Notes of a short address to the anxious ones at a prayer-meeting.
Let me direct your attention, dear friends, to a verse of scripture, which, the Lord grant, may prove a blessing to many souls. You will find it in the 10th chapter of Acts, at the 43rd verse: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.”
About a fortnight or three weeks ago, at the close of one of our prayer-meetings in London, I observed two young women, seated by themselves in a corner of the room, apparently not inclined to move, although the others were all going away. I had seen them before. They were troubled about their souls. They had not peace. I was glad to see them remain, and, desiring to have a quiet word about their state of mind with myself, I asked them if they were still in trouble. They said they were. I then said to them, “How long have you been in trouble about your souls?”
“Five or six weeks,” they replied.
“Now tell me, are you really in earnest about your soul’s salvation?”
“O, yes!”
There was no question about that. It was the one thing their hearts were seeking after. “Well, tell, me do you really, as lost sinners, believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you as such?”
“O, yes.” They at once acknowledged, that they believed that Jesus Christ died for them.
Bringing them to the passage which I have read, I asked them if they believed that Christ finished the work He came to do on behalf of lost sinners, and for the glory of God. They had no doubt on that point. Christ, raised up from the dead, proves the completeness of His work. “Now, put your finger on that verse,” I said. “Have you got your finger on it?” Their eyes were gazing on the text. “What does it say? “Whosoever believeth on him shall receive—receive what? the promise of forgiveness at some future time? No, but whosoever believeth shall receive remission of sins.’ Does God speak the truth or not? What then does He say? You confess that you believe that Jesus died and rose again. Well, then, what does Peter say in this verse? ‘Whosoever believeth’—but believeth what? — ‘that Jesus died and rose again,’ having finished the work needed for me, a sinner, God raised Him up. If I believe that, what do I receive? Not merely heaven at last, but present forgiveness. I receive a present forgiveness. I may not know it—I may not believe it—I may not enjoy it. Nevertheless, God is true: whosoever believeth shall receive —God says it—mark the word receive.”
Now, observe, let me speak to souls who may be in a condition similar to that of those two young persons. Can you say it is true, or is it false? You say it is true. Well, but what is true? That we have received remission of sins. Glory be to God, that is faith in the word of the living God Now, tell me, are you looking to your own feelings, or to the word of God? The eyes of these young women were turned away from themselves, and fixed on the sure word of God. One of them said to me, “I can see it clearly now.” The other said, “If I could hear God saying it, I would believe.” “O, come now,” I said; “is not the written word more certain, if possible, than the spoken word? You might say, at some future day, I thought I heard it, but perhaps I was mistaken. O, would you not prefer the written word? You can go back to it again and again.” “I think I would,” she said.
There is the victory, dear friends, to receive the truth without hesitation. But, again, let me ask, what is the truth, dear friends, on this important point? That, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we receive—what? The remission of all our sins. When? The same moment we believe. O, beloved friends, if God be true, follow their simple example. For six weeks these girls were going from one meeting to another, running hither and thither, trying to find peace, and could not; hut the moment their eye was directed to Christ, and His finished work—the moment their souls received God’s word as true, they knew that they had received remission of sins. Receiving the testimony of God about Jesus, and receiving the remission of our sins, are inseparably connected together in Scripture, and why should we seek to separate them, to our own trouble and distress of mind?
And now, beloved friends, those of you, who this night have your eye and your heart turned to Christ, tell me, is it true that Christ died for us sinners? If I be a sinner, has He died for me? Yes! blessed be His name! Oh, I would not give up this descriptive name, sinner, for ten thousand worlds. I am a sinner, God says it; but what does that entitle me to? To the full benefit of the finished work of Christ. Oh, the boundless grace which flows from the heart of God through that channel into my soul—into every soul that believes. “God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” As a sinner, then, I believe this. It is true, is it not? Who questions its reality? Did not Jesus die on the cross for sinners? The word of God plainly states it; but it also states, that He who died for sinners rose again for their justification; and also, that whosoever believeth on him, shall receive remission of sins.” Oh, then, as lost, ruined, hell-deserving sinners, believe God’s testimony about Jesus, His finished work, and His precious grace to you, in the full remission of all your sins, and be happy in His great salvation.
I now said to those two young sisters, “Have you not, think you, some weeks ago received the very thing that you were seeking after?” They now saw that then they had received forgiveness, but from not knowing it, and believing it, they had no peace nor rest to their souls. Now they had peace through the knowledge of forgiveness. Do you now see, and can you now say, beloved friends, that Jesus died for you? Do you believe that He died and rose again, that you might be pardoned and justified before God? May the Lord lead you now in your heart to look to Him, believing this precious truth. The first look of faith brings you the full, perfect, and everlasting forgiveness of all your sins. What God hath thus joined together, as to faith and forgiveness, let no man put asunder. May God enable you to believe—to believe this night in Him who died and rose again. His precious blood alone cleanseth from all sin, and eternal life can only be received from the risen, living Christ in glory. May you now receive the truth about Him without doubting, and give to God all the glory.