“I HAVE been the superintendent of the Sunday school, and an elder of the Church, for a great number of years, Sir, but I never knew I was a lost man till I heard you preach.” Such were the words of a respectable old man to me at the close of a gospel meeting. He was religious, but lost; a Sunday-school superintendent, but lost; an elder, but lost. How many there are who, like that old man, are religious, but, alas! have not learned they are lost. And they are slipping quietly, and respectably, and religiously, down the broad road to hell!
Reader, come, be honest before God, which are you, yourself, SAVED or LOST?
Perhaps you say, like many, “I don’t like to be spoken to in that way; and our minister never asked me such a question.”
Probably he never did, dear reader. And is there not just a possibility of his being unsaved himself? If so, then certainly he will never ask you such a question. Moreover, if he goes to hell, that surely is no reason why you should go too, is it?
Maybe you reply, “I hope I am not going to that dreadful place. I am not a wicked person. I go to church, and I take the sacrament, and I teach in the Sunday school, and I sing in the choir, and I pray to God, and do the best I can.”
Well, granted you do all you say. Now, just take a slip of paper, and write down all those things, and then add this one short sentence, and then you will have the startling truth before your eyes, “I do all that, BUT — I AM―LOST.” Yes, there is no question as to your being religious; but, you are lost.
Do you not see, my friend, you have a religion without Christ? You are a lost sinner, and God has provided a Saviour for you; but, instead of accepting the Saviour, you are working away at your religion to try and save yourself. Take care, my friend, or you will be damned!
The old man was religious, but lost, and had to receive Christ as his own personal Saviour. Nicodemus was religious, but lost, and had to receive Christ as his Saviour (John 3:1-161There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For 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 3:1‑16)). The Apostle Paul, too, was religious, but lost, and he says, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). I could tell you of hundreds who were religious, but lost, and who came to Jesus just as they were, ― poor, lost, needy sinners, ―and He received and saved them. The churches and chapels, and meeting-places of various kinds, are crowded with people who are religious, but, alas, lost! And “if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:3, 43But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:3‑4)).
A young man was dying, but he knew he was lost, and was in a terrible state of anxiety. Ah! death is a terrible reality, and makes people anxious who never were anxious before. The clergyman was sent for. He came, and read the prayers and administered the sacrament to the young man, and told him he had nothing to fear. As soon as he had left, a friend said to the youth, “I hope you are happy, and can die peacefully now?” “No!”
replied the young man; “I’m not happy. I have not peace, and I cannot die without that. What shall I do?”
No! my reader. Religion with all its rites and ceremonies, without Christ, can never give peace to the soul in the dying hour. Never! Shortly after another friend went to see him, and began to read him that beautiful hymn: ―
“Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!”
No sooner was the first verse read, than the dying youth looked up, and with deep earnestness said, “Read that again.” It was read over again, and he drank in every word, listening as for his life. As soon as the verse was finished, he said, “There, that will do; I can die with that.” The dear fellow there and then came to Jesus, “just as he was, without one plea,” without one solitary spark of goodness,—he came with all his deep need, and the Lord saved him. Reader, you must come in the same way, and He will save you.
O hear His voice, saying, “Come unto me” (not come to church, or be religious, and pray). “Come unto me,” a divine person, the blessed Son of God, who died on Calvary that you might be in glory. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)). All your religious routine is but religious slavery, the devil’s drudgery. And your sins are a heavy load. Then, come to Jesus, and He will give you rest. He can save you, for the work is done. His last words on the cross were, “It is finished.” Yes, the sin question is settled, and Jesus is risen and in the glory, the proof that all is done. Then, where you are, and as you are, just hear His voice, and obey it, ― “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Take care, and do not hold to your Christless religion till you are eternally lost. W. E.
We are known perfectly; and loved everlastingly.