A young Christian once said to me, “When my heart is inclined to grow cold, I think of what. I am saved from. Through the wondrous love of God, I am saved from hell!”
Another said, “I love to think of what I am saved for—to be near Christ, and like Him. When I am cast down in my soul, I seek to dwell upon what I am brought to, through the grace of God.”
Of which do you think the most, dear young friend, the wrath to come from which you have been delivered; or the blessings which are yours as a saved one?
Let me suppose a kind and rich man walking through the streets of a city upon a dark and cheerless night. It was bitterly cold, and he wraps his ample overcoat about him, as he hurries to the brightness and warmth of his gladsome home. Yes, his is a joyous home; it is not only wealthy, but the riches of contentment and peace are there, and even the humblest among his many servants is satisfied.
As the rich man hastens on, his eye lights on a kind of bundle in a dark corner of the street—he approaches it, asking himself,
What can it be? Ah! it is a poor ragged little child, starving and freezing in the pitiless night. Touched with compassion, the good man brings the little wanderer to his house, and saves him from the death he was so near. But more, such is the goodness and love of the man’s heart towards the child, he adopts him into his own family as a son, and bids the boy call him father.
Now tell me, dear young friend, what will the boy’s heart be occupied with most? Will it be the street, the rags, the misery from which he was saved? Surely he will never forget these—never. But he will be chiefly occupied with his father, his house, its wealth, its treasures, its glories. And he will study his adopted father’s character, and seek to be like him, and to walk worthy of the high and noble calling wherewith he is called.
This is the kind of spirit we so much need, and you will find that there is a great deal more said in God’s Word about what we are saved for, than what we are saved from. I think some Christians find it easier to think of the misery from which God has rescued them, than of the blessedness which He has bestowed upon them. Perhaps they have not yet been through all the rooms of the house. Maybe they are not quite at home in their new place; possibly they are timid, and hardly bold enough in God’s love to say, “Abba Father.”
“But if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ,” and “because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father!” (Rom. 8:1717And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:17); Gal. 4:66And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6)).
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)). Can you write down any of the spiritual blessings with which you are blessed?
“All (or every) spiritual blessings,” not three or four; no, not ten or twenty, but all. Then how many can you count up? Notice, this text does not speak of what we are saved from at all. It does not describe the pitiless street, but draws out the heart to the glorious house, and the Father there.
You will find it is happy and profitable occupation to seek to write down some of the blessings which the first chapter of Ephesians describes, and the more you think about them, the brighter you will grow.
The once ragged boy, by continual heart and mind occupation with the rich man and his home, loses all traces of the dirt and manners of the street whence he came, and grows like his father. Thus let us be occupied with what God has done for us, and we shall find such wealth and gladness in His Word, that the world will be only like the dirt and the street to us. A growing Christian has his face turned toward heaven, and shines with its light.
Stephen looked up steadfastly, and said “I see Jesus,” and all who looked upon Stephen saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Fix your eye of faith upon Christ, the one through whom we have received “every spiritual blessing;” the one who loved us and gave Himself for us: the one who washed us from our sins in His own precious blood; the one who is risen and now sits at the right hand of God for us; the one who is soon coming to take us to be with Himself forever—yes, let us be occupied with Him and our hearts will rejoice, and we shall desire to please Him in all our ways.