WHAT multitudes of souls will be in heaven through this verse! What multitudes have passed, whilst still on earth, from darkness of spiritual vision into the light of divine favor, from the bondage of doubt into the liberty of assurance, through reading those marvelous words, spoken by the blessed Son of God— “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and SHALL NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, but IS PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
Many years ago, when first I began taking part in the blessed service of the gospel, I was asked by a Christian friend to go and see a young man who was supposed to be dying, and as to whose spiritual state my friend was much concerned.
Though the incident took place long ago, yet never do I pass that country cottage without a lively recollection of my first and only interview with the dying man.
He was young, scarcely thirty years of age; he had all the appearance, too, of having been a fine and powerful man, yet there he lay, possessed of all his mental faculties, with death in full view. Eternity stretched before him, and it seemed very near with all its uncertainty—an unknown future, and an untrodden path. He was glad of a visit, and I soon found that he was in deep anxiety of soul. As simply as I knew how, I told him of God’s remedy for sin, and the refuge He had provided for sinners in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. I read the verses in Exodus 12 That speak of the Passover lamb, and the sprinkling of the blood upon the door-posts. From this I tried to show him the security of the Israelite inside the house, and the peace of mind which belonged to him, knowing that the blood was outside. God’s eye rested on the blood: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you,” was the soul-comforting testimony of God in view of the terrible night of judgment that was about to envelop the land of Egypt.
In like manner I endeavored to point out to the dying man that God had provided Himself a spotless Lamb, even Jesus, His well-beloved Son; His precious blood had been shed, and every poor sinner that put his trust in Him was in reality placing himself under the shelter of His blood, just as the Israelite of old put himself under the shelter of the blood-sprinkled door. If the Israelite had nothing to fear because of the blood of the lamb, still less had the believer in Christ, because of the infinitely greater value of the blood of Christ. Though all seemed perfectly plain to me, yet not one ray of light or comfort seemed to shine in upon the sick man’s soul.
“What is it, then,” I asked, “that you are afraid of?”
He could give me no clear answer, but the fact remained that death was near at hand, and eternity was looming up before his frightened gaze.
At length I asked, “Is it the judgment day that you are afraid of?”
“That’s it,” he exclaimed; “I don’t know how matters will turn out at the day of judgment.”
“Oh,” said I, “there is a verse that will just suit you.” So opening my Bible I turned to the well-known words—.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
He had already told me that he truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and as far as one can judge for another, his faith seemed to be really that of the heart, so I urged him to accept as simply as a little child the results of that faith as stated by God Himself.
“If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, not only is it your privilege to know that you possess now eternal life, but according to God’s own promise, you will never come into judgment at all.”
He started up at these words, and almost shouted, “Does it say that?”
“Yes,” said I, “read it for yourself,” handing him my Bible.
“No, no,” said he, “I must see it in my own Bible. Where is it?”
Accordingly out from under his pillow came the dear man’s Bible, and a happy, peaceful, restful smile spread itself over his face as he read for himself, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and SHALL NOT COME INTO JUDGMENT, but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
Read it for yourself, dear friend, and receive it into your heart with as simple a faith as did this dear dying man.
A. H. B.