“I’M dying, I’m dying; I’m not fit to die!” exclaimed a young man, who was fatally injured in a railway accident in the north of Ireland. He was not irreligious. He was a Sunday-school scholar. He attended his place of worship. But, like hosts of others, he had not been so concerned as he ought to have been about the vast future that lay before him.
As a rule, death comes unexpectedly and also uninvited to most people. He is never a welcome guest at any board. He enters the hovel and the palace, the dwelling of the poorest artisan and the most stately mansion. He prides himself on the strength of the castle he can take and the iron frame he can shake.
No gates of brass or iron bars exist that his strong hand cannot snap asunder. No one can say to him, “Thus far shalt thou come, and no farther.” All ages, all sites, all classes, all conditions come under the grasp of his powerful but ever unwelcome hand.
Reader, what if YOUR turn came next?
When the excursion train left with its living freight of passengers that beautiful Saturday morning, when so many came to their fatal end, little did that young man think he would be amongst those who would be called to render account to God that day.
READER, ARE You READY? CONSIDER!
Another young fellow went off to sea against his godly mother’s wishes. It was a trial to her heart. On parting with him site presented him with a pocket Bible, which he promised to read every day. This was forgotten for a time. Ungodliness reigned to an awful extent on the vessel in which he made his first voyage. He had not the courage to be seen reading God’s Holy Word amongst his mates.
When he went away he was “without Christ.” After being from home for a time a terrible gale began, which ended in a hurricane. The vessel was almost lost, after doing battle with the fury of the winds and the foaming waves for some days.
When the captain despaired of saving his ship he gave orders for all hands to prepare for the worst. On this reaching the ears of the youth, in an instant all his past came up before him in the light of the future judgment, where nothing could escape inspection.
The fear of a twofold death terrified him—death temporal and death eternal. He quickly went to his bunk and got out his long-neglected Bible. The sweat broke over his body and stood upon his forehead like beads.
He clasped the Bible to his heart, and turned his eyes to heaven for mercy. “God have mercy on me a sinner, for Christ’s sake,” was all he could say. He felt himself like Peter when he was sinking in the water, and cried, “LORD, SAVE ME!”
In the name of Christ he pleaded for the forgiveness of his past. Did God refuse his prayer? As a needy sinner he had a claim on God’s mercy in Christ. “This man receiveth SINNERS.” As a rebellious sinner God might have allowed him to perish forever.
“To him gave all the prophets witness, that through his name WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHALL RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF 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).) This was enough. His prayer of heartfelt need was answered. The peace of forgiveness was his. Happy man!
Being saved with a double salvation he never went back to sea, but lived to tell the sweet story of redeeming love. FORGIVENESS and SALVATION were sweet words to him under such circumstances.
To go to the bottom of the sea is bad enough to contemplate. To go down to the lake of fire is much worse. Lost, lost forever. How dreadful the thought! especially for one who had been the subject of so many prayers and favorable opportunities. God save You from such an end, my reader. Regret and remorse will be terrible to those who miss being saved, What a state of despair is depicted by the forceful language, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” NOT SAVED! Only think of what these words will mean in eternity.
Perhaps you are the child of some saintly mother or praying father. Perhaps a dying sister, whose sweet and pious life often spoke to your conscience, asked you, as a dying request, to meet her in heaven. Yet you are still unprepared. It may be, as she held you by the hand, the tears rolled down your cheeks as you vowed you would turn to Christ and serve Him.
Has that all been forgotten? If you were called away suddenly to meet God would that saintly mother’s life, or that godly father’s prayers, or that sister’s dying request rise up against you at the bar of God?
Come now and face the question.
“A father’s prayers, a mother’s tears,
A sister’s last request;
Are these forgot, and darest thou
Make piety thy jest?
A hell to shun, a heaven to gain,
A Saviour’s love to know;
NEGLECT, and thou hast lived in vain,
Though lord of all below.”
Death is truly the terrifier of the human race. Judgment following death makes it so. A poet has spoken of death thus: “The grisly conqueror of vanquished life.” Also, “The ghastly victor claims his passive prey.” Thus speaks man. Now listen to Scripture, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment; so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27). 28)
THIS IS GOD’S GREAT PROVISION
in view of both death and judgment. “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many.”
How great the grace! How perfect the sacrifice! How ample the provision!
Man brought death and judgment on himself by his disobedience to God. He rebelled against Him when He ought to have been held in the highest reverence and esteem. Righteous retribution could only follow such willfulness as man’s was, and still is. “God is not mocked: whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Yet, wonder of wonders, Jesus the Creator and Sovereign Lord of the universe leaves the height of His eternal glory, and becomes a man to die: “HE BARE THE SINS OF MANY.” Did He die for me? Did He die for thee? “HE SUFFERED FOR SINS once, the just for the unjust.” The just took the place of the unjust. I am the unjust, so He died for me. Having done so I am free. My eternal discharge is written in His blood.
In myself I have no merit. I feel I am all sin. Shame covers my face in the presence of Divine holiness as I think of my past. My best works I cannot place reliance upon. No peace of mind ever flows from the contemplation of the best things I ever did in relation to God. What I have done that is wrong outweighs all that I ever did right. “All our righteousness are as filthy rags.”
MEET GOD I MUST.
Meet Him in my sins I cannot, without eternal condemnation as a responsible creature. I can only fall back on grace, pure; free, unlimited grace, shown in Christ bearing the sins of MANY.
I AM ONE OF THE MANY. ARE NOT YOU?
“I want no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.”
