SOME, time ago, on board a train, I had just taken my seat opposite an elderly and intelligent looking man, ' when he remarked: “I would not like to be a commercial traveler.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Oh!" he said, "you have so much baggage to carry. May I ask what you are selling?”
I replied, “It used to be vehicles, but I quit that, and am now giving the Gospel away.”
“Oh!” he said," I am very glad to meet you; what's your destination?
“West Philadelphia.”
“Oh!" he said," the Bible Conference; that's my destination.”
“Then we are of the same mind as to our present destination," I replied.
“Yes, this is an agreeable and happy surprise.”
After exchanging a few more words, we turned to the Word of God, taking up the subject of man's lost state by nature, and his inability to do anything to save himself; also that of the believer's absolute certainty of eternal life. And while speaking of God's free grace and wondrous love towards us rebel sinners, he listened attentively, then remained silent a few moments and said thoughtfully: “I never saw it like that—that you may know that we have the assurance of eternal life, and, sir, I have never met the man that had.”
“You never have?” I replied.
“No.”
“Well," said I, "take a good look at me; you have seen him at last.”
Literally staring with surprise, he said, “Don't you think you are presumptuous, to speak so positively? Why, sir, I am seventy-eight years old, have been a professor all my life, and our preacher has always said, we are to do the best we can, and hope for God to do the rest. Are we not to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling? Does not the Apostle fames declare, Show me thy faith without works,' or something like that? No, I: don't understand Scripture that way.”
“Well, Mr.—," I replied," I can quite understand your position, but I suppose that you would admit that it would be a very desirable thing to know that believers have now the positive assurance of eternal life?
“Oh! yes, I desire it and am ready to believe it when once convinced of that truth, but until then, I am going on 'doing the best I can' to get to heaven. Why, sir, I have been under conviction for nearly forty years, praying for thirty, given hundreds of dollars to our church, attended all our services when able, and daily trying to do my best.”
“Who told you to do all this, Mr.—?”
“My minister; he says to keep on praying, remember your preacher, because God loveth a cheerful giver,' stick close to your own church, do your best, and you will be all right in the end.”
“Well, my dear sir, if that is the principle upon which you expect to get eternal life, I know two or three verses in the Bible that would have to be altered.”
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, Jest any man should boast.”
“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.”
Having finished reading, I remarked, “You have been under conviction forty years, praying and doing your best for thirty years; and yet you are not positive of being a saved man and sure of eternal life. You remind me of that poor woman who had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and yet was nothing better. But when she touched the hem of His garment she was made whole.
“Now you have been having these many physicians, spending your all, and are nothing better than you were forty years ago. Drop these physicians who have been prescribing good feelings, prayers, good works and ordinances. Call in the Great Physician, take His prescription—' Eat My flesh and drink My blood '—and you, like this woman, will be made whole and possess eternal life." (See John 6:53-5853Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:53‑58).)
What is true of this sincere old gentleman is also true of thousands of others. Probably the reader may be one of those, “doing the best you can." If so, let me say it is a fatal blunder. There is no such text within the covers of the Bible. Your best to merit heaven, to procure salvation from the wrath to come, is only evil; for, saith the prophet, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses "—that is, our best—" are as filthy rags." (Isa. 64:6) A sinner's best is simply and only one of sin.
You may wrap yourselves around with morality and religion, but will these wrappings hide the evil within from the eye of God?
Doing good works to procure salvation is, in God's sight, as so many "filthy rags.”
If you could live to the age of Methuselah, and every moment of that long life of 969 years earnestly seek and strive to do your best, you would still be floundering with thousands more in the most common soul-delusion of the day. Our title to heaven is not in doing our best, but in Christ's most precious blood. (See Heb. 10:1919Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:19).)
Turn to the sure pages' of God's Word. There we read of One who did "His best amid circumstances of unparalleled sorrow and sin." Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Tim. 1:15.) Christ on the cross bore the sins of those who had done their worst: who were sinners and guilty.
Reader, can you speak of doing your best in the light of the cross? Why should Jesus suffer and die, if salvation and eternal life could be had by your best? Have you failed in the least degree in doing your best? For that one blot, or stain, or failure, the blood of Christ is absolutely needed, for "without shedding of blood is no remission." (Heb. 9:22.)
Reader, if you are merely a church member, "doing the best you can," wake up to the stern reality that you are exposed to the judgment of God on the one hand, and on the other, your labor cannot merit eternal life. It is easier for you to pluck the sun from its place in the firmament than to get to heaven by doing the best you can. What, then, avails? "Repentance toward God and faith toward our. Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21.)
He has died, the Just for the unjust. He has given eternal life to His sheep. (See John 10:2828And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28).) Therefore your best deeds—whether open sinner or mere professor—in His sight are as filthy rags." Away with them; the cross of Christ is a rock beneath one's feet.
A. L. K.