There are two things, my reader, which God has got absolutely ready ― salvation is ready to be revealed for the believer, and the Lord is ready to judge the unbeliever; as Peter says (1 Peter 4:55Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. (1 Peter 4:5)), “Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” Now, I ask you, Which are you ― the one for whom salvation is ready, or the one for whom judgment is ready?
If you cannot say you are ready for salvation, you are like the foolish virgins, in Matt. 25, outside, not ready. What a place to be in! The Lord is just ready to reveal salvation, and what is that for the Christian? To take him up to glory: and nothing but the long-suffering and mercy of the Lord keeps that salvation from being revealed ― His unwillingness that any should perish.
Faith in Christ secures present as well as eternal blessing. First, I have the salvation of the soul, and then there is the salvation of my body. My soul is saved, and I am forgiven, by faith, now; but then there is something else God is going to do ― take us out of this scene, and put us with Christ in glory. Salvation is ready for the believer, and the believer is ready for salvation. It is a great point to be ready.
If you are not ready for salvation, you are ready for judgment! Do you say, “I am a professing christian”? Are you a real one? ― that is the question. Were not the five foolish virgins professing Christians? Of course they were. Did they not go to church or to chapel? Of course they did. They appeared all right; but the live wise virgins take good care to see they are ready to meet the Bridegroom. They had the oil in their vessels. The vessel is the body, and what is the oil? The oil is the Holy Ghost. And who gets the Holy Ghost? Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. You do not get the Holy Ghost to help you to believe; but after you have believed, you are “sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance.” That is how Scripture puts it.
We read in Matthew 25 that, “They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage, and the door was shut.” The believer is shut in, the unbeliever is shut out. Which, my reader, are you? When you stand before the Lord, what will He be to you? Will He be your judge? Unconverted soul, He is your judge! Christian, how will you meet Him? As the Bridegroom of your heart. Is it not so? You meet Him in the air, and go in with Him.
Christian, you shall be ever with the Lord! Sinner you shall be never with the Lord! You see Him once, but only to hear Him say to you those terrible words, “Depart from me, ye cursed!”
Christian, comfort one another with these words, “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.” Sinner, I would I could awaken you with these words, for there is no comfort for you. He is ready to judge you, for then you will be left outside for judgment. What an awful thing to be a sinner in your sins! Every one of them is remembered, written down, and will be brought up against you in that day!
This year 1876, think you it has rolled away forever? No, no! “This year 1876,” you ask, “will it rise again?” Yes, it will. What will come out by and by when before that great white throne you stand, a sinner in your sins? What will come out when the books, are opened? Why are there books? Because there is a book for every sinner, and God makes no mistakes in His book keeping. When the book of your history is opened, labeled with your name, everything in that book will be found most accurate. First, brought up by godly parents ― heard O Christ from your infancy ― perhaps attended the Sunday-school, maybe even became a teacher, and a member of a Church; but your soul was never washed in the blood of Christ, you never came to Him as a lost sinner for salvation; and the years, with their record of utter forgetfulness of Him, roll on, each record divinely true, each record condemning you, and you stand and hear their soul-damning testimony. And then this year 1876 tells its tale: “Listened to preachings about Christ, and never believed: from January to December was warned, exhorted, besought, pleaded with, to come to Jesus; but the year has run its course, and this soul is an unbeliever still, without Christ still.” Will not this year rise? Will it not rear its head then, and, as in that day thou criest for mercy, will it not say, “Mercy was tasted by thousands in this year, but thou didst not taste it; grace, like a shining river, flowed through the land, but thou didst not accept it; week after week mercy was pressed on thee, and thou spurnedst it; thou never bowedst the knee to Christ, never ownedst thou went sinner, never turnedst and criedst for mercy, and now wouldst thou cry for it? There is no longer mercy for thee, no longer a door of escape for thee.” What an awful testimony!
We are waiting for Christ. Will you not join the Lore’s host of ransomed ones? Oh, the sweetness, the joy, the blessedness of having Christ! Do not delay. Let this year be the last that shall find you without Christ. Receive Him, and go on your way, able to tell ushers what Christ is, and what He has done for you.