WHEN souls are exercised about their condition, “the fear of man” is often a hindrance to them. What their friends and fellow-workmen will say of them, and about them, they are fearful of, and Satan acts on that fear, and terrifies them with the thought of the finger of scorn. But he never tells them of the joy of God’s salvation, nor of the power of the grace of God, which is able, after they are saved, to sustain them in the presence of the world’s ridicule and scorn.
In conversing with an exercised soul, a few days ago, this was referred to, what people were saying, and what they would say, when she replied, “I do not care what they say; what I want is to be right with God.”
This was an excellent reply, and indicated a right thought as to God, and a right judgment as to man. God was given His right place, and man was put into his proper creature-position. What, right have any of us to place the creature before the Creator; and to fear the finger of scorn rather than Him who is the Judge of the universe? “Fear, not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:2828And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28)). “Unto man he (God) said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:2828And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28)).
The great desire of our hearts should be, to get right with God; for if we are not right with God, we are wrong in every sense of the word; we are wrong in time, and we are wrong for eternity. If we continue unsubject to God in our lifetime, we cannot expect to be right with Him in eternity. To die in our sins, is the sure way of spending an eternity in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Dear reader, by all means get right with God. “Acquaint now thyself with him (God), and be at peace; and thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:2121Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. (Job 22:21)). Fear not man’s frown, but make sure of God’s everlasting smile. Fear not the finger of scorn―it is harmless, but see that you fear God, which is the beginning of wisdom. Fear not to lose the friendship of your boon companion, but “acquaint now thyself with God, and be at peace: and thereby good shall come unto thee.” Fear not to meet the world’s rejection, but step out with a full, clear, bold confession of the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. He who has loved you enough to die for you, and to endure the agonies of the cross to save you, will cheer and preserve your heart amidst scorn, and will, by His own sustaining grace and presence, infinitely more than make up for worldly loss and shame. “Fear none of these things,” the Saviour says. He will stand by you. In Him you will have rest, and peace with God through His precious blood, though in the world you may have tribulation (and why should we not since He has been cast out?), “but,” says the Saviour, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:3333These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)).
Oh, it is of such infinite and eternal importance that we should be right with God!
A man indifferent about God, and his own salvation, is not right with God.
A man that does not absolutely submit to God, and His holy Word, is not right with God.
A man in his sins and guilt, is not right with God. An unrepentant sinner is not right with God.
A man who quibbles at the Word of God, is not right with God.
A man who is not born again, though a church member, or an eloquent divine, is not right with God.
A man trusting to his own righteousness for acceptance, is not right with God.
A humanitarian, who scorns the need of the atoning and sin-cleansing blood of the Lamb, is not right with God.
A man who hides behind the failures of the professing Church (for with God has he to do), is not right with God.
A loose liver and pleasure seeker is not right with God.
A man, or woman, who has been baptized, and regularly goes to the table of the Lord, yet has not been converted, is not right with God.
But, thank God, there are some who are right with God―right in time, and right for eternity.
The man that has submitted to God’s righteousness, that has owned, in repentance, his sins and inherent vileness, that has turned to God, and trusted God’s Son, the One who suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that we might be brought to God―that one is right with God―right, because he is forgiven of his sins (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43))―right, because he is justified from all things (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39))―right, because he is accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6, 76To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:6‑7))―right, because of being born of God (1 John 5:11Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (1 John 5:1))―right, because of being a child of God (John 1:12,1312But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12‑13))―right, because of possessing eternal life (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13))―right, because of being “in Christ,” where “there is no condemnation” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1))right, because of possessing the Holy Ghost, the earnest of the glorious inheritance (Eph. 1:13,1413In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13‑14))―right, because he desires now to walk with God in holiness (1 Thess. 2:1010Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: (1 Thessalonians 2:10))―right, because that now his hope and expectation is the coming of God’s Son from heaven.
Beloved reader, by all means get right with God. Lie not down to rest until you can lie down as one who is right with God; until you can commit your spirit, soul, and body, to Him, and thank Him for His great salvation.
By all means, and before all things, get right with God.
E. A.