Gospel—P. Glading
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General Meetings, Toronto, April 1963, Gospel by PR Gladding.
I suppose most of us here, perhaps everyone here.
We're rather fond of looking at photographs, aren't we?
Photographs of loved ones of relatives, of friends.
But we're not always so pleased to look at the photograph of ourselves.
This reminds me of what a dear brother said who is now with the Lord.
Said he went into a home sister's home for supper.
And the photograph of this sister was on the table, and he picked it up and looked at it.
And while he was looking at it, the sister came in and she said, oh, I have a better one than that. I'll get it.
So she went and produced a different photograph, one which had been touched up by the photographer.
And the one that she was showing him had no lines on no creases.
Those spots or anything, It had been touched up by the hand of flattery.
And she said, look brother, this is a better one.
On the dear brother felt like saying. But sister, I think the first one is true of you.
He didn't like to offend her, but it was the case. And so I say it may be that we're not so anxious to see the picture of ourselves, but dear friends, I want to show you from the word of God tonight, 2 pictures.
One the picture of yourself and one the picture of God.
And what is striking difference?
And you know, we have in God's Word a full size portrait.
Of man in his natural condition.
And we'll turn to a few scriptures where we'll find this a full size portrait of man in his natural condition.
And we do not find it in just one verse. God has taken the trouble to give us many verses of Scripture to describe man's state.
By nature. And so will you please bear with me if we turn to just a few scriptures.
The first one is in Isaiah chapter one.
The first chapter of Isaiah.
Verse 6.
From the sole of the foot.
Even unto the head.
There is no soundness in it.
But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores.
Oh, but you say that's not a full size portrait of man. It merely gives us the extremities.
His head and his feet.
Well, God gives us another picture, and so we'll turn to Jeremiah 17.
God not only gives us the outside picture, but the inside.
And whenever you go to the photographers to have a photograph taken, you never get the inside picture.
Never.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Rather sorry, chapter 17 and verse 9.
Here we have God gives us another view of man.
The ninth verse, the heart.
Does the photographer show you the condition of your heart when you go to have your photograph taken? Indeed not. Might be head and shoulders, might be full size, but there's nothing of of the inside picture shown on the photograph. But here, friends, God is showing us the inside, how important it is because He can see us through and through. And here we'll read it. The heart.
The heart is deceitful.
Above all things and desperately wicked.
Who can know it? Did you know that?
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Do we all know that? God says. Who can know it?
The answer is I, the Lord search the harp.
Yes, the Lord knows what's in your heart and mind.
Here we have a picture of the natural heart of mine. It's deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. But it doesn't actually tell us what's inside the heart there does. It tells us the condition of it. And so, to look right inside the heart will go to Matthew 15.
Matthew chapter 15 on verse 19.
For out of the heart.
Oh, now we see the inside picture, and that which is in the heart, and that which comes out of the heart. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.
Murders. Adulterous fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. Did you count them?
There were seven things there, the heart in its sevenfold wickedness.
What a picture, friends. Now you turn to Titus, Chapter 3. You'll get a little more of the outside picture.
Titus, Chapter 3.
And verse 3.
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish. Count them again.
You'll find another 7 here.
Sometimes foolish.
Disobedient, deceived.
Serving divers lusts and pleasures.
Living in marathon envy, if you note the commas, you'll find there are 7 hateful and hating one another.
Now this sevenfold description covers the whole life inward and outward.
Dear friends, this is a picture that God has given us of ourselves by nature.
When you receive the photograph from the photographer, the photograph of yourself, do you quarrel with it?
Or do you receive it? Maybe you would rather have it touched up a little bit perhaps?
But do you tear it up and throw it down and say that's not me? I wouldn't have that thing, no, you usually keep it if you're not perhaps so pleased with it.
But there may be, in connection with this picture, a desire in some heart here to destroy it and say that's not of me, It's nothing like me at all. I'm not like that. Well, friend, we have here a picture, a photograph given by God himself, who knows you and me through and through.
This picture is drawn by the hand of a holy God. You're going to quarrel with it.
And say that's not true of Maine.
Old friend, remember that if you have your photograph taken and you're displeased with it, and you tear it up, don't forget now that the photographer still retains the the negative. Oh yes, he still has that.
And if you seek to destroy this picture which God has given of you, friends, do not forget that God still has a record of you.
