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Have you come
to the place in your our spiritual life where you know for certain
that if you were to die today that you would go to be with God in
Heaven, or is that something you might say you're still working on?
Introduction to GOD'S
WAY OF SALVATION
By Alexander Marshall
Read these pages and
you will see that, in spite of your sins, God loves your precious
soul, and longs to bestow upon you pardon, peace, joy, and
"pleasures for evermore."
GOD'S WAY OF SALVATION
By Alexander Marshall
This booklet has been written
especially for you. Whether careless or interested, indifferent or
anxious about your relationship to God and Eternity, you will find
words of instruction in its pages. Please do read it, and read it
CAREFULLY. Man's way of salvation and God's way of salvation are
compared and contrasted; popular excuses and objections are examined
and replied to, while difficulties of inquirers are explained.
Ruin by the fall, redemption by the
Blood, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, and reception by faith are
expounded.
Hitherto you may have thought that
it was a matter of little concern to God whether you were lost or
saved. Read these pages and you will see that, in spite of your
sins, God loves your precious soul, and longs to bestow upon you
pardon, peace, joy, and "pleasures for evermore." Alex Marshall
(BACK)
I DON'T
NEED THIS NOW
A distinguished man in the East, at
great expense provided a sumptuous feast, and invited many to come.
When the time came for the guests to arrive, they all absented
themselves, and sent excuses. The fact was, they did not wish to go,
and, not having the courage to say, "We won't" they said. "We
cannot." Whatever may have been their reasons for refusing to speak
out their minds and attend the feast, their excuses were extremely
silly (Luke 14).
The first said, "I have bought a
piece of ground and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me
excused." What was the hurry? Could he not have gone at some other
time? The second was not a bit better. "I have bought five yoke of
oxen and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused." What harm
could have come to the oxen by giving them a night's rest? Besides,
whether they were value or not for the money he paid for them they
were bought.
But the third excuse was the worst
of all. "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." why
didn't he take her with him? The spiritual application of the story
must be evident to all. God, at an infinite cost, has provided a
feast for perishing sinners. He has commanded His servants to go
into all the world and proclaim the glad tidings to every creature.
Here are some excuses given. (BACK)
"I
NEVER DID ANY HARM IN MY LIFE''
Such an excuse has often been
given. Is this your excuse? Do you really mean that you have never
done any harm? Have you never cherished an impure, unkind, or wicked
thought? Have you never spoken a hasty word, told a lie, or
attempted to mislead anyone? Have you loved God with all your heart,
soul, strength, and mind? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself?
"Oh no," you reply; "no one has."
Never mind others just now. You
admit that you have sinned. If one were found guilty of breaking the
laws of this country, who would believe that he had done no harm?
There is no use concealing the fact that you have not been what you
ought to have been; you have not done what you should have done in
other words, you are a sinner and the Word of God declares? "The
soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4); "The wages of sin is
death" (Rom. 6:23). Take your place as lost and ruined in God's
sight, and give up, all attempts to excuse or cover up your sins.
They cannot be hid from God. (BACK)
''I'LL
TURN OVER A NEW LEAF''
It is all very well to say that you
will "turn over a new leaf." But let me ask, What about the past
black leaves of guilt? Turning over a new leaf does not remove the
blotted ones.
It may be, dear reader, at one time
you were addicted to drinking or swearing, or other bad habits but
of late you have "turned over a new leaf," and are become what the
world calls a "reformed" person. This is right and proper, but does
it blot out past disobedience?
A merchant finds that he is in
difficulties. He takes his cashbook and begins a "new leaf,"
forgetting that there is a "carried over" and a "brought forward"
column. New figures on the "new leaf" won't pay the old debts.
"Turning over a new leaf" won't do
for you. Jesus said, "Ye must be born again" (John 3:3-7)
(BACK)
''GOD IS
MERCIFUL''
Satan goes about with his bundle of
lies, giving one to one person and one to another. To one he says,
"God is too merciful to punish sinners," and if this is not
believed, he says "If God does punish the sinner in hell it won't be
eternal."
It is a blessed truth that "God is
merciful;" but He is also Holy and Just, and never can be merciful
at the expense of His justice. All His attributes are equally
balanced and cannot conflict with each other. He who is
longsuffering and slow to anger "will by no means clear the guilty."
God's pardoning mercy flows only
through one channel, and that is the atonement of Christ; and all
who refuse to accept of life through His death must forever "dwell
with the devouring fire." "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and
all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17). "He that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him"
(John 3:36). (BACK)
IF ONE DOES
THE BEST HE CAN HE WILL BE SAVED
Have you always done your best?
