“IF the Lord comes and takes you all to heaven, I will become a Jew, and be saved with the Remnant.” Such was the utterance of a boy to his mother. At that time he did not know his sins forgiven, and he feared he would be left behind if the Lord Jesus came for His waiting saints He resolved in his mind that his only chance would be when the Lord again takes up the Jews for blessing, after the translation of the Church to heaven he thought he might have a good chance to be saved when the millennium came.
Very often grown people think the same. Religious people generally know something of the millennium, but perhaps not enough to dispel such ignorance. Hardly any godly person doubts that there will yet be a thousand years of blessing for this poor sin-stricken, sorrow-burdened earth, though all may not be agreed as to how it will be brought about.
Those who have heard the gospel and rejected it in Christendom, will never witness millennial blessedness. Such will be morally blinded, like the sews of old, who, when they had the Light, refused to believe. Hence they were left in darkness. Their minds are blinded, as a people, to this day. Solemn reflection for all Christendom, since Paul says, “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee” (Rom. 11:2121For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (Romans 11:21)).
Reader, you form part of Christendom, so that warning is most needful, and it is meant for you. If you are Christless, be wise and heed it.
Before the millennium is introduced, the Lord Jesus will come into the air for His true Church. Every person who has been born again by the Spirit of God, has the knowledge of the forgiveness of sins, and is indwelt by the Holy Ghost, forms part of the Church, and such only. It is the blessed hope of the Church to wait and watch for her coming Bridegroom. His last message to her is, “Surely I come quickly.” Her response is, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)).
During the last seventy years “Behold the Bridegroom cometh” has been sounded forth with a spiritual energy unknown since the days of the apostles. Much that is helpful has been written on the subject. If the reader cares to have his mind instructed on the subject, we heartily commend to him a book that God has largely used, written by the editor of this magazine. Many have heard that cry, have wakened up from the slumber of death, and they are now waiting and ready to welcome Him whom they love.
But are we to suppose that this is true of all those who profess the name of Christ in these so-called Christian countries? Are there not many who, though they are not heathen in the true sense of that word, are still fast asleep in their sins? They seem utterly indifferent to Christ, though it may be that once they were taken as infants to a clergyman and baptized in His name.
Look at the drunkards, the harlots, the thieves, the liars, the cheats, the gamblers, and the pleasure-lovers all around us? These are the utterly careless who go nowhere that the name of Christ is mentioned. They live in sin, and seem to have no thought of God. They have not obeyed the gospel. Will these all be saved should the Lord come for His own? Read their final doom in Revelation 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8). “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.”
Look again at those who do not seem to be indifferent! See them crowd their different places of worship, with Bible, prayer-book, and hymnal under their arms. Will all these be saved when the archangel’s voice is heard awakening the sleeping saints?
Are not many of these like those in our Lord’s parable of the wise and foolish virgins? When the Bridegroom came some of them had no oil in their vessels, though they had the lamp of profession.
To all appearance they were like the wise virgins. But the difference between there became most marked and very manifest when He came. “They that WERE READY went in with him to the marriage, AND THE DOOR WAS SHUT” (Matt. 25:1010And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:10)).
Deeply solemn is this to consider!
What made the difference between those that went in and those shut out? Is it not most plain that the real difference was that those that were ready had oil in their vessels, while those who were not ready had none. Most important difference this.
It is well known that oil in Scripture represents the Holy Ghost. He came at Pentecost to form the Church and dwell in all true believers. He also came to testify against the world for crucifying the Lord of Glory. Ah! yes, the world of which you form a part, unsaved reader, crucified Him. Nevertheless the people who did so were very religious. When the Church was first gathered together, all were real believers. “All that believed were together.” As time went on, unbelievers crept in unawares, and they became mixed together. This was not the work of the Spirit of God, but the work of Satan, who sought to corrupt the Church and make false professors. Simon Magus, who was baptized by Philip, was the first of these recorded in the New Testament.
The whole mass is now mingled together, and the difficulty is to tell which is which. “The Lord knoweth those that are his.” None can deceive Him. He knows those who have been born again and have repented of their sins. He knows all who have really turned to God with burdened hearts and consciences, oppressed with the sense of guilt, and have sought and obtained forgiveness. He knows all who have received the Holy Spirit, and who can intelligently cry “Abba, Father.”
Reader, He knows your whole history. He sees you as you are, and where you are. Are you one of those that are ready?