Had you a pair of wings by which to mount aloft, scale the heights of heaven, and go to Abel the first martyr and sinner saved by grace, and ask how he reached the golden shore, what would be his answer?
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous.” He came in FAITH. In the power of faith he brought the offering that pleased God. In the power of faith he was justified. He was accepted in all the excellence of his accepted offering.
The blood of Abel’s firstling lamb was poured out, typical of the life of Christ given up to God in atonement for us, of that precious blood of God’s Son, which cleanseth us from all sin. “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” Woe be to the man who dare despise what God calls PRECIOUS―THE BLOOD.
In all the excellence of that typical offering Abel was accepted. So in all the excellence of Christ the weakest believer is accepted. Abel owned that death, as God’s holy judgment of sin, was upon him. He said in simple faith, “I must die or another must be found to die for me.”
His faith looked forward, pierced the gloom of four thousand years, and gladly saw Calvary’s bleeding victim. It was no uncertainty with him. It was not a hope but a surety. What word from God had he to rest upon? The seed of the woman (which was Christ in promise) should bruise the serpent’s head. God’s unerring word was the stay of Abel’s faith and the support of his life in the darkness of that day. So God’s Word is the strength of the believer’s faith now.
Christ was born of a woman, though the Son of God eternally, that He might redeem them who were ender the law. “He was made a curse FOR us.”
Fathomless mystery!
By His death and blood-shedding He made my peace. “Having MADE PEACE BY THE BLOOD of his cross,” Scripture says, my sins are forever canceled. On the score of guilt no charge can be laid to me by a righteous God. Justice is satisfied. Jesus is risen. He lives triumphant on the Father’s throne.
A MAN REIGNS IN HEAVEN NOW.
That place of supreme power and distinction was ever His by right, as the eternal Son. It is given Ulm now by God because, by becoming man, He glorified God about sin in death, and made eternal peace for those who believe in Him. In heaven “He is our peace”— God rests in Him with perfect delight. That “precious blood” has reached up to the throne of God. Jesus is crowned in heaven with highest honor. On earth also the crown shall be put on His brow yet. The kingdoms of this world shall yet become His. All shall be subjected to Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. A new heaven and a new earth will yet be brought in on the ground of His glorious finished work. God shall be all in all then. No more sorrow. No tears then. Gladness shall fill the breasts of all.
Sinner, look at that dying Saviour! Behold Him agonizing on that shameful cross for thee! For thee those heavens were darkened, and that sun was hidden! See thy deep-dyed scarlet silts nailing Him to that accursed tree! Behold that blessed face once marred more than any man’s! See that noble brow crowned with cruel thorns! Hear that bitter, bitter cry of transpiercing soul-agony— “My God, my God, WHY HAST THOU forsaken me?”
WAS ALL THAT FOR THEE? ANSWER!
See that cross now vacant! Behold His tomb now emptied! Look at that blessed Man alive in heaven, where the angels prostrate their crowns bore Him I Where are thy sins now? If He bore them, and all the judgment due to them, where are they? Answer! Look up to heaven again. Fix your eyes on that face once marred more than any man’s, now radiant in the glory of God.
God is satisfied. God is magnified. God rests forever in His beloved One. Cannot your mind and heart rest where God rests? God is not resting in you nor does He want you to rest in yourself. God is satisfied with Jesus. This all heaven proclaims. Can you not now say, “I am satisfied as well.” If so,
PEACE WITH GOD IS NOW YOURS.
Yes, we repeat, “Peace with God” is now yours if you can truly say “I am satisfied as well.” The foundation of it all is the finished work of Christ. The assurance of it flows from the knowledge of God’s perfect satisfaction with that work, and the One who did it, “Who was delivered for our offenses, and was RAISED AGAIN FOR OUR JUSTIFICATION.” God’s written Word makes me sure.
Christ’s resurrection is the abiding proof of God’s satisfaction, as it also proclaims that I am perfectly and eternally justified. God has in love to me done all this Himself to display what was in His heart towards me. He is my justifier. If so, why fear? If so, who can condemn. None!
IN HEAVEN JESUS NOW INTERCEDES
for those who are justified. He is our great High Priest, through whom we draw near to worship God. As our Priest He enters into our trials and sorrows and comforts us. He was in all points tempted (tried) like as we are, sin apart. If we only unburden our hearts to Him He draws near to us and relieves us of the pressure. Thus we learn His love in the circumstances of our wilderness pathway, where the thorns are many and the flowers are few.
He is our Advocate with the Father. If we fall into sin He takes up our cause in heaven, in the face of our accuser—the devil—as the righteous One—One against whom Satan can bring no charge. Instead of being cut off by death when we sin, mercy is shown us, and we are spared and restored. He said to Peter, “I have prayed for THEE that thy FAITH fail not.” Though Peter failed shamefully yet his faith was sustained, or else, like Judas, he might have committed suicide.
What a Saviour Jesus is!
Tried, perplexed, doubting one, cast all your doubts to the winds! Even should you have got low and allowed Satan, in a moment of weakness, to overcome you, do not allow him to keep your conscience under your sin, however sad it may be in your own eyes or that of others.
Your failure, however bad and however sad, does not alter His love to you. It is infinite in its source, eternal in its duration, and unchanging in its character. Read 1 Sam. 12:16-24,16Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes. 17Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king. 18So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. 19And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. 20And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; 21And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. 22For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people. 23Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 24Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. (1 Samuel 12:16‑24) where is found the best type of Christ’s advocacy I know in all Scripture.
“‘Tis the eye that looked on Peter,
‘Tis the face that Stephen saw,
‘Tis the heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw.”