Have you not again and again done what you ought not to have done,
and omitted doing what you should have done? "I don't pretend to be
perfect." Assuredly not, but remember that this admission removes
every possible hope of your being saved by your doings. One sin is
sufficient to condemn you, and you know that you have committed
thousands. What is the use of such suppositions as, "If a man does
the best he can," when God has declared that none have ever done so?
"All we, like sheep, have gone astray" (Isa. 53:6), "They are
altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not
one" (Psalm 14:3). An unsaved reader, the "best" that you can do is
to admit that you are ruined, helpless, and undone. If from this day
until the day of your death, you did not commit a single sin, you
would not be saved on that ground, for sinners are nor saved by what
they do, but by what Christ has done for them. "To him that worketh
not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is
counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5 ). (BACK)
"DON'T
YOU BELIEVE IN GOOD WORKS?''
When sinners are shown that
salvation is all of grace, and "not of works," it is not an uncommon
thing to hear such say, "You don't believe in good works? "This is a
great mistake. What the Word of God shows us is, that an unconverted
man cannot do a good work, as a "good work" must spring from a good
motive, and that must be love to the Lord Jesus.
The moment a person is saved, that
very moment everything he does ought to be done to the glory of God.
No sooner do we read of the jailer's conversion than we see him
proving his faith by his works. "He took them the same hour of the
night and washed their stripes." Read the account in Acts 16. The
Bible teaches, "without faith it is impossible to please God," and
so long as you are unsaved, you are utterly unable to do a single
"good work." Believe in God's wondrous love to you and you will work
for Him in return for what He has done for you. (BACK)
''IT
IS DIFFICULT TO BE A CHRISTIAN''
Do you mean that it is difficult to
become a Christian? If so, you are completely mistaken. " But I have
again and again tried to become one and have failed. "Cease trying
to be saved by your efforts: Christ has finished the mighty work,
and justice is satisfied. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou
shalt be saved."
"I meant that it was difficult to
live the life of a Christian." Granted at once. Let me, however,
ask, whether it is easier to serve Satan or Christ? Which is the
better master? Who gives the best wages?
In serving Satan you have to turn
your back on your best Friend, despise or neglect His great
salvation, resist His Holy Spirit, trample under your feet the Son
of God's love, and rush headlong to eternal ruin. Why, then perish
forever, seeing you can be saved?
(BACK)
''I
CANNOT GIVE UP THE PLEASURES OF THIS WORLD"
You are not asked to "give up"
anything until you are saved. Salvation, it is true, includes
deliverance from the thraldom and dominion of sin, as well as from
its penalty, and you can't have one part without the other.
God does not, however, say to the
sinner "Give up the pleasures and amusements of the world and I will
bestow on you pardon and peace." His way is, "Receive Christ now
into your heart and you will be saved from the power as well as the
doom of sin."
A lady, in conversation with a
Christian at the close of a gospel meeting said, "God won't save me
now. "Why?" "I have made up my mind to go to a ball on Tuesday
evening, and He won't save me until I am willing to give up going to
it. "She was shown that "now" was God's time, and that He was
beseeching her to accept a free and present pardon as she was and
where she was. The word was blessed to her soul, and I need not add
that she was not at the ball. She had something better.
(BACK)
''I
DON'T WISH TO BE GLOOMY"
Numbers think that a Christian is
one who goes through life hanging his head, heaving sighs drawing a
long face, and looking very sanctimonious. This is one of the
biggest, and we fear one of the most widely believed lies Satan ever
coined. Real, lasting happiness is the portion of every believer.
"Gloomy!" What is there in the gospel calculated to make one gloomy?
Does it make a man "gloomy" to know that all his sins are forgiven?
Will it "make one gloomy" to be assured that he will spend eternity
with the Lord Jesus in glory? Will the condemned criminal who has
been pardoned by his sovereign feel sad?
The only one who has a right to be
happy is the Christian --he and he alone being delivered from the
bondage of sin.
Well might the psalmist say, "Happy
is that people whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 144:15); "In Thy
presence is fulness of joy." (BACK)
''SO
MANY HYPOCRITES"
And is that your excuse for not
accepting the invitation to the gospel feast? If so, it is a very
poor one. You know some who say they are Christians, but their
conduct proves that they are hypocrites. Though members of churches
and chapels, they do things which you and others, who make no such
profession, would not stoop to, and you are inclined to say of all
who profess to be Christians, "Nice lot! They are a pack of
hypocrites."
