POLITICIANS are very busy. The times ahead of us promise to be stirring in no ordinary degree. Every thinking man feels that we are living upon the edge of a volcano, which must before long burst forth in death-dealing destruction.
Walking along the streets, it has been impossible for some time to avoid seeing such phrases as “Grave crisis” — “Ominous speech by Mr.—” — “Difficult situation” —when one passed the different newsagents’ shops, with their row of noticeboards.
Today, however, words of a more hopeful nature caught my eye, and arrested me. There they stood in large type:
“THE WAY TO PEACE.”
My eye rapidly ran down the contents bill, hoping to glean therefrom what the way might be. Yes! there at the foot, in smaller type, was an explanation, which put the matter into a nutshell—into the one word—
“COMPROMISE.”
“Exactly what I thought!” was the mental observation I made; an observation probably made by a few millions more beside. Peace, whether national, or political, or industrial, is generally reached, if at all, by that method.
The reason of this is fairly obvious. If men quarrel, whether in nations, or parties, or as individuals, both cannot be right though both may be wrong. Each, of course, believes himself to be right, and loudly proclaims it, yet leaving his opponent utterly unconvinced. What then? Why, then, failing any authoritative pronouncement from outside, which settles the rights and wrongs of the case, and failing also, as is generally the case, an overwhelming preponderance of power on one side so that its view—whether right or wrong!—may be enforced, the only course left is to patch up as decent a peace as possible by mutual concessions. Thus it comes to pass that compromise becomes the highway to peace in human affairs.
But this is not so in divine affairs! No. When it is a question of sin being forgiven, and of obtaining peace with God, no thought of compromise enters. To think that the gospel plan for forgiveness and peace is that God will kindly waive the sterner demands of His righteous law, and be content with as little as possible of His due, and that the sinner will reform so as to restrain the baser desires of his nature and do the best possible he can, is to make a far-reaching and fatal mistake.
Are you interested in this matter? I pray to God that you may be, my reader. Implicated in it you certainly are, and I hope interested as well. Depend upon it, when present political issues are settled in some fashion, and have by lapse of time dwindled into insignificance, the very lapse of time which causes them to dwindle into practically nothing will only bring up these divine matters, looming more largely than ever upon your horizon. As your life steadily shortens, eternity approaches, and the mountain of your sins accumulates, with the day of reckoning beyond.
Yes, you need peace with God, and need it badly. You will never get it by way of compromise, however. As to this matter, we have pronouncements both authoritative and infallible. God himself has spoken. His word plainly declares: “There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Rom. 3:1010As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10).)
These facts are self-evident and indisputable. I hope you do not challenge them. I have only heard of one man who did so—claiming to be an exception to the rule—and he was a fraud, for it was soon discovered he had already been in prison for attempting to murder his wife! I don’t want you to strike up a partnership of denial with him.
You admit the truth of those words. They are authoritative indeed. They clearly establish this, that in the matter of the warfare that has come in between your soul and God by reason of sin, God is altogether right and you are altogether wrong.
Moreover, with God there is power which is altogether overwhelming. You and I are as nothing before Him. Said Job: “How should man be just with God? If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thousand. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?” (Job 9:2-42I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? 3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. 4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered? (Job 9:2‑4).) And so say we, if we are wise.
But, oh wonder of wonders! The almighty God, who laughs at compromise, has exercised His omnipotence in mercy to the saving of the guilty. In the lowly Jesus of Nazareth we behold “Emmanuel... God with us” (Matt. 1:2323Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)), and while all His life was an expression of divine compassion for men, His death upon the cross was the supreme declaration of divine love, which would bear to the full, without compromise, the awful weight of judgment and curse, which we sinners deserved.
“Inscribed upon the cross we see,
In shining letters, ‘God is love,’”
but in equally shining letters stands out that other scripture statement— “God is light.”
How can this be? How can grace save a sinner in the presence of the righteousness which condemns him? How can love bring nigh and embrace those who are exposed as filthy by the light?
The cross of Jesus is the solution of this problem. The watchword there was— “No compromise!” Sins were not shelved or slurred over, but dragged into the light, and unsparingly condemned, whilst Incarnate Love, in the person of the Son of God, shouldered the whole burden, and expiated ALL to the satisfaction of God.
Will you rest your soul for salvation upon the value of that atoning work accomplished by the Lord Jesus upon the cross? Will you accept Him to be your Saviour and Lord? Then you shall be as safe as His work can make you, and peace with God shall be yours—SOLID PEACE, because based not upon a patched-up compromise, but upon a divinely-reached settlement.
And remember that if ever God intended to compromise upon this matter of sin, He would have done so when His own Son was the Sinbearer. The fact that He did not do so then makes it absolutely certain that He will not do so when, in the day of wrath, He casts sinners for their own unforgiven sins into the lake of fire.
“The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable... and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Rev. 21:88But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8).)
Once there, my friend, you will be there Forever. God save you from it.
F. B. H.