SPEAKING to a young man a short time ago I said, “It is a precious thing that nothing can pluck us out of Christ’s hand.” He replied, “I know neither man nor devil can pluck us out of His hand, but we can pluck ourselves away for all that.” “But these are the Lord’s words, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of My hand, ‘and as you are only a man, you are included in the any.’”
“Oh, yes,” said he; “but we can pluck ourselves away. It is only as we are looking to Him that we can keep ourselves from falling.”
“We have no right to sin, and by so doing we grieve the Holy Spirit, but ‘our life is hid with Christ in God,’ and nothing can touch that, while as for keeping ourselves, that is impossible. We ‘are kept by the power of God.’”
But all the scriptures brought forward did not convince him, and he left, saying, “That’s where you and I differ.”
Very different was the testimony rendered by a young girl a few weeks back. She was ill, and we had this conversation: — “Well, Rosie, have you taken God at His word?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Then you are happy?”
“Yes, very happy.”
“How long has this been the case?”
“Since I have been in bed — about three or four months.”
She had been anxious about her soul for some time, and her godly father had spoken to her a good deal of the way of salvation.
The beautiful verse, already quoted, from the tenth chapter of St. John, is very precious to her. Not a shadow of a doubt crosses her soul that anyone or anything will ever pluck her out of Christ’s hand. She is on the immovable rock. Christ shines forth in her daily life, and she, who was once so reserved, has had her mouth opened to praise Him who loved her and gave Himself for her, Reader, have you taken God entirely at His word? Do you say you know you are saved and are afraid you yet may be lost? That is only believing half what God says. Read the verse from the tenth chapter of St. John again, and take Christ at His word.