FAITHFUL Shep watches her mistress as she goes from one stepping stone to the other, across the running stream, carrying two of her pups, while the third one is left behind to wait till the two are carried safely across.
These stones are placed at a convenient distance from each other, so that they can be reached with an easy step; but if the last stone is to be reached, the first one has to be taken and then one at a time. This is true in all our lessons.
Its simple statements form five stepping stones from doubt to certainty—from trouble to rest.
Are you in distress, not knowing how you stand in the sight of God?
Listen then to the words of comfort; they fall from the lips of the Lord Himself.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you,”
1.“He that heareth My word.”
Have you heard the voice of the Son of God—the Saviour? In grace He speaks in the gospel message.
2.“And believeth on Him that sent Me.” Do you believe God the Father who sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world?
3.“Hath everlasting life.”
What certainty is in that word Hath! It speaks of that which is possessed. Hearing and believing result in having.
4.“And shall not come into condemnation.”
For the believer the judgment is past—Christ has borne it on the cross. He is risen. The believer is accepted in Him.
“There is therefore Now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.”
5.“But is passed from death unto life.”
The wonderful change is made already. Soon the believer will pass from earth to heaven. But now while here he has passed from death to life.
Have you passed?
ML 10/25/1925