“OH, yes; I am going to heaven!” a woman said to me not long ago.
“How do you know that?” I asked her. “You are by nature a sinner, and God cannot have sin in His presence.”
“Yes,” she answered, “I know I am a sinner, but I am trusting to the mercy of God.”
She looked surprised when I said to her, “You will never get to heaven that way. It is of no use for you to hope for the mercy of God at the last; God is love, but He is also light (1 John 1:55This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5), and 4:8 and 16), and, though He is not willing that any should perish’ (2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)), He is of ‘purer eyes than to behold evil’ (Hab. 1:1313Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? (Habakkuk 1:13)). To imagine that after a life of sin, heaven can be entered because God is merciful and kind, is a delusion. God is love; He ‘so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life;’ but by that very gift is displayed not only His love but His righteousness. At the cross of Christ the love and mercy of God to sinners were fully manifested, and manifested righteously. To trust, therefore, to the ‘mercy of God’ apart from Christ is to ignore the wondrous sacrifice that has been offered.”
“I pray,” said another poor woman, “I pray to God so earnestly every night.”
“What do you pray for?” we asked; “God has given His Son: what more can He give? The question is have you accepted what God offers you―eternal life in Christ?” The work has been finished; God has fully proved His love; Christ has died for the ungodly He has risen, and now is glorified on the right hand of God―a perfect Saviour. B.