Urging Unworthiness…
Chapter 35 from Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks (Updated version by Updated Works)
THE SECOND DEVICE that Satan uses to keep poor sinners from believing in and closing with a Saviour is by suggesting their unworthiness to them. Satan whispers: "You deserve the greatest misery, and you are unworthy of even the smallest crumb of mercy. Do you really think Christ will ever own, receive, or embrace such an unworthy wretch as you? No, no, if there were any worthiness in you, then perhaps Christ might be willing to be welcomed by you. You are unworthy to receive Christ into your house, so how much more unworthy are you to welcome Christ into your heart?" Now the remedies against this device are these:
Remedy 1: Against this device of Satan, seriously consider that God nowhere in Scripture requires any worthiness in the creature before believing in Christ. If you search all of Scripture carefully, you will not find a single word that presents God as requiring any worthiness in the creature before the soul believes and rests on Christ for happiness and blessedness. Why, then, should something God nowhere requires ot you before you come to Christ become a barrier to your faith? Ah, sinners, remember that Satan raises your unworthiness against you for one purpose only: to keep Christ and your souls apart forever. There-tore, in the face of all your unworthiness, rest on Christ, come to hiny believe in him, and you are happy forever (John 6:40, 47).
Remedy 2: Consider carefully that no one who came to Christ and received mercy and pardon from Him was worthy before they came. What worthiness was there in Matthew, Zacchaeus, Manasseh, Paul, or Lydia before they came to Christ, or before they believed in Him? None at all. Sinners, you should reason this way: Christ has given His choicest mercies, His greatest favors, His highest honors, and His sweetest privileges to unworthy sinners. Therefore, O my soul, do not faint, do not despair; but patiently and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Remedy 3: Consider that if a soul waits until it is worthy before coming to Christ, it will never come at all. It will never embrace Him or be united with Him, and so it must lie down in everlasting sorrow (Isa 50:11). God has placed all worthiness in Christ, so that the creature may know where to find it and seek after it. There is no way for unworthy souls to become worthy except by believing in Christ. Believing in Christ transforms slaves into worthy sons and enemies into worthy friends God calls no one worthy, nor treats anyone as worthy, except believers, who are made worthy by the worthiness of Christ's person, righteousness, satisfaction, and intercession (John 1:12; Jas 2:12; Rev 3:4).
Remedy 4: Consider carefully that if you search your own hearts honestly, you will find that it is pride and foolishness that drives you to bring worthiness to Christ. You want to come to him with something that will make you acceptable in His sight; you are reluctant to come empty-handed. The Lord cries out, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come yei(Isa 55:1-2). Here the Lord calls on penniless, unworthy souls to come and freely receive his precious gifts. But sinners are proud and foolish, and because they have no money, no worthiness to offer, they refuse to come, even though He freely invites them. Ah, sinners! What could be more fitting than that you should perish forever, choosing husks among swine over the milk and wine, the sweet and precious things of the gospel, which are so freely offered to you? Remember this, sinners: it is not so much your sense of unworthiness that keeps you from embracing the Lord Jesus as your Saviour; it is your pride.
Praise be to God that we are found worthy, not of our own doing, but of that of Jesus Christ our Lord!