But surely this would be very
unfair reasoning. Hypocrites are persons who profess to be what they
know they are not. Those you refer to, profess to be, but are not
Christians. Are we to conclude because of this, that all who profess
are hypocrites? This would be as foolish as to say that all clerks
are thieves, because two were convicted of stealing.
The fact that some pretend to be
Christians proves that the reality must be good, as men don't
counterfeit that which is worthless. Suppose, however, that real
Christians are inconsistent, will that justify you in not being one?
(BACK)
''IT
DOES NOT MATTER WHAT ONE BELIEVES IF HE IS SINCERE''
This is what many of the "mock
charity school" say; but let us see if it is true. A man, feeling
unwell, went to the cupboard, and took by mistake a bottle of poison
and drank same of the contents, and died in great agony a few hours
afterward. Did his sincerity of belief save his life?
The engineer of a passenger train
sincerely believed that the line was clear, but he was mistaken. He
ran past the signal at full speed and the result was a dreadful
collisions precious lives were lost and many were injured.
A man's salvation or damnation
depends on his belief. If he believes the lie of Satan will
eternally perish; but if he believes the truth of God he will be
eternally saved.
"There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Prov.
14:12). Sincerity of belief in that way ends in everlasting
destruction.
(BACK)
''SO
MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS''
I really don't know what to do.
There are so many opinions that I am quite perplexed to know what to
believe. If this is your thought, let me strongly impress upon you
the importance of being guided entirely by the sure Word of God.
A lady, who had not long to live
was anxious about her soul. She earnestly asked a Christian who
visited her, "What are your views of salvation?" "I have no views,"
was the reply. The lady was amazed. "You seem astonished," said the
visitor, "but supposing I had what good would they do you, seeing
they would be but the views of a fellow mortal? I can, however, give
you something better. I can give you God's word." The result of the
conversation was the lady shortly afterwards found peace to her soul
by learning that the question "What must I do to be saved?" was
answered thus: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved." (BACK)
DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE
LOST?
The Philippian jailer knew that I
he was lost, else he would not I have asked what he had to do to be
saved (Acts 16:30, 31). Have you really ever seen yourself to be a
lost sinner?
The great question is, "Are you
saved or lost?" Face it fairly. Were you called to meet God at this
moment, are you prepared? "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold
evil and canst not look on iniquity" (Hab. 1:13). "Righteousness and
judgment are the habitation of His Throne'' (Psm 97:2). If unsaved,
unconverted, unforgiven, listen to the Word of the living God: "The
soul that sinneth it shall die" (Ezek. 18:4). "The wicked shall be
turned into hells and all the nations that forget God."
If you know that you are lost,
there is One both able and willing to save you. His mission to this
world was to "seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).
(BACK)
HOW TO BE
SAVED
God is holy and just; and though
merciful and gracious, "will by no means clear the guilty" (Ex
34:7). In His Word He has said "The wages of sin is death" (Rom.
6:23). How then can one be saved, for "all have sinned?"
The Scripture has declared,
"Without shedding of blood is no remission" (Heb. 9.22). Sin must be
atoned for!
"Jesus gave Himself a ransom for
all" (1 Tim. 2:6). The ransom price has been paid and accepted.
Justice is satisfied, not with what you have done, but with what
Christ has done for you. On the ground of His finished work, God
invites and beseeches you to accept a free, full and present
salvation.
It is a wonder that any remain
unsaved when God has shown so clearly and fully, in His Word, how
salvation is to be obtained. If you wish to be saved, hear what God
says to you.
"For 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 3:16). "All that
believe are justified from all things" (Acts 13:39). "Whosoever
believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10.43). "He
that believeth on Him is not condemned" (John 3: 18). The firstborn
in the blood-sprinkled house in Egypt was preserved from the
destroying angel because the Lord had said, "When I see the blood I
will pass over you" (Ex. 12:13). Salvation can only be had by
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(BACK)
''FAR
TOO EASY A WAY''
Many are stumbled at the simplicity
of the gospel. When it is first presented to them in all its fulness
and freeness, they declare that believing on the Lord Jesus Christ
is "far too easy" a way.
Thank God, it is an "easy" way of
being saved. Well might the poet (Cowper sing:
"Oh, how unlike the complex works
of man, Heaven's easy, artless unencumbered way."