You cannot destroy that, Friends. What is your attitude to this picture which God has drawn of you and me?
As he sees us by nature, what are we going to do about this picture?
Are you going to submit to it? You're going to quarrel with it and seek to destroy it?
Well, what is your attitude, friends, to the word of God in giving us this solemn, sad picture?
What is your attitude to it?
Well, it's really sad and sorrowful to find as one goes around visiting, visiting in hospitals and different places.
People's attitude toward the word of God.
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I was in the hospital in Michigan, in Richmond, visiting an old man. He was 98.
Just about to slip into eternity.
And a brother and I pulled out our Bible.
And we're going to read to him. He stopped us right away, he said. Take that book away.
As far as I'm concerned, it's a 10 cent novel away with it.
Can you imagine that? The precious, eternal holy Word of God?
He compares it to a 10 cent novel.
We said, my dear friend.
We have a beautiful photograph in this blessed book.
And it's a photograph of you and a photograph of God's heart towards you.
Take it away. I don't want it, he said. I'm just going to lie here and slip away. We said yes, friend, you will.
And if you remain in this condition of soul, you're going to slip into hell. That's where you're going.
Too bad that's all he troubled, an old man of 98.
He despised the word of God. Why? I suppose we 'cause it told him the truth.
It told him the truth about his condition by nature and he didn't want it. He'd like to destroy it.
When brother Aaron and I were giving out.
The word on a jetty in China to the naval men. As they were going back the ship, an officer turned to me. He said take that rubbish away and burn your Bibles too, he said. What good are they?
Just think of that. Burn your Bibles. We only have to remind that naval officer.
Of what the Lord says about his own word, and about those who disbelieve it and reject it.
And so we repeated to him John 1248, the verse you know so well, I guess.
It says there the Lord says he that rejecteth me.
And receiveth not my word hath one that judgeth him.
The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day.
Friends, it's a solemn thing to disregard or disbelieve the eternal word of God. It's a solemn thing to tamper with the word of God.
It's far better to bow down to its holy authority and say with your head hanging in shame. Amen, Lord, that's true of me.
Friends, I believe this is most important for us, first of all, to realize what we are in God's sight.
As sinners.
Lost. Ruined. Philippe. Oh, you say? Be careful what you're saying. Well, may I read a verse to you which will bring that out? The truth of that in the 30th chapter of Proverbs.
You know, last night our brother read a verse from Jeremiah.
It says he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. Otherwise we're under a solemn responsibility, friends, if we do not. And so let us face up to God's truth tonight concerning ourselves.
In the 30th chapter of Proverbs verse 12.
There is a generation.
And that's all around us today.
A generation that are pure in their own eyes, yes, in their own eyes.
And yet is not washed from their filthiness.
Doesn't sound too good, does it?
It doesn't puff us up, does it?
No, friends, that should humble us in the presence of God.
To know that you and I by nature are so wretched, so wicked, so sinful, so filthy.
And there's only one remedy for it.
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And man cannot produce the remedy. God has provided the remedy.
And is found in the person of his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his shed blood.
Now will you please bear with me if we turn to one or two more scriptures, the 53rd Psalm.
Psalm 53.
The fool has set in his heart.
There is no God.
We are preaching once on the Market Square and Mansfield, England.
And after we had given a little gospel message, we handed out tracts to the people standing around. There were not too many.
As usual. And the man stood by the monument there and he said I'm an atheist.
I don't believe there's a God, no, he said. I don't believe there's a God.
That Well, friend, would you be interested to know that your name is in the Bible anyway? My name in the Bible I don't believe is a God, he says. I said no. But perhaps you'll believe your name is in the Bible if I read it to you.
I read this verse to him and made him read it, and he did the full has set in his heart there is no God.
Said friend. That's your that's your name. I'm not calling that. That's what God says.
And the man walked away. The fool has set in his heart there is no God.
I do not believe there's a person here tonight who would dare to say that.
But there may be one here who is not quite so happy or willing to receive this photograph of themselves as drawn by the hand of a holy God.
Oh, my dear friend, I tell you again, it's far, far better to bow to the truth of God's Word than to reject it and question it and despise it and argue about it. Oh yes it is. And so here in the 53rd Psalm.
We will read the next verse or no, the first verse the fool has set in his heart. There is no God. Corrupt are they?
