There is one word in each of these portions of holy scripture to which we would call the special attention of our readers. The first is the word “lost.” This is God’s own word, used by Him to describe the state of every man, woman, and child, by nature; and there is no possibility of excluding ourselves from the ranks of the lost. People may, as they often do, compare themselves with others, as to the measure or number of sins they have committed; and frequently the self-righteous person congratulates himself that he has never been guilty of any gross or flagrant sin. Such would perhaps pity a drunkard, a thief, or even a swearer; but these self-righteous ones are just as much lost sinners before God, as the most grossly immoral: “lost!” “lost!” “lost!” applies to the entire human race without one solitary exception. True, the lost child, if it die, will be saved, on the ground that Christ came to save the lost; but you or I, intelligent reader, can never be saved till we have first discovered that we were lost. The question is, has this solemn and sad truth been brought home to the soul in the awakening power of the Holy Ghost. Doubtless the terrified jailor of Philippi (Acts 16) felt under the mighty power of God his lost condition: hence his alarm and fervent exclamation, “What must I do to be saved?” Unbelieving reader, do you question that you are a lost sinner? Then let us remind you that Christ came to seek and save none but the lost. God says you are lost, and His dear Son would never have left the glories of heaven to come and seek you had you not been lost; but for His wondrous grace and immeasurable love, we must have been all lost forever. Yes, lost for time, and lost for eternity. See to it, then, that you do not fail to seek your true place before God now as a lost, guilty, and ruined sinner; and then God would have you see and know that in His infinite love He has provided a present, perfect, and eternal salvation for you in the present work of His own dear Son.
We now come to the word to be noticed in our second text, and that is “saved.” God has now on this earth a saved people. · Mark the language of the apostle Paul in this verse—”Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling.” We have noticed that all were once in the ranks of the lost; but now thousands on this earth are seen and known by God as His saved people. Once they were enemies; note they are reconciled by the death of Christ. (Rom. 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10).) Once they were “far off,” now they are brought nigh by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:1313But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13).) Once they were guilty, now they are forgiven (Rom. 4:77Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (Romans 4:7)), “justified,” sanctified, “children of God” (1 John 3:1, 21Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1‑2)), “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:1717And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17).) And God has given to all such His Spirit, that they may cry to Him, “Abba, Father.” Oh, happy people! Already accepted before God in the Beloved (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6)), “and made fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col. 1:1212Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12).) Possessors of eternal life; “guarded by the power of God;” they have a Priest who is able to save right through to the end, “all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” (Heb. 7:2525Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25).)
We now proceed to our third word from the text of Matt. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)—”Gathered.” What infinite grace! oh, how it bespeaks the tender love of God. He not only saves the lost, and makes them His own people; but He gathers the saved ones around the adorable Person of His own dear Son; and, although that Son is not visibly in the midst, as He was when He came into the presence of His assembled disciples after His resurrection (John 20), yet He is as truly and really “in the midst” of His gathered people now, save with this difference: now He is present for faith to see and enjoy; then it was for sight. He Himself, who foresaw the difference, has said, “Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.” What joy it was to the disciples to have “Jesus in the midst;” and so now many a Christian knows what it is to taste the joy and sweetness of His presence, when gathered to His name. But, alas! how many there are who own the grace of God in saving them, and yet are strangers to the same grace that shows itself in “gathering” the saints to the name and Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need not say that no unsaved soul, no unconverted one, can be truly “gathered” around Christ. This unspeakable privilege belongs solely to the children of God. They are first saved, then a gathered.
