God has visited this world, has manifested Himself in the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He came down from glory on this heavenly mission of making known to man all the grace and love that was in the heart of His Father.
He veiled His glory, and took upon Himself the form of a man—the most gracious, the most accessible of men. "Never spake man like this man," His enemies confessed. He carried with Him that which poor lost man could get nowhere else. The only man that could ever stand upon this earth and say, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." What an announcement to make? He had more; He had life—eternal life—for man, but man would not come to Him that he might have this life—this everlasting life.
This blessed One was hated "without a cause." He was "the light of the world," and this did not suit man; for men "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." Hence they did not rest until they had got rid of this Jesus, so that they might go on undisturbed in their own path of iniquity. A robber was preferable to Jesus the Son of God. Their cry was, "Away with Him, crucify Him." But the blessed God made this crowning act of man's hatred against Himself to be the only way of salvation; and where man made this blessed One a martyr, there God made Him to be a victim; and the precious blood that flowed from the side of that crucified Christ gave God eternal satisfaction about sin. That precious blood was of such infinite value in God's sight that the sinner, be he who he may, that rests in the value of this blood to God, is cleansed from every stain. Thus, where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded (Rom. 5:20, 21).
But, dear reader, that blessed One that died upon the tree now sits upon the throne in glory! God raised Him from the dead, and has exalted Him, having declared that at the name of Jesus "every knee should bow,.. and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil. 2:10, 11.
Each soul must have an interview with Him, either now in grace, or presently in judgment.
The dying thief had an interview with Him when He hung upon the cross.
Saul, the enemy of Jesus, had an interview with Him when He was in heavenly glory—the same Jesus, but in different circumstances. The thief turned to the Savior on the cross, owned his true condition, and asked to be remembered in the coming kingdom. The Savior's answer to his cry was, "To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise." Saul, on the other hand, on his way to Damascus, endeavoring to wipe out the memory of the name of Jesus from the earth, was met by that same Jesus in heavenly glory.
What a contrast between Paul and the Lord Jesus! the one full of hatred against Christ, the other full of grace toward Saul. The Savior asked him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
Saul, tell Him why!
Saul, in the light of that glory, fell to the ground and exclaimed, "Who art Thou, Lord?" The answer was, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." Not one word of reproof fell from the Savior's lips. What a reception was this for Saul! His course on earth was changed. No longer the persecutor of the saints of God, but henceforth to be an ambassador for that Savior here, and a preacher of Him as glad tidings among the nations (Gal. 1:16). He announced what that Savior is in Himself as glad tidings to those around him.
And we declare not only what that Savior has done—how He has finished the work of salvation, that He has paid an adequate price for the salvation of all (1 Tim. 2), and that God is satisfied with that work which He accomplished on the cross, having raised Him up from among the dead—but also declare what He is Himself. If any soul wants rest, peace, righteousness, life, all are found in Christ in glory.
To refuse present grace is to incur future judgment, and then there will be no mercy. "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake, for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, bath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Cor. 4:5, 6.