And have done abominable iniquity there is none that doeth good.
There is none that doeth good now this is what God says.
Second verse God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see.
If there were any that did understand that did seek God.
Now God took the trouble to look down from heaven upon this scene, this vast world.
To see if there were any that did seek him.
And this is a solemn conclusion he came to, and not a hasty one.
Everyone of them. Think of that, friends. That's solemn, isn't it? That includes you and me. Every one of them.
Is gone back.
They are all together Become what?
Filthy.
Filthy There is none that doeth good. No, not one.
No, not one. Are we going to quarrel with this statement?
God looked down from heaven, friends upon the children of men, to see.
And I'm sure his eyes scanned the whole universe very carefully, and he couldn't find one that would answer in any way to his claims and to his heart of love. Not one.
Then when you turn to Psalm 102.
Perhaps you say you're dwelling on a pretty black subject tonight.
We will come to a brighter one soon, I hope.
The 102nd Psalm and verse 19.
For he hath hath looked down.
From the height of his sanctuary.
From heaven did the Lord behold the earth.
To hear. Not to see now, but to hear. To hear what? To hear the groaning of the prisoner.
To loose those that are appointed to death.
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God looked down first of all to see if there were any.
He had to come to that solemn conclusion, Version one. Now he looks down to hear.
The groaning of the prisoner, and to lose those that are appointed to death.
Who are those who are appointed to their friends?
It's mankind, sinners we read in Hebrews 927, as it is appointed unto men once to die.
Oh, you say? Well, that's the natural end of this life. That's a natural thing for man to die, yes, but it doesn't stop there, friends.
Maybe, perhaps would be one or two here, I say. Perhaps there would be only too glad to know of a certainty that death was the end. But it isn't, you know.
No, the verse doesn't stop there. It says after death. After death. Yes, after death. Something else. The judgment. The judgment.
The judgment.
Perhaps you've heard me tell a story. Bear with me if you have. I do not remember.
About visiting a naval ship and offering a track to a young sailor who turned on me with a silly grin on his face and said we're a long time dead, you know, friend bubbling over with joy, enjoying the pleasures of sin. We're long time, Daddy said.
I suppose in the mating that well, I'm going to have a good time first anyway, I said yes, friend, you're right up to a point, but you've overlooked 1 solemn fact.
What is that?
I said God says after death, the judgment after death, you're going to enjoy yourself for a very short period and you think that's the end and you're going to be a long time dead. And there's a lot of truth in what you say too, friend, because if you dine your sins, you will be a long time dead.
Yes, you will not come out of that grave for about 1000 years, it says in the revelation. The Rest of the dead.
Live not again till 1000 years were finished.
And so I said, you have, oh look, the solemn truth, haven't you?
And the dear young man's face changed. He thought, he's going to have a happy time here, as lot of young men and women do, you know. And then they just die, that's all. They just die and that's the end. Oh no, it isn't after death of judgment.
That's for the Sinner who dies in his or her sins. And the Blessed Lord has said that himself. He says, If ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins, ye shall not. You may, but you will.
If you, dear young people, any of you tonight.
Where to pass through death were called out of this scene? Would you die in your sins?
Or would you die trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ?
It must be one or the other.
Everyone of us here, we either receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Or we reject him, and if we do so, we'll die in our sins.
All you say, is that all? No, it isn't.
You will appear before the great white throne, before the very person who offers you pardon, forgiveness, and salvation tonight. And it's the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, I sometimes tremble the thing of this, that the blessed man in the glory seated there at the Father's right hand. My Savior is the one whom God has appointed to be the judge of this world.
Yes, if you read the 5th chapter of John, you'll find it there.
I think it's the 20. We might as well turn to it, if you will.
Because there is a danger of misquoting it.
And that's a very solemn thing.
John V.
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Verse 22 For the Father Judgeth no man.
But have committed all judgment unto the Son.
Now verse 27 And hath given him the Son.
Authority to execute judgment also.
Because he is the Son of Man.
Now we gather from these two verses then that the Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who offers himself to you tonight is the Savior. God is the one whom God the Father has appointed to be the judge of this world.
Verse 22.
Have committed all judgment unto the Son. Verse 27. He has given him authority to execute the judgment.
But old friends, it rejoices my heart more than I can tell you to read verse 24, which comes in the center.
