A SERVANT of the Lord found himself lately in a railway carriage with one solitary fellow passenger, and was praying silently that he might be enabled to speak a word to him about the salvation of his soul, when the latter said to him, “Do you take an interest in the election?”
The following is the substance of the conversation which then ensued.
“It is not in my line," replied my friend.
“Do you not vote?”
“What do you belong to?”
“To Christ. I am a Christian.”
“That does not mean anything. I cannot tell what you are by that.”
“It means a great deal; it means the present possession of eternal life.”
“You cannot know you have that. What do you belong to? Which of the sects?”
“Indeed I can know I have eternal life,”
“How?”
“By the Word of God.”
“How do you know you have the right book?”
“Because I have been born again. It has converted my soul. I have felt its power, it led me to Christ. I have been brought to know Him through it, and to give up the world; which, like others, I once loved and enjoyed.”
“If you had given up the world, you would be walking barefoot, and give your railway fare to the poor.”
“I am on my way to preach near London, and it is too far to walk. But it is a wonderful thing to know that my sins are forgiven, and that I. have eternal life; to be sure, if the train were to go off the line this moment, that I should go to heaven.”
“Tut, tut, that is all nonsense.”
“Oh, no it is not. It is precious truth. But, 'Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ' (John 3).”
“That is baptism.”
“No, it is not. I was not born again until I was grown up.”
“You must work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”
“Ah! yes, quite true. But it is not the salvation of the soul that is spoken of in that passage, but our salvation or deliverance from all that is opposed to us in our pail and progress through this scene as Christians. And, besides, who was it addressed to Why, to saints. And therefore you must be a saint first before you can work it out. God calls all true Christians saints' in Eris Word. I can say I am a saint, through grace alone. Can you?”
“The saints are up in heaven.”
“You shut out good works.”
"I do not shut out works, but I put them in their proper place. I do not believe in a man as a Christian, unless he shows his faith by his works (James 2:14-2614What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. 19Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (James 2:14‑26)). If the tree is good, it will bear good fruit. As one has remarked, ‘If there is fire in the grate, there will be smoke issuing from the chimney.’”
“You must have works to know.”
“But you put works fist, and do not know the Lord at all. You must know Him first, before you can do good works.”
“What do you mean by knowing Him?”
“Ah I that is it, you do not know Him.
“You must have works.”
“They are the fruit of faith. It is not of works, lest any man should boast (Eph. 2:99Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)).
At this point in the conversation the train drew up at the platform, where the gentleman was to get out. His fellow traveler drew out a little tract from his pocket, called," Nothing to do, all done," and offered it to him. But, satisfied apparently with his own good works (!), he had neither heart nor ear for the blessed story of God's grace, and would not take it.
As he descended from the carriage, his companion pressed home upon him the simple truth, “It is not of works, mind you; no nothing, nothing but the blood will do. Nothing but the precious blood of Christ can avail you.
If you want to be saved, you must be cleansed in the blood of Christ. It is not of works, God says so. Nothing, nothing but the blood can atone.”
He heard, but outwardly appeared to take no heed, and passed on without reply. God only knows what he may have thought within himself. A careless, or calm exterior often covers an anxious soul, a troubled heart.
Man's natural pride often keeps back the lips from confessing to the misery and wretchedness within. The works of a man trying to please God in the flesh (Rom. 8:7-87Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7‑8)), are a poor solace to an uneasy conscience. Not of works; ah! that makes nothing of man and all his righteousness. We are all slow to learn that lesson. Nothing but the blood. Ah! that makes everything of Christ and His finished work. We are all slow to apprehend that.
Works instead of the blood, is a very old system of theology. You will find it practiced by a member of the first family the world ever saw. The way of Cain is nearly 6,000 years old (Gen. 4:34; Jude 1111Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 11)). Many follow it in enlightened Britain in the year of our Lord 1880. Strange infatuation! Awful delusion! Sinner beware! God says it is not of works. My reader, what is your religion worth? Is it "works," or "the blood"? Your works of righteousness or the precious blood of Jesus?
Is it "I, I, do, do," or "Christ," and "done"? Christ is all. God's great salvation needs no sin-stained addition of yours. Christ's perfect work needs no patchwork of yours to improve it.
Whatever you are you need Christ. What-ever your creed down here in the world, heaven's occupants will be those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb. Without the shedding of the blood of Christ there is no remission of sins (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)). And if you die, poor sinner, without that (and you might die to-day), you will rise in your sins to the judgment of the great white throne (Rev. 20:12, 1312And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (Revelation 20:12‑13)). Works of righteousness which you have done will avail naught there (Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)). All who stand at that awful tribunal, will hear the sentence of eternal judgment, and suffer the penalty, Christless and hopeless, of eternal misery and woe (Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)),
Awake then, poor sinner, ere it be too late.
There is no time to be lost. Think of God's wondrous love in the gift of His only begotten Son (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)). Think of Gods wondrous grace reigning through righteousness (Rom. 5:2121That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:21)). Come as you are; come now, owning you are guilty and lost. That is the first step in true repentance towards God. Christ will deliver you from the coming wrath (1 Thess. 1:1010And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10)). Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, and though your sin be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (Isa. 1:1818Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)). And he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). You need Christ; will you have Him? “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (Joh. 1:12). And let those which have believed be carful to maintain good works (Titus 3:88This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. (Titus 3:8))
E. H. C.