THIS was, and is, and so long as the gospel is preached will be, the loving word of the Lord Jesus to sinful, rebellious man. To the burdened and heavy-laden, He graciously said, “Come”— “Come unto me, and I will give you rest.” To a publican anxious to see Him, He said, “Come”— “Make haste and come down; for today I must abide at thy house.” To others He cried out with arms opened wide, and a heart burning with love, “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” What wondrous mercy! No barrier now to any one and everyone who desires it, coming at once to the Lord Jesus, and having eternal life: “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”
And yet how few are coming to the Lord Jesus and receiving this free gift—eternal life! How many are vainly spending their time, and efforts, and money, in trying to make themselves better; hoping to amend; endeavoring to patch up the rotten garment of a depraved and incurably bad nature; turning over, as they say, a new leaf; foolishly thinking that they may commend themselves to the favor of God; in some way or other blindly seeking to work out, either wholly or in part, eternal salvation; instead of believing God’s word, and coming simply, and only, and at once to the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone can give rest and peace to a sinner’s conscience! How different, then, are God’s thoughts to man’s thoughts! Man thinks he must commend himself to God; whereas God in the gospel commends His love to us. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Man thinks if he loves God he will be saved; but God shows that the only ground on which a sinner can be saved is His love. “For 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.)
Did men believe this, how eagerly and at once would they come to the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for sinners They would have confidence in God, by seeing His marvelous mercy in the gift and death of His beloved Son. Thus they would know there is no other mediator between God and men than the man Christ Jesus; no other name to trust in; no foundation to build on but His death and blood-shedding; no other way to the Father than by Him; no true righteousness but the “righteousness of God, which is, by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe.” Instead, then, of thinking only of God as an angry judge, they would be melted by His rich mercy, bowed down by thoughts of the unutterable sufferings and atoning death of His beloved Son, and through Him, now risen and ascended, and by His precious blood, find access with confidence into God’s most holy presence.
The way then, believe me, is not circuitous. It is simple, direct, and attractive. It is the Saviour calling, and the sinner coming to Him who said, “I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Jesus, in the depths of divine love, says, “Come;” and the sinner that hears and believes waits for nothing, looks for nothing, tries nothing, makes no excuse, but in deep, grateful response, in the obedience of faith, comes. The language of his sin-convicted soul is―
“Just as I am! and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot;
To Thee! whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come!”
How alarming, then, is the thought, that when Jesus thus welcomes sinners to His loving heart, men should say it must be through ordinances, priests, the Virgin, or some other fancied medium, that this Saviour of sinners is approached; as if He did not love sinners, welcome sinners, and save sinners! How such thoughts dishonor Christ, tarnish the glory of His finished work, undermine the gospel, set aside the true grace of God, deceive sinners, and set up a false way! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”
“A German Duke lay dying. Anxious about his soul and eternity, he spoke to some around him. One advised him to pray to the Virgin, another to Saint This, and another to Saint That, when a trusty, godly courtier said, ‘Your Highness, straightforward makes the best runner! Go direct to Christ, and turn not aside to Virgin, Saint, or Pope.’ Jesus says, “Come unto me;” and, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.” We need no spokesman, nor saint, nor angel, between us and our Saviour. We may go on our own errands to God. He who bids us come, will bid us welcome. There is no impertinence in coming to the throne when we are called; but rather is it unmannerly to go to a servant when the Master invites to Himself.”
How blessed it is to have true thoughts of God!
“This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” How blessed too to contemplate the posture which God now takes in the gospel concerning His beloved Son, who is the way, the alone way, and the way of perfect peace into His most blessed presence. Him God sent, God gave, God delivered up for us all, God laid on Him our iniquities, God condemned sin in the flesh, and, when thus bruising Him upon the cross, hid His face from Him, so that He cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” But Jesus bowed His head in death, and said, “It is finished!” and God, who had put Him to grief, raised Him from the dead, and gave Him glory. And that blessed Saviour, now crowned with glory and honor, is expecting to come forth and put all enemies under His feet. And blessed be God, concerning Him and His finished work, God still says, “Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38, 39.)
Dear reader! dost thou believe on the only-begotten Son of God? Is His atoning death thy ground of peace with God? Dost thou know what it is to come unto God by Him? Is Jesus crucified, risen, and ascended, thy way into God’s holy presence? Then indeed thou art among the blessed; thou hast passed from death unto life; thou art a child of God; for “we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Then surely the Lord Jesus is precious unto thee, and His ways, His honor, and His praise, are what thou art now seeking.