“Because there is wrath, beware lest He take you away with one blow! For a great ransom would not help you avoid it.”
Every member of Adam’s race richly merits God’s wrath.
Our sins have mounted up to Heaven. Our profitless lives have been spent in selfish gratification with no regard for God’s glory or for our soul’s future welfare. Our repeated refusals to respond to the invitations of God’s grace — all cry aloud for judgment and wrath to descend upon us.
But God’s mercy has provided a ransom — a covering for sin — Christ! Our text speaks of this ransom as “great” — great in its value, great in its scope, great in its effectiveness — great because it delivers from so great a destruction and secures so great a salvation. But as great as this ransom is, it avails nothing for those who ignore and reject it.
“Because there is wrath … a great ransom would not help you avoid it.” If this ransom be despised, then there is no possible escape for the sinner. If Christ is rejected, there remains nothing but wrath.
How effectively this text repudiates any possibility of a “second chance” in the next world! Let the stroke of God remove such from this world and “then a great ransom cannot deliver” them. There are other Scriptures equally explicit. “He who being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy” (Proverbs 29:1). For the sinner there is no remedy, no deliverance, no hope whatever beyond the grave.
“Then a great ransom cannot deliver you.” Why? Because it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that — not a second chance, not a further probation — but the judgment. Why? Because at death the sinner goes immediately to Hell (Luke 16:22, 23) and in that place there is no preaching of the Gospel and no Holy Spirit to quicken into newness of life. Why? Because there awaits all such nothing but “the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:29) and the judgment.
“Then a great ransom cannot deliver you.” Why? Because repentance then will be too late. “Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.” (Ezekiel 8:18).
Then a great ransom cannot deliver you. Why? Because whoever’s name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the Lake of Fire — and a “lake” has no outlet!
Here then is a solemn warning against indifference, “Because there is wrath.”
Here is a solemn warning against procrastination, “Beware lest He take you away with one blow!”
Here is a solemn warning against hoping in another chance after death. “Then a great ransom cannot deliver you.”
Here is a powerful plea for accepting Christ now. “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?” We shall not! There will be no escape!
“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon!” Isaiah 55:6–7
Arthur W. Pink, born in Nottingham, England, in 1886, pastored churches in Colorado, California, Kentucky and South Carolina. His works are now in the public domain.