Though an "easy" way it is not "too
easy" since it is obtained through believing in One by whom the
difficult work has all been done. It was not "easy" for Him to be
mocked and insulted by men. It was not "easy" for Him to be
scourged, spat upon and crucified. It was not "easy" in the moment
of His humiliation and agony to be forsaken of God. It was not
"easy" for Him to be "wounded for our transgressions and bruised for
our iniquities." Though an easy way, it is God's only way of saving
sinners, and if the reader is not saved in that way, he will never
be saved at all. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
(BACK)
''I
ALWAYS BELIEVED ON JESUS AND YET I CANNOT SAY THAT I AM SAVED"
Depend on it if this is what you say or think, you are completely
mistaken. No one has "always believed on Jesus." You may have
believed a great deal about the Lord Jesus, but you have never
received His glorious gospel, or you would be saved. What about the
Lord Jesus do you believe? "I believe that He died on Calvary for
sinners." Believing that won't do you any good. Do you believe that
He bled and suffered and died on account of your sins? If you did
you would know from the Word that you had eternal life, and would
not come into judgment on account of your sins. No one can believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ without being saved, for He has declared:
"Whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins." (Acts
10:43); "All that believe are justified from all things" (Acts
13:38, 39). (BACK)
''I
DON'T BELIEVE IN THE RIGHT WAY''
If you are not already saved you do
not believe on Christ in any way. Scripture does not recognize two
ways of believing a "right" and a "wrong" one. Men may speak about a
"living faith "and a "dead faith," but Scripture speaks of believing
what God says. Faith in man and faith in God are the same exercises
of mind; the difference is not in the faith, but in the person on
whom the faith terminates.
Paul did not say to the jailer,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with the right kind of believing,
and thou shalt be saved." If he had, the poor ignorant heathen would
not have understood him. He simply said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ." Do the same dear reader, "and thou shalt be saved."
(BACK)
''MUST
WE NOT WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION?''
Such a question is often asked by
anxious, as well as careless sinners. Sometimes it is put in this
form "Does it not say in the Bible that we are to work out our own
salvation? How then can you reconcile that with the statement that
we are saved through believing?"
You have only to look at the
Epistle and see to whom it is addressed. Philippians 1:1: " To all
the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, with the bishops and
deacons." They were already saved. They did not hope to be, they
knew they were saved. "My beloved . . ." says Paul, "work out your
own salvation" (Phil. 2-12,13). They were already in possession of
it. "Your own" implies possession. They were to "work out" what God
had wrought in. (BACK)
"MUST
I NOT PRAY TO BE SAVED?''
Scripture nowhere states that
salvation is to be had by prayer; it speaks of sinners being saved
in only one way, faith in the finished work of the Lord. Did not the
Lord Jesus tell Nicodemus to "pray to be saved?" No! "Whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish" (John 3:16). Did Paul, in answer
to the question "What must I do to be saved?" reply, "Pray earnestly
for forgiveness, and you will get it?" No!, he said, "Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). You do not
need to pray to God for salvation. He is at this moment beseeching
you to take it (2 Cor. 5:20). How can you dare to ask God for
salvation so long as you are guilty of the awful sin of making Him a
liar (1 John 5 10, 11)? Instead of continuing to pray for salvation,
even now as you read these lines, stretch out the empty hand of
faith and take it as a gift from the pierced hand of the Lord Jesus.
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely'' (Rev.
22:17). (BACK)
"IF
I DO MY PART GOD WILL DO HIS"
A Christian in the east of England
used to say it took him forty-two years to learn three things: (1)
That he could do nothing to save himself-- (2) that God did not
require him to do anything; and,-- (3) that the Lord Jesus Christ
did it all.
If you learn these three lessons
you will never talk about your doings. "Your part" is to admit that
you are a helpless, hell-deserving sinner, unable to do anything to
save yourself. "Your part" is to cease thinking of being saved by
anything you can do or feel. "Your part" is to believe that Jesus
did everything that was necessary that He finished the work of
atonement and paid the ransom price with His precious blood.
Whenever you cease trying to be saved by your doings, and believe on
the Lord Jesus who did it all and paid it all, you become a child of
God, an heir of glory, and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. "To him
that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly
his faith is counted for righteousness." (BACK)
"I
AM TOO GREAT A SINNER"
There can be no doubt that you are
a great sinner and far worse than you imagine. God knows all about
you. Since you were an unconscious babe on your mother's breast He
has watched over you and loved you with more than a parent's love.
