SIN is a Reality—a fact attested by our police courts, our reformatories, our prisons, our asylums, our graveyards, and our own hearts. It abounds everywhere, it triumphs and reigns from shore to shore and from pole to pole, reminding those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear, of the well-known scripture: “By one-man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
It is a sorrowful truth that all are more or less sunk in its miry clay. Sin has marred God’s fair creation, but infinitely more has it marred man, who was made in the image of God, in whose nostrils God breathed the breath of life, and he became a living soul. Time was when God looked with delight upon His fair creation, and pronounced it “very good.” But what a deplorable change sin has made! for, as He now looks from heaven, He beholds quite the reverse, all having lapsed into utter ruin, and His masterpiece—man—sinning against light and knowledge, a sinner by nature, desire, and practice. He sees the havoc sin has made, He observes its blighting effect, as with sadness He beholds the waywardness and unprofitableness of His creatures. How exceedingly dark is the picture! How awful the drama enacted before the great Spectator, who is holy and true; none seeking after Him, all careless even though they are sinners under condemnation; living for self, and not having the fear of God before their eyes. Such is poor, erring man. Sin has such dominion over him, that although God describes him as an enemy, a rebel, and ungodly, yet he seeks to continue in his sin, and to remain alienated from God, who is merciful and gracious, who has devised means that guilty man should not be forever banished from Him. Oh the love! for, apart from His intervention, man’s condition would be forever hopeless, and he would remain the slave of sin in one or more of its subtle forms. But blessed be God—
Grace is a Reality—for God is the God of all grace, manifesting unmerited love towards undeserving sinners. Every sin we commit is against God, His throne and dignity, yet there is deliverance both from its terrible power and its awful consequences, for “where sin abounds grace does much more abound.” O wondrous grace! that God loved us and gave His Son to die for our sins. O boundless love! that proclaims that transgressors can be redeemed and made to rejoice in a full, free, and eternal salvation. The grace of God brings salvation so near that the vilest may be saved, it flows from the heart of God, it reaches from heaven to you, for whosoever will “may come. Will you share the blessings provided by God’s grace? Will you participate in this unasked-for love? For you must experience either His great grace or His great wrath. Why trifle? Why spurn such grace? Why neglect your only hope for eternity? when the glorious news is sounding far and wide that through God’s grace you may know by experience that—
Forgiveness is a Reality, and be amongst that highly-favored multitude, whose iniquity is forgiven, whose sin is covered. God finds infinite delight in blotting out the sins of those who seek Him in His appointed way. The testimony of Scripture is that— “Through this man [Christ Jesus] is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.” This blessed message, laden with untold joys and blessings, is borne upon the wings of time, and lights upon the ear of the sin-weary soul as the music of heaven. Sinner, it is a message from God to you. Moreover, God is righteous in sparing the repentant sinner, because Jesus Christ, as the sinner’s substitute, bore the just penalty due to sin, and as―
“Payment God will not twice demand,
First at the dying Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine,”
He can now, frankly and freely; forgive all who, with the burden of sin upon their conscience, approach Him, pleading the all-sufficient merit of Christ’s person and work. Therefore, be wise, and seek now forgiveness. Time is flying apace. Shortly you will have ended life’s voyage, for none will deny that—
Death is a Reality, for its presence and power is evident everywhere. It is in many cases an unwelcome visitor, which claims as its victims those of all classes, and whose ages vary from the helpless infant to the aged man with bent frame and hoary locks. Many have described it as the “King of Terrors,” and it is a potent fact that all the unsaved are, during their lifetime, subject to its bondage. What is our life? It is as a flower of the field, which is cut down and withers, as a vapor that vanishes, as a shadow that passes, and as a leaf which falls and perishes. Whilst eternity is forever. Furthermore, the Scriptures state, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” Hence you see, whatever Satan may suggest, and man may foolishly proclaim—
Judgment is a Reality, and in that great day all will be judged in righteousness according to their works by the Judge of all the earth. The following is a description of it: ―
“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.”
At that terrible judgment there is no mercy, no way of escape, for sin must be dealt with and punished. Oh the solemnity of the thought that—
Hell is a Reality, or the words of Jesus Christ, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched,” would be meaningless. With bated breath would we speak of that awful place prepared for the devil and his angels. Oh the darkness of that long, eternal night! Oh the dense gloom of those caverns of despair! Oh the remorse that will rend the heart of the Christless! with a memory forever reminding them of what might have been had they known the day of their visitation, and called upon the Lord while He was near. “Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” If the first death is thought to be so awful, what a terrible thing will it be to experience the second, the death which never dies! Listen to the wail of a lost soul, “I am tormented in this flame.” Gladly we turn from this indescribable misery to a scene of infinite delight, for—
Heaven is a Reality. Endless felicity. Everlasting joy. Eternal day. Jesus Christ is soon coming to usher the whole redeemed family into the Father’s house of many mansions, taking them from this scene, where grief and joy are so mingled, where conflict and trial are daily experienced, to dwell forever in their abiding home. Farewell, then, to this vain changing world! Welcome to the joys of heaven! Welcome the pleasures for evermore! Welcome the unruffled peace! Welcome the unsullied joy! Welcome the untarnished holiness of that place! But, more than all, welcome, a thousand welcomes, to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour, their Lord, their Redeemer and their light, the One through whose grace, blood, and death they are redeemed to God!
With these realities before you, realities founded upon God’s unerring Word, be wise, heed not the popular cunningly devised fables of today, which emanate from your greatest enemy, who desires your eternal ruin. Escape for your life; flee to the pierced side of Jesus, you will then lose your burden of sin. Turn now to God, and prove the great blessings provided by His grace, then you will know that you have the forgiveness of all your sins, and Christ Jesus, the all-sufficient Saviour, will rob death of its sting. You shall not come into judgment, nor know the sorrows and remorse of hell, but enter by Jesus Christ, the pearly gates, tread the streets of gold, sing the songs of victory in heaven.
Once more, in view of these seven great realities, we would ask,
“Where will you spend eternity?”
and implore you to listen to the loving entreaties of a gracious God: to hearken to the gentle pleadings of Jesus Christ, the all-sufficient Saviour of the lost, “for this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)).
A. G.