I WAS traveling by rail the other day, and found, I sitting opposite me, two young fellows who informed me that they were on their way to enlist in a crack regiment of the line.
We spoke on various points in connection with their enlistment, &c., after which I told them that, having myself been a soldier, and knowing the nature of a soldier’s life, it would be well for them to be “right with God,” so that, in His strength, they might face, not only its dangers on the field of battle, but also, as His children, the terrible temptations to sin, which are incidental to that life.
The civilian, doubtless, has his temptations too, and he needs to be “right with God” equally with the soldier and sailor; but at a time when the widest war ever waged is claiming such hosts of victims, and the flower of so many lands is being plucked by the cruel hand of death, it is surely most proper that all, who are exposed to its shafts, should be prepared to meet their God.
They assented to the propriety of all this, but frankly admitted that they were not ready for death.
I asked them if they knew how to be saved. They replied as frankly that they did not.
How sad is such an admission in a land of, thank God, an open Bible, and a widely preached gospel. And yet this is the admission of the vast majority of the entire population of these so-called Christian lands. They know not.
I felt deeply thankful to God that I was able to tell these lads that, for a longer period than both of their lives put together, I had known in happy experience God’s great salvation, that it had kept me from the temptations of a soldier’s life, and had saved my soul for eternity. If I, why not they? Why not you, my reader?
They listened to what I had to say. Will you kindly read what I write? First, the salvation of God is for guilty and helpless sinners. “The Son of God is come.” The Lord Jesus could announce, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:3232I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)), “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:1010For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)). The “faithful saying, and worthy,” mark, “of all acceptation” is this “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).
Where are such to be found? Tell me, where are they not to be found?
“All have sinned,” some more, some less; but there is not a man upon the face of the earth, who has not sinned in thought, word, and deed, every day of his life. If honest he will own it. If deceived he will plead his supposed goodness, and learn, when possibly too late, that his “righteousness” (all of them) were “as filthy rags,” and that he had been blinded by the god of this world, lest the lovely, saving rays of the gospel of the glory of God should shine unto him.
No! the salvation of God is for such as are on the verge of damnation, and His mercy for those without merit. It was the poor, ruined, helpless, friendless prodigal, saying in his heart of hearts, “Father, I have sinned... and am no more worthy” (Luke 15:2121And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. (Luke 15:21)), who found himself at once—spite of all―kissed and clothed and welcomed; while his self-righteous brother, who dared to say that he had never transgressed at any time, found himself outside the Father’s house, and, in the dread sequel, lifted up his eyes in Hell (see Luke 16:2323And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. (Luke 16:23)) on the wrong side of “the great gulf fixed.” His doom was that of torment. It was the possibility of a doom so awful that led myself to get “right with God.”
Reader, for your own sake, I beg of you to face this possibility. Ten thousand thanks to God that His salvation proposes the immediate and eternal security of the soul. Act as did the hapless prodigal-repent of your sins, great or small, few or many, and fling yourself on the mercy and grace of that God who “so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever” (wonderful word!) “believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). This is how God takes the beggar from the dunghill, and sets him among princes! The salvation of God begins with the forgiveness of sins (all sins), goes on to the justification of the believer, making him a son and heir of God, and placing him, eventually, in glory.
“It is God that justifieth” (Rom. 8:3333Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. (Romans 8:33)) on the sole merit of “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:2424Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (Romans 3:24)), apart absolutely from the faintest trace of good works or merit in the believer, though the effect of a free justification is, necessarily, to constrain the redeemed one to evidence his faith by works, that is clear. The coin that has not both obverse and reverse is of no value in the market. A good old stanza says:
“I dare not work my soul to save,
That work my Lord hath done;
But I would work like any slave,
From love to God’s dear Son.”
Thus it is that faith, and faith alone, justifies before God; while works and works alone do so before men. They cannot see faith; they can only judge by works. God sees faith. He saw that of “the dying thief” to whom no opportunity was given to demonstrate his faith by a single day of testimony to his Lord and Saviour. He went straight to Paradise, and into the presence of the Lord, within a very few minutes of his salvation. God’s salvation is, therefore, immediate, it is also great; and it is eternal. It may well be asked: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb. 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)).
Some despise it, some reject it; the mass neglect it to their endless confusion; but some, through grace, accept it, and find in it present peace with God, rest, joy, comfort, and life eternal. It carries the best of all things―the knowledge of God, the Father, and God, the Son, and that in the blessed power of the Holy Ghost. May this salvation, dear reader, be yours.
Delays are dangerous. Death is very busy. Life is uncertain. Your highest wisdom is to decide, Decide NOW.
J. W. S.