Stand Where the Fire Has Been [Tract]

Full text of Stand Where the Fire Has Been

It had been an unusually hot, dry day with a gentle breeze, a typical late-summer day for those living in the log cabin. The small patch of corn in front of the cabin had just been harvested, and now the breeze was picking up and felt good. As the owners of the land gazed over the farm, they were content with their life.

Suddenly a long, dark cloud appeared on the horizon, followed almost immediately by a fiery, orange glare! Although it was many miles away from the little settlement, it horrified the settlers. The word spread quickly: “The prairie’s on fire!” There was no doubt that it was coming their direction and would soon reach them.

Certain Destruction

The wind, which had now increased to almost a gale, was whipping the grass and prairie shrubs, already very dry from the day’s hot sun. Everyone soon realized that the narrow fire­break could never stop such a raging fire! It was a roaring furnace, racing along at ten to fifteen miles an hour.

What could stop the fast-approaching danger? Nothing, simply nothing.

If you were within half a mile of the roaring, devouring blaze, you could see the terrorized wildlife racing ahead of the flames. Bear, buffalo, antelope, deer and smaller animals, all racing for life in the face of certain death! Mortal enemies were running side by side.

Revelation 6:15 warns of a similar, future time. It says that kings of the earth, great men, rich men, captains, slaves, and freemen — all will be part of a terror-stricken crowd, hiding themselves in the rocks and dens of mountains. If you are one of that terror-stricken crowd, you will realize that there is no hope!

However, right now — today — God is offering you a deliverance that He has provided. It has been secured through the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, on the cross at Calvary. God does not promise that this deliverance will still be available tomorrow, but it is available to you today — right now! “Behold, now is the accepted time. … Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Escape

There is only one escape from a prairie fire. Striking a match will start a new fire in the dry prairie grass. Swiftly, this new fire advances ahead of the prairie fire, consuming everything in its path. As the prairie fire rages closer, man steps onto the blackened ground where the set fire has already burned. He is safe, quite safe. When the prairie fire reaches this area, it finds nothing left to burn, and so it can’t come near him. With him, perhaps hundreds of breathless animals rush to the area to stand safe — quite safe — there is nothing left for the prairie fire to burn.

Perhaps now you can understand the phrase, “Stand where the fire has been.” It is a simple matter for a man to strike a match, light the grass ahead of him, and then stand where the fire has been. And it is a simple but important matter to stand upon the finished work of Christ. God spent the fire of His judgment against sin on His beloved Son, and now He offers deliverance to any — to you — who will put their trust in Christ Jesus as their Substitute who bore the punishment for us.

“God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

If God’s wrath has fallen upon your Substitute, can it ever again fall on you? No! Because you are “standing where the fire has been”! You will have all eternity in heaven to thank God for permitting His fiery judgment to fall on His Son who took your place and died for your sins.

“He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me [Jesus], hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).

While it is simple to trust Christ and stand underneath His cleansing blood — where the fire has been — the responsibility is yours. If you pass up God’s offer of deliverance, there remains only one alternative — God’s judgment.