We know that verse so well. The one who is appointed to be the judge in the coming day. He turns to use a Sinner, And he says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, What has the judge to say to you? He says, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me half everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment.
But is passed from death unto life.
Friends, what a glorious statement from the lips of the one who's appointed to be the judge.
Before he executes the judgment, he turns to the Sinner in all the love and grace of his heart. And he says, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me half present possession, eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, shall not come into judgment, but is passed not maybe, or shall be, but is is passed from death unto life.
Oh, what joy it brings to the heart to listen to the voice of the Savior, who is to be the judge, telling you that there is a way of escape from the judgment he's going to execute.
And he's provided the way of escape himself by going to the cross of Calvary.
To die for your sins and mine that we might never come under the judgment of God for our sins.
But that they may be forgiven and washed away in his precious blood.
So I think we've read enough scriptures to prove what God thinks of you and me by nature.
He's drawn the picture, friends. I haven't, I say. Do not quarrel with it, receive it, bow to it.
Yes, before God tonight and own yourself a lost guilty Sinner. And then there's hope for you. But if you're going to stick your head up in the air and say I'm not going to accept that statement, I'm not going to believe that record, I will not receive that photograph. It's untrue of me, friend. I'm afraid if that's the case with you, you're going to land in hell, yes?
In an eternal hell.
And that will be a very sad and solemn place for you, will it not?
Well, now may we look at another half? We've looked at man's heart. It's in its natural condition. Now let's look at another heart. And we've had the same verse the previous two evenings. And may we read it again. John 316.
We can never exhaust that precious verse John 316.
Here we have another heart revealed.
And it's the heart of God, one who loves you.
John 316.
For God.
Now we've seen what man is. Now let's look at this precious verse and see what God is.
For God, Southern loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
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The last two evenings.
Two dear brothers have brought before us some very precious thoughts from this verse.
Precious indeed.
But as they told us, it could never be exhausted.
And this first cannot.
And there are some verses of Scripture which we read which seem to contain in a few lines a whole volume of gospel truth, and that's what we have in this blessed verse, John 316.
I'm not telling you any news, of course, or anything fresh, but you'll notice it begins with God.
It ends with everlasting life. In the dead center of the verse is the sun.
The one who can save your precious soul.
The one who came to manifest God's heart of love to this world.
And that's where the sun should be, in the dead center. Yes, he's a central figure in John's gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ, and I'm sure this is not put here by mistake.
God and the Holy Spirit wants to ever bring before us the person of Christ.
And so he's placed in the very dead center of this verse.
And he's placed their friends for your acceptance, for your belief, for your trust.
And so we find here this precious verse. It's part of our Lord's memorable discourse with Nicodemus.
Who is Nicodemus?
Special man where he was, in a way, will just look at what he was, it says. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
That's one thing about him.
And it says in verse 10.
Not verse 10.
In verse 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Arthur, a master of Israel.
It begins with a man of the Pharisees. He's a ruler of the Jews and a master of Israel.
And where would you find a better example of human religious nature than in this man?
He was an ideal man in some respects.
A man who seemed to discern in the miracles of our Blessed Lord the sure proofs of His divine mission.
And yet the Lord turns to this very man, this religious man, highly religious man.
He says, Nicodemus, you must be born again.
Must be born again. And I say, friends, what the Lord said to Nicodemus applies to you.
It applies to me again, a naval officer told me once. This scripture only applied to Nicodemus.
I asked him if I might visit some Christians on board this naval ship. He said. We're all Christians. What do you think? We are a lot of heathen.
I said, Sir, I'm talking about born again Christians.
He said. What do you mean by that statement? I said well.
The Lord had to say to Nicodemus, he must be born again, he said. Yes, it was said to Nicodemus. What are you talking about?
Wasn't said to us, so I had to read these verses too and we were looking at them in the Bible reading.
First of all, the Lord begins in a general way. He speaks of mankind twice before he addresses Nicodemus. In this way he says, except Amen. And I'm sure the Lord didn't mean this man Nicodemus only except a man. Any man, you or me, except a man, be born again. He cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
And the Lord repeats it, and then after that then he turns to Nicodemus.
