I READ the other day a story about the father of the present Czar of Russia. Briefly it was this. A certain well-known revolutionary was sentenced to life-imprisonment in Siberia. A plea for pardon was presented to the Czar, who after duly examining the papers wrote the following verdict: “Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia,” affixing his signature to his decision. The papers were left on his table, and the Czarina, happening to be passing through the room, glanced at them, and read the dread sentence given upon one well known to her. Moved with pity, she took a sharp penknife and erased the comma after the word impossible, and placed it after the word pardon. The sentence now read: “Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia.” Later on, when questioned as to the sentence, and had pointed out to him how it read, the Czar stood by the written decision, and the rebel was pardoned. He owed his liberty to the change of place of a comma.
The illustration serves in a feeble way, both by similarity and by contrast, to show the present position of believers to-day and of those who either die unrepentant, or who will be left behind when the Lord Jesus comes for the Church, i.e. for all who truly belong to Him, who are therefore not rebels. I do not know if it was in the heart of the Czar to pardon, but who, feeling it necessary in the interests of justice, and to maintain the integrity of the throne, had to pass the sentence of banishment for life on this rebel, and found no way to reconcile the two things; but I do know that God’s desire is toward every rebel of the human race. He is declared indeed to be—
A God ready to pardon (Neh. 9:1717And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. (Nehemiah 9:17); Ps. 86:5). And not only so; He has found a way to maintain His justice and righteousness consistently with His own holy nature. It is this that is declared in the gospel. “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 3:1616For 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)). Against one who, truly repenting, puts in a plea for pardon, through the precious blood of Jesus, there is absolutely no charge left. Such a one stands in a much safer position than the man referred to, when the Czarina out of pity changed the position of the comma. Such a one can never be banished to hell. The sentence reads―
“PARDONED: IMPOSSIBLE TO SEND HIM TO HELL.”
Another has suffered for his sins and God is satisfied. God in righteousness stands by the written decision: “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations” (Luke 24:46, 4746And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46‑47)).
Does my reader believe this? That at this moment, and indeed for nearly two thousand years, God’s attitude towards men has been the same? The secret lies in those words, “It behooved Christ to suffer.”
What untold grace and love! Untold so far as our words can express, but all told out in the DEATH OF JESUS.
It is impossible for a soul trusting in Him to be banished to hell; impossible to come under the judgment of a righteous and holy God. Why? Because that judgment has been fully meted out to the Sinless One, to Him Who alone was competent to take up the question of sin in His Holy Person, settle it for God and man and come out of it. He “rose from the dead the third day”―a triumphant Saviour; and it is impossible for a soul who really trusts in that risen and glorified Saviour to be banished in judgment; as impossible as it is for that Saviour to go again into the judgment He exhausted on the believer’s account.
If doubting souls should read these lines, I pray that they may be led to see how perfectly, how fully God has declared His love in the gift of His Son, and how impossible it is for a poor repentant sinner, turning to Him now in the day of His grace, to be turned empty away. After such a proof, do not insult Him by turning yourself away. Do not slight and dishonor Him by doubting for a moment that His desire toward you is eternal blessing.
Now just a word of warning to close. It is clear from the Scriptures that God will not bear with man’s rebellion forever. It is due to Christ that His enemies be made His footstool (Psa. 110:11<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1); Heb. 1:1313But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? (Hebrews 1:13)). Upon all who remain obdurate, who refuse to bow to Christ and own Him Lord, judgment must certainly fall. When God has proclaimed His determination to enforce submission, it is idle for men, though duped by Satan, to evade it and mock at the thought. To use the simple illustration at the beginning, the comma cannot be moved from where God in judgment places it. The sentence must stand according to man’s deserts without a Mediator.
“Pardon impossible!” “these shall go away into everlasting punishment”―to hell―the place to which evil is finally banished forever.
I beg of you, reader, not to trifle with these stern realities. Let not the false teachers and preachers lull you to sleep by a tale of fancied security and their soul-destroying theories. Thank God, the gospel is still “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:1616For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)).
“The perfect righteousness of God
Is witnessed in the Saviour’s blood,
“Tis in the Cross of Christ we trace
His righteousness, yet wondrous grace.
God could not pass the sinner by;
His sin demands that he must die;
But in the Cross of Christ we see
How God can save, yet righteous be.”
A. H.