One Lord’s day morning, a dear child of God was accosted by another with the inquiry, “Where are you going?” The ready, simple, and yet wonderful answer was, “I am going to meet the Lord!” The inquirer, himself a child of God, was arrested by the answer: “going to meet the Lord!” That was a thing of which he knew nothing: he did know what it was to go to hear a good sermon, or an eloquent preacher; but to be going to a meeting with just the simple object of meeting the Lord—that was altogether a new thing to him—a provision of God’s love which he had never enjoyed. He thought perhaps, with many, that so long as he was saved and taken to heaven at last, it was of little moment how saints came together on earth; forgetting that the same God who has made known His way how people are to be saved, has also made known how the saved ones are to be “gathered.” Frequently one has heard from the lips of a Christian, “Oh, I am no bigot; I like to go to any chapel or church;” or, “I say, Let every man do what he believes to be right: we shall all reach the same end.”
Such language would imply that God had left His children full liberty to act as they please in the matter of assembling themselves together; but this is far from the case, for the blessed God loves us too well to leave us to ourselves, and has therefore graciously caused instructions to be written for our guidance. Can it be unimportant whether we conform to those instructions or not? How jealous was God in the days of Moses, that His people should do His will and not their own when coming together as worshippers. (Deut. 12) “Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.” “There shall be a place which the Lord your God shall choose, to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you,” &c.
In our day is it not an allowed principle with many to do that which is right in their own eyes, and thus practically to ignore the will and love of that One who has left that wonderful and ever faithful fact, “Where two or three are gathered unto my name, there am I in the midst”? True, God does not now say to His people, as of old, in the matter of worship, “Thou shalt do this,” or “Thou shalt not do that:” such language was characteristic of being under law. But because we are not under law, but under grace, should we be less careful to follow the revealed will and mind of God? Surely not. Should not God’s voice in love and grace command our unfeigned and ready obedience? We may notice too in Deut. 12 That these statutes and judgments are given to a redeemed people to observe when they came into the land, and those statutes open with what was pre-eminently important to that purchased people, called to the holy place of worshippers, and that was that they were to be in entire separation from the enemies of the Lord. And how essential is this to the redeemed of the Lord now! The holy privilege of worshippers belongs peculiarly to the ransomed of God; and there can be no common ground taken with “believers and unbelievers.” (See 2 Cor. 6:14-1814Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14‑18).) To be saved by God in grace, is that we may be separated for God in testimony whilst in this sinful world. In love Christ died for us—in love He has saved us—and in the boundless love of His heart He has provided a way for us to be gathered as His worshipping people. True, many have doubtless gone, and may still go, to heaven, who never knew the blessedness of being gathered as a separated people to His name on earth. Inasmuch as they have believed on Him as the One who died for them, heaven is secured to them, by virtue of His finished work on the cross; but have they lost nothing? Truly much. They have lost the richest provision of His love for their enjoyment and blessing whilst in this wilderness scene; and lost the precious privileged opportunity of doing His will, and thus glorifying His name on earth.
Oh what attraction should His name—His presence afford to every child of God! what untold value should our hearts put upon being gathered to the place where He is “in the midst”! One of old could say, “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord:” and if such an experience could be found in connection with an earthly tabernacle, how much more so should it be realized in connection with the “ spiritual tabernacle”! His presence will be the joy of heaven, and He would in His precious grace have His own enjoy a foretaste of that joy whilst here on earth.
Lastly, we turn to our fourth word, namely, “ Glorified.” God’s people, every one now on this earth, redeemed by that precious blood, are only waiting the sound of the archangel’s voice and “ the trump of God:” and in the twinkling of an eye they will be glorified and clothed with a likeness like His own. (1 Thess. 4; 5; 1 Cor. 15; Phil. 3:2121Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21).) Those now justified will soon be glorified. (Rom. 8:3030Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:30).) Quickly will that prayer be fulfilled, “Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory.” (John 17:2424Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24).) “A little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.” (Heb. 10:3737For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (Hebrews 10:37).) Then will every blood-bought one “see his face,” and “ be like Him.” Oh! what a sure and blessed destiny awaits His beloved people, and if He longs (as He surely does) to have His own with Him in the glory, how should the heart of every saved one cry, with unhindered delight, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20).) R. A.