And he says. And you too, Nicodemus. Oh, yes, you too. You're not immune. You cannot escape this responsibility. You may be religious, but you must be born again. And friends, that applies to you and me is just as much as it did to Nicodemus. Every bit, every child of Adam needs a new birth, a new birth. And it's through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only way I know of that. You can get it.
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Nicodemus just wondered how this would come about and he stopped. The reason?
And about the Lord told him very plainly what he was Speaking of.
And you know, friends, it applies to you tonight, you dear young people.
Many of you here perhaps, have been sitting under the sound of the gospel for years.
Perhaps you have been sheltering under your father's Oregon mother's faith and think that my parents are saved. Who I must be.
I live in a Christian home, but let me tell you, dear young people, unless you have received Christ personally as your Savior, you cannot shelter under Daddy's faith or mother's. It's a personal responsibility between you and God.
And their faith will not save you in that sense. Oh no, you must have to do with God yourself.
And accept Christ as your Savior First of all, he was Bow to this photograph which God has given our view. Believe it. Accept it. Bow your head in shame and say Amen. It's true. And then you're in a fit state. Receive Christ as your savior. But if you're going to resent it and will not accept it, it's going to be a hard thing for you to be saved, friend, because you're disbelieving.
The picture which God has drawn of you as a Sinner.
And so I say again how important it is to bow to this solemn truth of what God has given us in His Word.
Concerning ourselves as sinners, sinners and everyone of us here tonight as sinners by nature sinners.
We read in God's word. There's none that does good. Oh, you might say, I've done lots of good things. Perhaps you have in the sight of your your fellow men, your neighbors.
But you're now a sin tree cannot produce anything good. It can only produce sins.
And that's what you and I are by nature century. You've never seen turnips growing on an apple tree.
You have never seen grapes on a gooseberry Bush. No, Friends, I tell you again, you and I by nature we are sin trees and all you can produce as soon as our sins.
And so do not think that you can improve the old nature and make yourself fit for God's presence. You must be born again a new life imparted by the Lord Jesus Christ himself through faith in him and his shed blood.
And so we have in this beautiful verse, this wonderful precious truth gone, So loved the world.
Then he gave We find in this verse God is a loving God and a giving God.
Yes, he loves and he gives you willing to accept what he's offering tonight.
I was in a cell in Walla Walla visiting the prisoners.
The man in the corner of the cell, we offered him a tract and he said, I said, will you kindly take this friend? He said sure I'll take it, I'll take anything and said that's fine. So you'll take this then He said yes I will. I said I have prepared to take something else. He said sure, Is it a dollar bill? I said no it isn't.
I said it's a gift of God. What do you mean? He said. Well, God is offering you a gift, friends, your friend. And you said you'd take anything. Will you take God's gift? What is it? I said the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Will you take it? He said. I don't know about that, I said, Now friend, you're going back on your statement. You told me you'd take anything and now you're going to refuse God's gift. You'd rather take a dollar bill and perish in your sins?
When you accept God's gift, the forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life.
And the assurance of a home in the glory. And the man wouldn't take it. Friends, you're going to despise God's gift tonight.
Is the one he would rather have a dollar bill than have Christ.
There are plenty of people on the street would rather do that.
Try them and see. People today do not want Christ, but I tell you, friends, you are going to perish without him.
If you do not receive this Blessed One as your Savior, whom God has provided.
You're going to perish in your sins, yes? What does it mean to perish? To be annihilated? No, no, no such thing.
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It tells us that the wrath of God abideth abideth upon the unbeliever, the rejector of Christ.
How can the wrath of God abide upon a person who is annihilated? Friends is no such thing as annihilation.
I believe the true meaning of perish as we get it in the scripture is.
That if you perish, friend, you're going to spend an eternity in hell.
Abandoned, away from God forever without hope.
In the torments of hell for all eternity. I believe that's what it means to perish.
But, friends, we can tell you tonight, on the authority of God's Word, that God is not willing, that any should perish, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. That's something God commands tonight, friends. Repentance.
God now Commander, all men everywhere to repent.
You say, Why need I repent? What have I done? Haven't you seen the picture of yourself tonight? From the word of God? What have you done?
While you are a Sinner, you have sinned against a holy God, and God commands that you should repent, friend.
Young or old, rich or poor, whoever you may be, this is a divine command from God that you should repent because you're a Sinner.
And if you disregard God's command, you're going to perish in hell.
