AN old lady once said that there were only three steps to get into heaven. On being asked what those steps were, she replied—lst, out of self; 2nd, into Christ; 3rd, into glory. This is exceedingly simple, true, and blessed. They are just the three steps that faith takes to reach heaven.
First we see the worthlessness of self and its belongings, and the sinfulness of all that flows from it we become fully convinced that salvation is not from that quarter whatever—we cease to trust in self, or anything that it can perform. Moreover we learn that we are so utterly bad that nothing but the death of God's Son will do for God, or meet our need as sinners, and that He was actually delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. By simple faith we receive Him as a Savior—we have done with trusting self, and trust Him alone; we cease to trust in our doings, and rest in Christ's eternal done, In fact, as the old lady said, we step out of self into Christ.
"But now IN Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ep. 2: 13). And what a blessed step this is for an anxious soul to take that has been tossing about, and groaning under the heavy load of sin for many a year. How blessed it is for such a one to have done with wretched unmendable self and trust wholly to Christ—to step out of self into Christ, and know salvation by God's free grace. Many are trying to mend self. Oh, they say, if I could only become good I should be all right. This is a fatal mistake. How can we make good that which God has condemned? Self with all its belongings has been condemned in the cross of Christ. God never intends to mend it: He has set it aside. "Ye must be born again" (or from above) is the word of the Lord, and it cannot be revoked. It is not bettering self—the old nature, but the reception of a new, a Divine nature. Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ one gets deliverance from self, and eternal life in the Son of God. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 John 5:1111And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)).
And having stepped out of self into Christ, we wait to take the next step when the Lord comes for His people, that is, to step into the glory of God. To wait for God's Son from heaven is to be delivered from the wrath to come. (1 Thess. 1:1010And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10).) "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we EVER be with the Lord" (1 Thess. 4:16, 1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17)). What a scene is presented to us in the foregoing passage! How transcendently glorious! Not a single mention of judgment—no thought of it: but caught up to meet the descending Lord in the air—to be taken away to the Father's house—yea, to be forever with the Lord.
Reader, this is the old lady's third step-into glory. Would you take that glorious step if the Lord were to come now as you read this paper? I demand of you, would you rise with the blood-washed company to meet the Lord in the air—to be forever with Him, if He were to descend with a shout now, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God? Do not tell me you hope so: either you are ready to mount up to meet him, or you are not. You are either in your sins, or you are not—they are either charged to you, or they are all forgiven and washed away in the Savior’s blood. To be left behind is to be a subject with which the judicial hand of God will deal; and at the revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, you, with the other rejectors of God's grace, will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. (2 Thess. 1:7-97And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; (2 Thessalonians 1:7‑9).) I would entreat you, if you would escape the terrible frown and vengeance of that descending Judge—the flaming fire—the everlasting destruction—flee to Jesus repair to Him at once in all your sins; own to Him that you are a poor lost sheep, and He will receive you. For the Good Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.—"The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost." Then thou shalt know the meaning of the three steps—out of self, into Christ, into glory. "The Lord is at hand" (Phil. 4:55Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)). "Believe and live.”
E. A.