t love God? Can someone be a Christian who doesn’t love Christ, the Saviour? Are Christians those people who simply believe in Christ, but never go beyond that? In other words, Is love for Christ optional?
This is undoubtedly a part of the pain Peter felt when the Lord questioned him. “Simon, son of Jonas, LOVEST thou me?” “After you denied me when you were with the servants of the High Priest, can you say you really love me?” John 21:17 tells us, “Peter was GRIEVED because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou KNOWEST that I love thee.”
Why was Peter so grieved? Was it because he heard and remembered some of the things the Lord Jesus had said about love earlier? For example, Jesus had been in a heated discussion with the Jews. And they had been slinging vulgarities upon Christ. Then in John 8:42 – “Jesus said unto them, if God were your Father, ye would love me; for I proceeded forth and came from God…” The Jewish leadership did not love Christ, and that was proof they were of their father the Devil. God was not their father, and Peter certainly didn’t want to be identified with those people. Peter also heard Jesus say, “He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is NOT worthy of me.” Peter wanted to be worthy of Christ. Peter needed Christ the Saviour. He didn’t want anything to stand between him and his Lord. On behalf of the others, he had said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou KNOWEST that I love thee.”
How important is love for the Lord? It is extremely important, because like baptism, it is intimately adjacent to salvation itself. Perhaps our consideration should begin with Christ’s quote of his own words in the Old Testament. When a lawyer tempted Jesus with the question: “Which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” If there was no other scripture than this, then I think we argue that love to God is essential to salvation. If there is new life in Christ, there will be love for the God who sacrificed His Son for our deliverance. There is no greater commandment given among men than, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” But there is much more, and much clearer statements, about this subject of love than this. For example there are the last words of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and those near the end of I Corinthians.
In Ephesians 6:24 Paul concludes with “Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” The last thing he writes to his friends in Ephesus ties God’s blessings to those who love Christ. He doesn’t pray or wish for God’s grace on people who can argue doctrine. His benediction isn’t directed toward theologians, or heavy tithers, or evangelists only. “Grace be with ALL them that LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ…”
That may be a powerful statement, but it pales in the light of the closing words of I Corinthians. I Corinthians 16:21 says, “The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand.” The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. Wedged in there at verse 22, Paul says, ”If any man love NOT the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
There is no escape from this emphatic declaration. “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” There may not be many stronger negative Biblical words than “anathema.” Most of us know its basic meaning, because it has become a part of our language. It is not good. In English it refers to something or someone who is highly disliked or even hated. And in Paul’s language it means “cursed” or someone who is “accursed.” Eternally cursed is the person who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ. The word “maranatha” speaks of “coming,” and in this case, “the return of Christ Jesus.” ”If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed at His return.” After the coming of the Lord judgments begin.
Paul has told us in Philippians 3 – “Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” And He “shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body…” Whose conversation is in heaven; and whose body shall be transformed into something like Christ’s glorious body? We could correctly answer that question with: “Those who have been born again by the grace of God.” But we could ALSO describe that person with language straight out of the Bible… “Those who love the Lord Jesus Christ.” There are no other modifying characteristics. There is no reference to people whose heads are on straight; this is about hearts. But there is also no mention of courageous hearts, tender hearts or glowing hearts. Peter didn’t say, “Thou knowest that I have the utmost RESPECT for you.” “If any man LOVE NOT the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
This morning, I’m not going to try to define, measure or explain this love. Even small children know what love is. They know whether or not they are loved, and whether they love others. He doesn’t draw a line on the wall, telling us to make sure our love reaches a certain height. Is there a level or degree which indicates enough love? Perhaps we should have some lessons on these things, but Paul doesn’t lay them out here. It is very simply, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
Oh, and by the way, John tells us, “Love is of God.” You might say that this kind of love is another of the Lord’s gifts of grace. You might be able to train your heart to love another sinner like yourself. But God is so infinitely different and above us, if He didn’t give us the ability to love Him, we never would. And that is why it can be said, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus… let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
Conclusion:
Salvation from sin is by the grace of God. That should be beyond dispute. You could also properly say that we receive God’s salvation from sin through repentance and faith in Christ. Perhaps as far as the early churches were concerned true believers were all baptized believers. But then as Paul tells us, those believers proved they had new hearts, because they were filled with love toward their Saviour.
Where do these things put the vast majority of professing Christians today? Do they love Christ who refuse to join the Lord in baptism? Do people love Christ, when they refuse to fellowship with Him in the place He has set aside for worship? “Unto (God) be glory in the CHURCH by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” – Ephesians 3:20. Do people really love Christ, if they refuse to love those people who love Christ? This is a major theme of the Apostle John in his first epistle. By nature people are “lovers of PLEASURES more than lovers of GOD.” And in the last days the world will be filled with such people; it is now filled with those people. And that is one reason why our love for Christ is so IMPORTANT. It marks a difference between us and the unsaved person.
The Apostle John is often called the “Apostle of love.” Not only do we see him yearning to be the disciple who is always nearest to Christ. But he often speaks of love in his gospel and in his letters. Twenty-seven times John uses that word in his three epistles. For example in I John 4 he says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him (the Lord), because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.” Does the man who hates another professing Christian, truly love the Saviour of that other Christian? I John 5:1 says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”
Again, what about that man who lacks these loves and specifically a love for Christ Jesus? Upon the authority of the Word of God, I can tell you. “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.” If YOU do not love the Lord Jesus Christ, you have no right to call yourself a “Christian.” If you do not love the Lord Jesus, you cannot expect anything but an eternity in the Lake of Fire, under God’s curse.
So I plead with you… humble yourself and come to the Lord for a new heart and a love. Repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.