Yes, you are. Oh, have solemn. And yet people that are treating these eternal matters so lightly.
As if they mean nothing.
Man goes about daily as if he's going to live here for a few years.
And there's just dying. That's the end all. No, friends, it isn't.
The end for you as a rejector of Christ is going to be a terrible experience.
Terrible.
And it's going to last for all eternity.
You know there are 1,000,000 today, tonight bartering their eternal happiness.
For a few hours of guilty pleasure, yes, and Satan the deceiver of men.
That crafty foe of mankind is seeking to deceive souls by telling them there's no such place as hell.
And in order to get people to believe it, or try to believe it, try to get them to believe it, he bases his argument upon the plausible notion of the kindness of God.
He says if God is a God of love, he'll never consign his creatures to hell was contrary to his benevolent nature. Don't you believe it? That's what Satan says and he's using this precious verse to try and deceive souls. Because here we have God is a God of love, and Satan says if he is, he'll never consign his creatures to hell.
And friends, whatever force there may be in that argument.
That God is too kind to send sinners to hell. There is equal force in the argument that God is too holy.
To let sin into heaven, or sinners in their sin Nothing that defile us shall enter there. Remember that, friends, nothing that defileth.
Shall enter there. And so we have this precious verse. God so loved the world. It's not merely an attribute of God's characters, the very activity of his nature.
And God's love is a holy love, a righteous love, a love acting in harmony with all the attributes of his nature and the claims of his throne. God's love is a holy lover, righteous love.
It's an eternal love. God has manifested His love.
Or you say, I'd like to know this person. Well, let's read the verse first and see what God says.
You'll find here 2 expressions in this verse. Wonderful expression.
Says, For God so loved the world, the world, the world, and then further down it speaks of whosoever.
The world and whosoever.
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If all the world is a scope or sphere.
All the range of God's love. How is it possible for anybody to refuse the application of this blessed verse?
Or the application of God's love and say it's not for me.
It's impossible, friend, because God uses these two words. World. Are you in this world? Of course you are.
What about the word whosoever? Does that apply to you? Order a favorite few.
You remember what the Lord says in Isaiah 4522? Look unto me and be saved, Yes, but who? A favored few. Some particular tribal nation? No, he says. Look unto me, and be saved all the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is none else. I am God, he says, and there is none else.
Friend, there's no other savior but Jesus.
The Lord Jesus Christ, and if you reject him, the Son of God.
You're going to die in your sins and perish in hell.
Surely that's not your wish or your choice, is it?
And so that's Satan's object tonight, to deceive you or any Sinner that God is too kind to send you to hell.
But I tell you again, God is a holy God. He's a God of light.
As well as the God of love. We must not look at God with one eye. No, we must look at God from every angle and we find all his wonderful characters and attributes as presented in the Word. And here we have in this blessed verse. It doesn't say that God is loving, doesn't say that God is just. It says He is loved. That's what he is. Whatever you may be, friend, or whatever the world is, this is what God is.
God is love, and He loves the Sinner, and He's made provision for the Sinner that the Sinner might be eternally saved. God desires the blessing of every Sinner.
But there's nothing in this blessed book, the word of God, to suggest that everyone will be blessed or safe.
No there isn't.
I know it's being proclaimed today that everybody will be saved in the end, so why worry?
It's another lie of the devil. Don't believe it, friends. It's only those who acknowledge the truth. Concerning themselves before God is sinners. And those who receive Christ by faith as their Savior, who will be saved and are saved and saved eternally from the moment they believe on Him. Yes, save eternally.
Or how solid he is. How sad it is to find all around us.
Professing Christians who consider that you can be saved today and lost tomorrow.
It's a sad and awful suggestion.
As if God is not capable of keeping his sheep.
Well, he certainly is. You remember what the Lord said in the 17th of John? Those whom thou hast given me, I have kept, and none of them is lost. No, they never will be. And yet people that they charge God with such a dishonourable act of losing his sheep, all have Solomon is.
What a dishonor to the Lord. What a dishonor to his word to charge God with this such a dishonorable act, I call it as losing his sheep. He's not able to keep them when he saved them. How terrible the blessed Lord could say I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.
A dear sister, way back in England, was passing from this scene into eternity. A dear sister. And the Lord, her husband sat by her bedside, and she turned to him with a very feeble voice. And she quoted that verse. And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, he said, Hubby dear, this is precious to my soul right now. And she slipped into the presence of the Lord.