“Tell them the difference, tell them the difference between being whitewashed and washed white. Tell them the difference between making ready and being ready.” Such was the very expressive and graphic language uttered by a man to me one night as he shook my hand after a gospel meeting. I had never seen his face before. Any one can see the great difference in a moment. It requires no explanation.
Thousands of people have the appearance of reality who are not real. To all appearance they are making the needful preparation by attending the means of grace, and all the while they are not ready if death should lay his hand upon them, or the Lord come from heaven.
The thousand years of blessing, of which Scripture speaks, will not be ushered in without the direct judgment by the Lord of the ungodly when He comes out of heaven with His glorified saints. He will judge all those who are false to His name, and those not real in their profession. Scripture is plain. It says, “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power? (2 Thess. 1:7-97And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9)).
Who are those of whom the Lord speaks as saying, “We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence you are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:26-2826Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. (Luke 13:26‑28))? Some will even say. “In thy name we have done many wonderful works.” He will say, “Depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt. 7:22, 2322Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:22‑23)). What iniquity did they work? Did they worship false gods? No. What then? They professed one thing and acted another. Hypocrisy was their crying sin. Their life was a lie.
Reader, beware of professing one thing and acting another. This is hypocrisy in earnest.
The revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven will be a revelation for judgment on living people who will be found in open rebellion against Him, as before the days of the flood, and as in the days of Lot. “The flood came and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matt. 24:3939And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:39)). These are the Lord’s words.
The fact is greatly overlooked that there will be a judgment of the living before ever the dead are judged at the great white throne. Scripture says that God “hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world (the future habitable earth) in righteousness by that man (Christ Jesus) whom he hath ordained” (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)). In view of this He commands all men everywhere to repent.
Have you repented, dear reader? Face the question in downright honesty of heart before God. Have you repented of your sins? You ask what is it to repent? It is to accept the judgment of God on yourself as a guilty sinner. It is to confess yourself to be as bad as God says you are. You are deserving of His wrath and eternal condemnation on account of your sins. Is this the place you have in your inmost soul taken before Him who is so holy that the angels veil their faces in His presence? If never before, are you prepared in your own mind and conscience to take it now?
The work in a man’s soul is half done when he truly repents.
“Repentant, but not forgiven,” was the heading of a little article in one of the Yorkshire dailies I happened to see lying on a gentleman’s table one day. I thought to myself, “No soul in hell will ever be able to say that.” Why? Because God has joined repentance and remission of sins together. No sooner does a man repent and turn to God than forgiveness is extended to him. “And that repentance and remission of sins be preached in his name among all nations.” “Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Luke 29:47; Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)).
God delights in mercy. Judgment is His strange work. He is ready to forgive the vilest sinner, and most willing also. Those who repent are those who feel their need of forgiveness, and they are those who receive it. Through the blessed One, who in love and grace died for our sins, God offers forgiveness freely. Freely means for nothing.
We require not the imposition of priestly hands, nor yet the sprinkling of holy water to obtain this great blessing. The fires of purgatory are not needed to purge our sins away. All this denies the value of the finished work of God’s blessed Son. “It is finished,” were His last words. What a mighty triumph was His before heaven, earth, and hell! Hence the Spirit says, “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)). As the just answer to that finished work, God offers forgiveness to every sinner under heaven. It may be yours now, honest reader, if you will in simple faith accept it.
No conditions are required from the man who is in earnest to obtain it. Repentance is not making yourself better. No. Repentance is the honest acknowledgment that you cannot possibly make yourself any better. Repenting, you say, “I am so bad that I cannot mend myself.” The one who does this before God He will justify, and eternally receive into His favor.
Should this meet the eye of a deep-dyed sinner of the prodigal class, who thinks he has sinned away his day of grace, or committed the unpardonable sin, there is mercy even for you. You are hopeless and often despairing perhaps. If you turn to God in all your sins He will gladly say to you, “I, even I, am he that BLOTTETH OUT thy transgressions for my own sake, AND WILL NOT REMEMBER THY SINS” (Isa. 43:2525I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Isaiah 43:25)). And also, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:1717And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)). Peace and joy will fill your heart as the result, and praise and thanksgiving your lips forever. Your song will then be―
“And wending on to glory,
This all my song shall be,
I was a guilty sinner,
But Jesus died for me.”
P. W.