At a small refreshment room I met some school teachers taking their lunch, and they were chatting freely about their work with the children. One asked, “How much of religion do you think they can understand?” (I was at a separate table, but close enough to hear.)
Another said in reply, “Well, I had to go to Sunday School twice every Sunday, but I never understood anything; and oh, how I hated it!”
Then another said, “Yes, and in those days they used to talk about being saved or lost. Do you know, I had an old aunt who positively believed that; and she used to go to people’s doors, and ask if they were saved!”
There was a great deal of laughing, and “How very absurd!”
“I wonder who believes it now. Let us ask Mr. W. what he thinks it means to be saved.”
The one male teacher with them, a quiet, grave person, had not joined in the conversation, or the sad mockery of God’s things. In reply to their appeal, he said: “You will find a passage in the Acts of the Apostles which gives us the true idea. ‘The Lord added to the Church daily such as were being saved,’ as the better rendering gives it. That means, we are being saved all the way along. We persevere, and walk in right ways; and there is no need to talk of being lost in the end.”
At first hearing I thought he was a Christian; but now could see he had a plan of his own or of man, and was greatly stirred in my soul. “What am I here for? Surely I must confess my Lord.”
The scoffers had all left, and when he rose to go, I said “Excuse me, please; I have been intensely interested in what I overheard of your conversation. What you said about being saved all the way along is true of a believer; but I fear you are leaving out conversion. The question of sin must be settled first. It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul.”
“Conversion?” he said; “it all depends on what you call conversion.” To which I at once replied, “Repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ! If you don’t teach the boys that you are leaving out the foundation.”
He sat down, and took great pains to explain his theory. “I think we must be a little elastic,” he said, “in these days of advanced knowledge, and be willing to look at things a little differently.”
I explained that having enjoyed God’s truth for many years, I did not wish for anything new. I begged him to take his true place before God as a sinner, and accept Christ as his Saviour; adding, “Then you can teach the boys the truth. Look how responsible you are in their lives for good or evil!” Just then the Lord gave me a good word for him, and all such: “If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:2020To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Isaiah 8:20)).
He said his time was up. I gave him a tract, but he returned it very politely, wishing me every blessing. He really was very kind and patient with me.
My next call was to see an old friend, who was a happy Christian. She was ill in bed, in pain and much weakness, at eighty years of age. Here I found my contrast, and it was a great one: Light instead of darkness, confidence instead of doubt; a Saviour known and loved, whereas in the other case man was exalting himself! The aged Christian was feeding on the Bread of life. The story in Mark 5 had been read, of the Lord’s wonderful ways with the people of His day; of the man in the tombs; of the afflicted woman; of the child whom He raised from the dead. She said, with a beaming face: “We have told Him all the truth long ago, haven’t we? And He said those lovely words to us ‘Daughter, be of good cheer!’ She must have been surprised when He said that; she must have thought, Why, He has known me all the time!”
And so, dear reader, it is true of you: He knows you, loves you, and waits for you to come with that touch of faith telling Him all the truth, to receive the comfort of His gracious words. We see by faith the Christ, once humbled here, but all powerful to heal, and even restore the dead to life.
Here is a contrast which our thoughts and words all fail to gauge, so vast and deep in meaning and results, that I pray God Himself may be your Teacher here and now, that He may lead you away from the school of man’s proposings to find pardon and peace in the Person and Work of His beloved Son. “HE THAT BELIEVETH ON THE SON HATH EVERLASTING LIFE” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)).
“On Christ salvation rests secure,
The Rock of Ages must endure;
Nor can that faith be overthrown
Which rests on Christ, the Living Stone.”
E.E.E.