MANY can say, “Our Saviour,” and, “He died for sinners,” who cannot say that “He is my Saviour,” and that “He died for me.” It is not until there is the individual appropriation of the Saviour to ourselves that we become happy and consciously saved.
The writer was visiting a dear woman not long since who was making the very common mistake of applying the truth of the gospel in a general way, while she had never taken it to herself, but through grace she was enabled to do so, got saved, and died witnessing a good confession.
We are persuaded there are thousands like her, who, if they would stop generalizing and take to individualizing, or in other words, apply the truth of the gospel to themselves, as if they were the only sinner in the wide world, would very soon get saved, and be filled with joy and peace in believing (Rom. 15:1313Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13)).
Now, dear reader, first read over and study the following scriptures, and may God bless them to you: ― “I am that bread of life.... This is the bread which came down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.... 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” (John 6:48-5348I am that bread of life. 49Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53Then 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. (John 6:48‑53)).
That is plain: there is no life apart from appropriating the death of the Son of Man.
Notice how intensely individual it is: “If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever”― “whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life” (vss. 51, 54).
Are you that “man,” the “whosoever,” dear reader? Have you taken to yourself, as one who feels he needs it, and as the only way of life, the precious death of, the Son of God? If not, eat of His flesh, and drink of His blood, right away, and life eternal is yours.
Mark how another could appropriate it all to himself. He had been the very chief of sinners, and yet, as he stood in the presence of the cross by faith, and there witnessed the infinite love of Christ to him, a poor, lost sinner, could bow his head in worship and say, “The Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)).
The Virgin Mary is another witness. She could in her song of praise say, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour” (Luke 1:46, 4746And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. (Luke 1:46‑47)).
The bride of the Canticles, in that short book, speaks of Christ as “My Beloved” eighteen times. Three instances will suffice: ― “My Beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies” (ch. 2:16). “I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine; he feedeth among the lilies” (ch. 6:3). “I am my Beloved’s, and his desire is toward me” (ch. 7:10).
How unspeakably blessed for the soul to be able to gaze upon the Lord by faith―on the Lord in glory―and say of Him, “My Beloved.” Not only forgiven, justified, and saved, but gazing at Christ on the throne of God and able to say, “My Beloved.”
He not only loved us, and gave Himself for us, to clear away from the eye of God all that was against us and offensive to Him, but now, as the risen and glorified One, stands before us to engage and satisfy our hearts, and to enable us by His Holy Spirit to say, “My beloved.”
One more witness before we close.
The writer more than twenty years ago visited a dear woman in whom the Spirit of God had wrought, and who in consequence was anxious about her soul’s salvation.
I said, “Mrs. M—, do you believe that you are a sinner?”
“Yes, sir, I do.”
“Do you believe that Christ died for sinners?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you believe that Christ died for you, an individual sinner, as if you were the only sinner in the world?”
With emphasis she replied, “Yes, sir, I do.”
“Then, Mrs. M―, why don’t you go another step further, and believe what God says about you?”
She began: “ ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you.’”
“Mrs. M―,” I said, “notice He is talking to you.”
“ ‘He that heareth my word.’”
“Have you heard the word of the blessed Lord, telling you that you are a sinner and that He died for you?”
“Yes, sir, I have.”
“Read on.”
“ ‘And believeth on him that sent me.’”
“Have you believed on the blessed Lord who in infinite love sent His beloved Son into this world to die for you?”
With deep emphasis she replied, “Yes, sir, I have.”
“Read the next three words.”
“ ‘Hath everlasting life.’”
“What do those words say, Mrs. M―?”
“They say I have everlasting life.”
And as she appropriated the blessed truth to herself, the misery and the clouds departed, and she was in the consciousness of being the possessor of “everlasting life,” and learned from the latter part of that marvelous verse, that such “shall not come into judgment, but are passed from death unto life.”
In conclusion, dear reader, appropriate the blessed truth of the death of Christ to yourself, and say like Paul, “The Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me;” and like the bride of Canticles, “My Beloved is mine, and I am his;” and like Mary, exclaim in your song of praise, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.”
Oh, how worthy He is of our praise, and of the praise of the whole Universe!
It shall be His by-and-by, for He is worthy.
E. A.