I was struck yesterday, on entering the meeting room at D—, by the appearance of a man whom I did not remember to have seen there before. Throughout the service he listened most attentively, and when the people began to disperse, I could not resist placing my hand upon his shoulder, with the inquiry.
“Have you peace with God?”— “No,” was the reply, “I cannot say that I have.”— “Well,” I said, “my friend, I am sorry for it; but I feel sure I am right in supposing that you would wish to have it.”— “I would, indeed,” said be. — “Well,” I said, “do you believe that you are by nature a lost sinner?”— “We are all that,” said he, “and so, of course, I am one as much as any one else.”
“ Well,” I said, “then if according to your own confession, you are a lost sinner, you assuredly require a Saviour; and does not the word of God tell you that one has been provided for you, and that if you now believe on Him, you are eternally saved I”— “Oh, but,” he said, “surely it’s not so easy as all that. Have not I got something to do on my part? Of course I believe, and always did believe, that Jesus died for me, but I must help.”— “Oh—, I said, “and now do tell me what could you—a poor sinner, consciously dead in trespasses and sins—do to help?”— “I could pray,” said he. — “Well,” I replied, “prayer is very blessed in its proper place; but did you ever notice (opening my Bible) this passage in 2 Cor. 5:2020Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20), in which God is praying you to be reconciled? Now, will you tell me what you are praying for?” —“Why, of course, for that very thing, to be reconciled,” he said. — “Oh, but,” I answered, “this passage plainly states that God, on the ground of the Accomplished work of Christ, is now entreating you and sinners like you to be reconciled to Him. Where, then is the wisdom of your asking Him to be reconciled to you?” — “Oh, but,” he said, “I don’t believe that I could be reconciled to God without asking for it.”— “Then,” I said, “I have only to assure you that you are sadly mistaken. God, as the 20th and 21St verses so plainly state, has anticipated your petition by Himself sending to ask you to be reconciled; for (or because) He has made Christ to be sin, and now, instead of asking, you have simply to believe that Christ has been made sin for you, and you are instantly reconciled to God, “made the righteousness of God in Him.”— “Well,” he said, “I never saw it in that light before. That’s quite new to me, and I’ll think over it and come and hear you again.”— “If the Lord permit,” I replied, and so we parted.
And now, my reader, this way of looking at the most important question in the world may be quite new to you also; but it is nevertheless blessedly true that, as we read in Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20), the Lord Jesus has “made peace by the blood of his cross;” and, therefore, God is now in a position, consistently with His own truth and holiness, to “come out and entreat” (Luke 15:2828And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and entreated him. (Luke 15:28)) poor sinners to draw near to Him. This He did, first by His Son, next by those who heard Him (Heb. 3), and now He is doing it by those whom the Holy Spirit hath sent forth (Acts 13:44So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 13:4)) as “ambassadors” or heralds to declare the glad tidings that “He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” Does not the poor blind mendicant at your door cease his cry of want the moment he hears your welcome voice pressing a sixpence on his acceptance? It is what he wants. He receives it thankfully, and goes away rejoicing. Why should not you, dear praying one, pause in your petitions for a moment to listen to the voice of God praying to you to be reconciled to Him on the ground of the finished work of Christ? Why should not you, even as you read this, give thanks to Him, believing that you have redemption through His blood, “the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace?” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7).)
A mind at perfect peace with God;
Oh, what a word is this!
A sinner reconciled through blood,
This, this, indeed, is peace.