TO be on man’s “black list,” of which we have heard so much lately, would be very sad, for drunkenness is a vice which ruins many souls and homes in England, and legislation which aims at its suppression should be welcomed.
But to find oneself by-and-by on God’s “black list” would be much more serious.
Off man’s “black list” you may get provided your conduct improve; once find yourself on God’s, and you will be there forever, and forever has no time-limit.
Drunkenness is one vice, though verily leading to many. Any one sin is enough to shut us out of heaven, where can dwell only those who are pure and holy like Christ. Thank God, every sin may be cleansed now by the blood of Christ. There will come a time however, not when its efficacy will have ceased—that is impossible, but when God has decreed that it shall no longer avail to those who have chosen sin and Satan and death rather than life.
God’s “black list” comprises many sins (Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)), and is not an everyday list, nor perhaps meant to be an exhaustive one. It relates to eternity—to that time when all earthly dispensations and administrations shall have come to an end, and when everything in the new heaven and earth shall have assumed fixity as to people’s places in the long eternal future that awaits everyone. Don’t deny it—you know down in your secret heart that it is so, and that when you die (if you die) you will not come to an end, but that your soul (body too hereafter) will continue its existence. Would you not like it to be a blissful one?
And now read the first eight verses of Revelation 21. They describe the most distant period of the future of which God has told us. Yet even here He does not leave out the gospel. It is as if He were loath to close the door, albeit at the last moment. He says, “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.” To the very last moment God remains a giving God. If you are thirsty you may drink; but it is not safe to trifle.
“Thousands have reached that home on high,
And millions more are on the way.”
Don’t you want to be there? Christ, the water of life, is freely offered to you by God. If once, He close the door you will be unable to accept His free gift, your name will have been entered on His “black list,” and He will say, “He which is filthy, let him be filthy still.”
Let us read over the text again. “BUT THE FEARFUL...” — that means those who are not overcomers, who are afraid of the jeers of the world, of being thought peculiar, who won’t count the cost— “AND UNBELIEVING...” Six weeks ago some one preached a sermon on believing. He took his hearers through all the verses in John’s Gospel on that subject, and showed how God’s blessings come to believers. It was a wonderful list of heavenly blessings! If you take your Bible and hunt up and mark those verses (such as John 6:29, 35, 40, 4729Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:29)
35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:40)
47Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)), you, too, may become a believer, and then you may kneel down and thank Him that you will never be on His “black list,” but are now passed from death to life. “AND THE ABOMINABLE, AND MURDERERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND SORCERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND ALL LIARS... “All liars are those who have taken sides with Satan instead of Christ, for he was a liar from the beginning.
Satan “is a liar and the father of it.”
“There is no truth in him” (Satan).
“Truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Jesus said, “I am... the truth.”
You would not have put the “fearful and unbelieving” along with some of those other sins, and unless you remembered Satan’s lies in Eden and ever since, you might think little of lying, but it is well to view things as God does: His balances are perfect. Now read the end: All such “SHALL HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.” This second death will be terrible! Four times God speaks of it. May you be saved from it! But remember, if once you get on His “black list” for eternity, you cannot be. Now—and, oh, thank Him for it—the day of salvation is not over, the door of mercy still stands wide open.
H. L. H.