A young officer was invited to visit some friends. The invitation was accepted and the officer had what he called a “jolly time” shooting and hunting, with amusements of various kinds. An earnest and devoted Christian, Lady L., was also on a visit to the castle. One day while she and Captain – were taking a walk in the beautiful grounds, she looked into his face and said:
“Are you a Christian, Captain?”
Startled and surprised beyond measure at the question, he replied: “What do you take me for? Of course I am a Christian. I have been baptized, confirmed, go to church, and sometimes read my Bible. Of course I am a Christian.”
“I wish you were a real Christian, Captain,” said the lady.
After talking together a little longer, the Captain said to Lady L.,
“It must be very dull for you here, spending your time visiting and reading the Bible to these poor, old, deaf women. Would you not like to go for a week, just for a week – and again enter fashionable society, and enjoy yourself at balls, parties, and concerts?”
“When I was a little girl I was very fond of my doll, and if anyone took it from me I shed tears. When I entered society I thought nothing of my doll. When the Lord Jesus, saved my soul and made me His own, the painted baubles of this world lost their attractions for me. No, I have not the slightest desire to return to the world’s vanities and frivolities not even for a week,” was her reply.
This is the way worldlings talk to the children of God. They think that it must be a very dull life attending prayer meetings and gospel services, visiting the sick, distributing tracts, and reading the Bible and good books. They call such a life “humdrum,” and pity the “poor, long-faced, religious people” who spend their days “moping and groaning.”
If the reader has such ideas of the Christian life, he is entirely mistaken. The lady, when a little girl, loved her doll, but when she reached womanhood she had no desire for such playthings. So with the child of God.
When a man is “born again” of the Holy Spirit he can honestly say:
“The things I once hated, now I love; and the things I once loved, now I hate.”
He has peace with God, joy in the Lord, sins forgiven, eternal life, and is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
A war was raging. Thousands of soldiers had been slain in battle. Captain— was one of the combatants. He had never forgotten the word spoken to him at that castle by Lady L. The Holy Spirit had been dealing with him, revealing to him his guilt and danger. Amid the groans of wounded soldiers and the thundering of cannon, Captain— by faith saw the Lord Jesus bleeding and dying for him on Calvary’s Cross, and he found rest and peace in believing.
When the war was over he “hoisted his colors,” and confessed Christ as his Saviour. Eventually he settled down, laboring among the poor and destitute.
One day a meeting was held in a house in the west end of the city, the officer in question being present. Lady L. was delighted to meet her old acquaintance after the lapse of years, and to find him seeking to live and work for Him who shed His blood to save him and her from unending woe.
The unsaved reader fears that if he became a real Christian, he would require to give up a great many things he now loves. It is not necessary to give up anything in order to be saved. God wishes you to receive ere He calls upon you to renounce. When you receive Christ as your Saviour and Lord then you will think little of the world’s toys and gew-gaws and give up whatever He desires you to renounce.
As you read these lines stretch out the empty hand of faith, and accept of God’s “unspeakable gift” – the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 9:1515Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. (2 Corinthians 9:15)) – then you will become a son of God, for to “as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons, of God, even to them that believe on His Name.” John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12).
Believe and be saved, then hoist your colors.