A young man who was lying on his deathbed, could by faith face death without fear, however, there was an absence of joy on that dying pillow. An experienced servant of Christ who visited this young man, when speaking of the exceeding blessedness that would be his, asked him if his heart responded joyously at the prospect. The young man told him that he had peace about the pardon of his sin, through faith in the precious blood of Christ; but he added, “Heaven seems to me a strange, unknown region; I almost shrink from the prospect of entering all alone upon that mysterious, unveiled state.”
His friend saw his difficulty—he was resting upon the work of Christ, but was not acquainting himself with the Lord as a living Savior, so he told him not to try to picture heaven to his mind, but to dwell upon the blessed reality that the Lord Jesus, in whom he trusted for salvation, was there to receive him, and then he would no longer feel heaven a strange place.
The young man’s heart, through the grace of God, was immediately lighted up with the brightest joy at this glorious truth. He was going to be with Jesus Himself—Jesus who had loved him, and given Himself for him. From this moment his heart was radiant with joy, for not only was his conscience at rest, but Jesus Himself filled his future—Jesus, who was with him every moment of the time.
Young believer, is it not also true that we need the personal love of our risen Savior during our everyday life, as well as in the solemnities of the dying hour? Is not the realization of this divine truth our heart’s safeguard at all times? Many believers have found rest to their consciences through the work of Christ, who have yet to know the person of Christ as the blessed center of their heart’s affections. Paul prays for the Ephesian believers, that they might be strengthened with might by God’s Spirit in the inner man, that “Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith”—dwell in their affections. Let us rest in nothing short of this; let us seek for the fulfillment of His own promise to those who occupy themselves about Him—who “keep His Word.” “I will manifest Myself unto him.” “We will make our abode with him.” It is only as Christ is dwelling in our heart by faith that it is safe from the allurements of the world, the enticement of the flesh, the snares of the wicked one. It is by faith Christ thus dwells in our affections, and as by the Spirit’s power we thus receive Him, we have power to live to Him, to glorify Him in our ways, and to endure the fight of afflictions and trials that sooner or later must test our faith.
Blessed and precious as it is to have the conscience at rest through the blood, yet the hourly blessedness of enjoying the Savior Himself is sweeter.