Ah, there was something she was resting on Friends.
The truth of the Word of God through the person of Christ.
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I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. And she went into the presence of the Lord on the strength of that.
With joy.
Well, how wonderful then. Now if we listen to the Blessed Lord.
I might say this too, that this word whosoever I think is far more satisfactory to find this word inserted in this verse and my name.
They might be 1000 Philip Gladings in the world. I do not know. There may be there are two or three Phillips in the hole tonight. I know that. And so my name were inserted here instead of the word whosoever.
I might perhaps scratch my head a little and say, well, I wonder if it's this Philip or that Philip. I wouldn't have the assurance, would I? But now when God, he knows that, he knows the natural heart and the thoughts.
And so he inserted this word. Whosoever that means me, friend, as if I was the only one on the face of the earth. It means you.
How precious than of God to put this verse, this word in whosoever.
And now if you listen to the Lord in the days of his earthly ministry, you hear him say this. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
If you listen to the lips of the Blessed Lord, the words of the Lord after his resurrection.
In the 16th of March.
We get the same words mentioned.
We get it on three occasions at least.
And it's during the days of his earthly ministry. It's after his resurrection.
16th chapter of Mark.
Verse 15.
This is after the Lord's resurrection.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all.
Into all what? Into all the world.
Isn't that what we get in John 316 the world? Yes.
Into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mr. or Mrs. Whosoever, to every creature, all the world, every creature. So we have these two blessed statements, the days of his earthly ministry, and after his resurrection, now in Romans 10.
We got the same blessed message as given by the Spirit of God.
From a risen and glorified Christ.
Romans 10.
Verse 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek.
For the same Lord over all all.
Is rich unto all, but call upon him for whosoever here we have all the world again, all everybody and whosoever. So we got it in the days of his earthly ministry after his resurrection. And a message from the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven, from arisen and ascended Christ, this wonderful message, the world, and whosoever can you refuse the application of these words.
Can you say that's not for me, that's not meant for me? Oh yes, friends, it is. Couldn't be plainer. Couldn't be plainer.
It is impossible for it to be plainer.
Now it may be the case, perhaps with some here you would say, well, or I'd like to know this person. How can I get to know him? You know, Job said, oh, that I knew where I might find him. But you needn't express that tonight. Why?
You say, But where can I find God? How can I contact him? How can I get to know him? Well, let's turn to creation. Do we see God in creation? Yes, we do.
We see in creation a God of power.
Will a God of power through the poor, lost, wretched, guilty Sinner? No, no, friend.
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So if I turn to creation, I see God right enough.
But I cannot get to know him as a God of love.
If you read the whole record of creation, you find nothing about God loving and giving.
No, not a word about it. It's God the Creator. A God of power.
I turn to the law then. Do I find God there? Yes. Yes.
But how can I approach God? I'm in my sins. He's holy, I cannot approach him. I cannot get to know him in that way.
God presented in the law. He's a just and holy God and I'm a Sinner. Sin has blinded my mind, blinded my conscience.
And ruined my soul.
Deceive my heart. How can I get to know God in creation or in the law through the law?
Not at all. Well, How is God revealed himself? How am I get to know him? Thank God he's revealed himself in the person of his son.
We see a God of love in the face of Jesus Christ, yes.
That's how you can get to know him. And you can get to know him tonight, to know God for yourself, as a loving God and as a Father God too. But you have to come to him through his beloved Son. Yes, and come as a lost, guilty Sinner, owning yourself, lost, guilty, wretched, filthy. I'm sure that's not very palatable.
For the natural man is it? But it's true, friends, we've read it tonight.
God has shown us from His own word, our true condition. Now He wants us to bow to it. And we've seen in this verse there's just one verse.
We've seen what God is. What is heart of love is to you and me as sinners. He loves us. He loves the world, not the earth. We walk upon the people in it. He loves you. He's proved it. Do you love him? Do you want this blessed Savior? Are you content to remain?
As God marks you out in His word in the verses we have read as lost, guilty, helpless, filthy, good for nothing, are you content to remain in that solemn position and condition?
Wouldn't you rather face up to the fact that you're lost and guilty or a Sinner before God?
And wouldn't you rather receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, God's gift to you, and be saved tonight?
