Transformative Hope: The Gospel's Call to Repentance

The Gospel tells us to examine that and to dissect it and to analyze it, and as we do so I think we discover certain things like this. The first thing we observe is the very important and vital confession that the world thus makes as it pins its hope to things which are so utterly artificial and irrational. [00:08:06]

The natural men regards the biblical diagnosis of men as pessimistic. They say, you know, that preaching about Sin, it's very depressing and it's very pessimistic. Surely, they say, the business of the Gospel at any rate is to give us some sort of cheer and Assurance. No, but in the first instance, the gospel does not do that. [00:10:34]

The hopefulness of mankind is a tremendous admission that as things are at the moment, they are very bad, that the world is sick, that the world is in trouble, the world is in pain, the world is in a state of confusion. That's the first thing I see of it. [00:12:42]

The whole essence of the trouble, I say, is this: that man refuses to realize and to confess that his troubles arise from himself. Now that's exactly where the gospel begins to speak to us. Man is capable of this false optimism, this pathetic Clinging On to time and to Hope for one reason only, and that is he has never realized the depth of the problem. [00:21:32]

Unless you become a profound pessimist, you'll never become a Christian. Christianity knocks us down before it lifts us up. You cannot become a Christian without repenting. You've got to realize your utter hopelessness before you'll ever listen to Christ. [00:22:14]

The first thing the gospel tells you is that you can never put yourself right. Men can never put the world right. Now that is the very heart of the Gospel. Oh, the politicians say the opposite. They say now we can put it right. Well, all I say is this: they've had a very long time. Why don't they do it? [00:31:12]

Man cannot deal with it because it means changing himself, his own nature. Well, you say there's no hope then, that's the end of it. No, no, my friends, that's where the gospel comes in, you see, with its positive message. Man cannot, but God can. [00:33:38]

The Apostle Paul puts that in these memorable words: If any man be in Christ, he says, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new. Not because it is 1955 and it is 1956, no, no, but because you are no longer the same person. [00:44:38]

The world is new not because it's changed, because I've Been Changed. He gives us a new life and a new nature. He gives us a new power, and we are conscious of his presence and of his nearness, and therefore all things have become new. [00:46:08]

There is a day coming when there shall be a new heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. This old world that you and I know so well, it's going to be purged of sin and evil. All that is wrong and vile and filthy is going to be extruded out of it. [00:48:27]

There is a day coming when in this world is going to be a paradise again, a place of Glory wherein the children of God shall live and dwell and enjoy themselves in the presence of their Lord. It's coming, it's coming for certain, not because 1955 ends and 1956 begins, no, no, but because the Son of God comes again. [00:49:02]

Behold, I make all things new. Ask him to make you a new, to give you a new heart, a new outlook, a new orientation, and tell him that you want to join the ranks of those who are waiting for the coming day when the whole world, the whole universe shall be made new. [00:51:14]