WE sing it in our hymns; we press it in our gospel-preachings. We do well to press it, too. It is the testimony which the Bible echoes and re-echoes, — the testimony to the freeness of the salvation which Christ has wrought out, and which grace brings for every man. “Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat.” “Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”
The responsibility of every one who hears this joyful sound is to be enforced surely. The good news of the gospel claims the obedience of men to it at least as fully as the law could claim it. And the penalty of refusal is no less terrible in the one ease than in, the other. Refusal of the gospel has indeed no remedy. Those under the curse of the law have deliverance provided for them in the gospel; but “if we neglect so great salvation, how shall we escape?”
We do well to press it, because there is such a thing as “dead faith.” And instead of being a rare, thing, it is most fearfully common. Men assent, oh how easily! Unchanged by it, totally, men can learn the Gospel off quite well, and be correct and orthodox, and zealous for it. We need to insist upon a direct personal dealing of the soul with Christ. We need to toll them that no mere hearing of the truth will suffice; that a faith which leaves men still short of coming for themselves to Him, leaves them short of salvation, short of eternal life! “Ye will not come to me, that ye might have life,” was the point of the Lord’s rebuke to men in His day. And no way can you “take salvation,” beloved reader, but by taking it from the hand of Him, the Saviour.
Yes, it needs to be enforced that men may believe a doctrine, any doctrine, and be abort, nevertheless, of a faith that saves. “He that believeth on Him,” alone “hath everlasting life.” And he that believeth on Him, cometh to Him. These are his own parallels: “He that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst.”
Beloved reader, what dealings has your soul had with the Christ of God? If “faith, if it have not works, is dead, being alone,” what has it wrought in you? Has it ever stripped and beggared you, and brought you a poor, helpless sinner to the feet of Jesus? Be assured, that is its first work: ― I had well-nigh said, its mightiest. A wondrous and blessed thing it surely is for born Pharisees, such as we all are, to be put in company with him who is as Pharisee of the Pharisees, made a pattern for us all — in company with him, gazing up from the dint of that Damascus road into the full-orbed glory of the one so glorious there.
My reader, have you been “in the ditch” with Job, and your own clothes abhorring you? Have you found all your righteousness — every sort and kind —but filthy rags? Have you been in the famine of the far-off country, and learned how little you can fill your belly with husks that the swine do eat, and found out then, that you were away from your Father? In a word, have you been “LOST?” needing, oh how much, Another’s arm to save? — Another’s perfect work to rest in before God? That is repentance: the complete come down of self-righteousness in the presence of a holy God. Very different from what men fain would have it, the dressing up of the soil in those very “righteousnesses” of reformation or of promises to reform, which Scripture calls “filthy rags.” Oh reader, repentance is a much deeper and more serious thing than all this put together. Yet must abhor yourself, if you would be upon Job’s level in this matter. And “except you do repent, ye shall all perish.” So says the very Saviour Himself.
But there are again souls that have reached, in measure at least, this condition, who need to have it pressed upon them yet that they “take salvation.”
They are anxious to do it. Alarmed and self-condemned, they would gladly accept the Lord’s offer of rest, but they are now taken up in such a way with the very thought of “coming,” that they are thrown far off from the realization of rest. Those words which should be their sweetest encouragement and assurance become to them the very cause of the greatest anxiety. What is “coming to Jesus?” Have they done so? Have they accepted the offer of the Gospel? Have they closed with that gracious invitation? They may come and take — so the Word says, — but how? And all the while they cannot doubt that they would indeed be only too glad to have the very thing which He is holding out to them. They are taken up with the “appropriation” of the blessing so intently that they miss the thing they seek.
Now what is the truth for such souls? This, that in the sense in which they take it, they need not “appropriate” at all. Let a soul take its place before God in the simple confession of sin and nothing else, God “appropriates” Christ, that is, makes Him over for the need of such. “If we confess our sins” — simply that; not, bring our promises, nor even confess our sorrow, but “confess our sins” — “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1) What is this, and how is this Why “faithful” — why is God faithful to do this? The answer is easy: because Christ died for sinners, therefore the moment I come and put in faith my sins before Him, I am putting in my claim to that precious blood which “cleanseth from all sin.” It was shed for sinners; I bring Him (because I know that) simply the evidence that I am one. He is faithful then to forgive. I may be sure He forgives. Christ is “a propitiation for the whole world” (1 John 2:33And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. (1 John 2:3)). That includes me of course. I come then and plead my title to the Saviour of sinners. What can He do but justify my claim, —the claim of faith, as it needs must be? Yet I look not at my faith, but at my sins.
And as for “coming to Jesus”: what is “the heart to come,” but “coming”? Is it not what He sees in the heart He values How can I come in any other way but just in the going out of my soul to the Deliverer? If I know Him such, and know my need, I cannot refrain from coming. One look to Him out of our misery; one cry to Him who alone can save; he who has so looked, so cried — has come.
But you have not got rest, you say, perhaps: That may be true; but you have got title to it. And now, that you may enjoy it too, you have only to “take” what you have title to. The question of your title to it is what you really wanted settled. Now you know your title, it will be easy for you to take hold of and enjoy it.
If you are a sinner and He died for sinners you have title to Him. If you have brought your sins to God, because you know it is so, He has forgiven you. His righteousness and faithfulness are your assurances of this. Take then the blessedness of this: —
“Take salvation;
Take it now, and happy be!”
A man is always under law when he refers his acceptance to his own state of soul.
The moment we step out of nothingness, we step into it.
Works before life, and for life, are “dead works.”