Be saved tonight. I wonder if I came round to every row here tonight and say are you truly saved? You know the Lord is your savior. I wonder how many would say yes. I know there'd be lots of dear Saints. He would say yes. Thank God I'm saved. You know I once not once three times I went on board Britain's largest battleship.
In Table Bay Harbor to give out the word of God and that battleship had 2500 offices and men on board.
I went around 3 days running looking for Christians and giving out the word. How many do you think are found?
Out of 2500 officers and men, I found seven young men who were Christians. 7 I wonder how many I'd find here among the young people. True Christians, those who have received Christ in their heart. Who can say I know him as my Lord and Savior? That's what these young men said. It took me 3 days to find 7. And these dear lads were bold enough to say yes. Thank God I'm saved. I know the Lord is my savior.
And they invited me down the ship's Chapel, and we went in and got on our knees and thanked God that there were seven on the ship at least, who knew Christ as their savior. And we had some lovely little Bible readings together. And you know what the chaplain said to them? Their spiritual advisor, Get out of this place. That's my domain. You keep out. Can you imagine that? The chaplain? Get out of it, he said.
And these dear boys, I had the letter. Now from one of them they went to see the captain.
And stated their case before the captain. And the captain said, I give you authority to go into that Chapel and read your Bible.
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Thank God for that. But the chaplain?
Who you would think would be a saved man. Told them to get out of it. Didn't want them to read the Bibles.
7 out of 2500 I wonder how many among the young people here tonight are truly saved. Who could say like those dear young sailors? Yes, I know Christ as my savior. He is my Lord and Savior. Could you say that was truth, You dear young people, If not, you lost. You're on the road to hell. And remember, the day of grace may run out tonight.
The Lord may come and take every believer from this company home to glory.
And you, dear young people, or anybody else here who has not bowed to the authority of God's word, who has not received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, would be left behind for God's judgment. And remember the very person we've been Speaking of, the one whom God has exalted and given the highest place in heaven, the one who would be your Savior tonight.
Will be your judge in the coming day if you reject him and.
Friends, delay is dangerous. Do not trifle with God's love and mercy.
Receive that Blessed One in your heart now, now, not when you get home. You may never get home.
In the interval between the time you leave here and reach your home, the Lord may come. Oh, yes, He may. Many of us here would welcome that blessed one any moment. We're longing to see Him and to be forever with Him. And if He comes, I say, in that interval, would he find you ready? Are you saved? Do you know the Lord as your savior?
All you say. I've been religious for years. Perhaps you have, my dear friend. If that's all you have, you're going to hell. If that's all you have, Religion and no Christ, you're going to hell. I met a dear colored woman on the street in West Indies. Gave her a track. An old nurse.
And she was pretty happy to receive it, it appeared. And she said, I'd like to tell you something. I said good, I'd like to hear it, she said 25 years ago I had religion, but today I have Christ. That's how she acted. Today I have Christ, she said. Her face beamed with joy.
Can we say that tonight, with truth in the presence of God, I have Christ, not religion. If that's all you have, or anyone else, friend, you're going to perish in your sins. Religion does not save the soul. It'll increase your responsibility. So I say again, you've seen your own picture tonight as God has drawn it. You've seen your own heart, you've seen right inside it, and you've seen the inside of God's heart. You're going to accept that blessed one whom God has provided as your savior.
Are you going to accept him now and go on your way, rejoicing in the knowledge of sins were given and peace with God?
Through the Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, I warn you solemnly, this may be the very last Gospel meeting you'll ever.
Beyond the sound of the Lord may come tonight.
And if you're not ready?
When he comes, you'll be left behind for judgment and you're going to face this very person.
The Lord Jesus Christ, He is the person who is to be the judge in the coming day. And do not forget friends.
Not only has the judge been appointed, not only has God-given him the authority to execute the judgment.
But the day of judgment itself has been fixed. Yes, the day of judgment itself has been fixed. So beware.
Maybe sing #1?
Almost persuaded now to believe.
Almost persuaded Christ to receive.
It seems now some soul to say, Go spirit, go thy way.
Some more convenient day on the alcohol, friends. You'll never, never, in the history of your life have a more convenient time than now to accept the Lord as your savior. Never. You'll never have a more convenient time.
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Number one.
Almost.
With the.