In spite of your sin and folly, He stands with outstretched arms
ready to welcome you. The prodigal son was received by his father in
rags and wretchedness, misery and poverty, and God is willing to
save you now. Take the lost sinner's place and claim the lost
sinner's Saviour. "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out"
(John 6:37). (BACK)
''NO
ONE CAN BE CERTAIN OF THAT"
Paul's reply to the most important
of all questions was very explicit. He did not say, " Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and you will have a good chance of being saved";
but "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
Numbers declare it is great
presumptions in anyone to " go to the length" of saying he know that
he is saved. They affirm that "no one can be that certain" and that
all we can do is to have a "humble hope." How different this from
the Lord Jesus and His apostles! Paul says, "We are always
confident" ( 2 Cor.5: 6) The Apostle John says, "I write unto you,
little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His Name's
sake" (1 John 2:12). "We know that we have passed from death unto
life" (1 John 3:14). Every sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus
Christ is bound to believe that he is saved. It would indeed be
"great presumption" in anyone to doubt the Word of the living God.
(BACK)
''CAN
A PERSON BE SAVED AT ONCE?''
The same hour of the night that the
Jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?, witnessed his
conversion, and baptism; and it is likewise added, he "rejoiced
believing in God, with all his house." In one short hour, the whole
household believed, were saved and baptized. It is of no use people
saying that "No one can be saved at once," for Scripture clearly
shows that those mentioned in the New Testament, whenever they
believed, were saved. How long does it take one "to believe" what
his father says? A moment. Another figure is employed "looking."
"Look unto Me, and be ye saved" (Isa. 45:22). How long did it take a
bitten Israelite to be cured? The one moment be was dying, the next,
by simply looking at the brazen serpent, he was completely healed.
The very moment you "believe" in,
or "look" to Jesus, as the Sin-Bearer, you are saved.
(BACK)
''I
CANNOT LOVE GOD''
A lady became anxious about her
soul. She prayed and labored earnestly to "love God" in order to
obtain the forgiveness of her sins. Instead, however, her heart
seemed to get harder.
Meetings were being held in the
district and one evening the preacher said, "Some imagine that God
requires them to love Him in order to be saved. They begin to
examine their hearts, and they cannot find there one particle of
love to Him. "If," said he, "we were not to be saved until we loved
Him, we would never be saved at all: but the blessed truth is that
He loved us." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He
loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" ( 1
John 4 :10 ). The moment she saw that God had so loved her as to
give Jesus as a propitiation for her sins, peace and joy filled her
heart, and she could not help loving Him who had done so much for
her.
It is true you ought to love Him,
but so long as you are unsaved you will not do so. Meditate on His
love to you, and you will be able to say, "We love Him, because He
first loved us" (1 John 4:19). (BACK)
"I
DON'T FEEL ANXIOUS ENOUGH'
Numbers when awakened to see their
danger, get occupied with feelings toward God, instead of with His
feelings toward them. They never seem to consider this important
question: "Does my salvation depend on how I feel towards God or on
how He feels toward me?" Again and again, we hear the remark, "I
don't feel anxious enough," or "I don't feel sorry enough."
Such have read or heard of some who
were in great darkness of soul, and they imagined that they must go
through a similar experience.
Don't think of your anxiety, or
want of anxiety but ask yourself: "Is God willing to save me now?"
Again and again, in His Word, He declares that His desire is that
you should not perish, but be eternally saved (see Ezek. 33: 11; 1
Tim. 2: 4 -6). Cease occupying your mind with your feelings. Think
of His wondrous love to you, as manifested in the gift of His only
begotten and well-beloved Son. On the ground of what He did and
suffered, you can be saved even now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (BACK)
''I
COULD NOT HOLD ON.''
"I have often tried to be a
Christian, but have failed. Sometimes I thought I was one, but soon
the happy feelings were gone, and I was just as bad as ever; so
there is no use in me professing." You need not be troubled about
your "holding on. What you are now required to do is to believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ, and the moment you do so you obtain eternal
life (John 3: 3 ), and the assurance that you will never perish
(John 10:28 ). Then, as to how you will "get on" after you are
saved, the same Christ who "saves from wrath to begin with, saves
from sin to go on with and will keep you safe to glory to end with.
His name shall be called Jesus: for He shall save His people from
their sins" (Matt. 1:21 ); and He is able to keep you from falling
(Jude 24), and has promised never to leave nor forsake those who put
their trust in Him. The moment you believe on Jesus you are His; and
He has pledged His word to guide, guard, and keep you, and to give
you strength and grace to live and work for Him. (BACK)
"WOULD
IT NOT BE GREAT PRESUMPTION?"
Presumption to do what?
"Presumption is for anyone to say he knows he is saved."
But if God declares that you may be
sure, and tell you how you may be sure, would you call it
presumption to believe Him? "Assuredly not!" Then listen to Him:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of
the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (l John
5 13).
Instead of it being "presumption"
to believe what God says, to doubt Him is to be guilty of the
greatest sin a man can commit. "But I cannot say that I am saved."
Then you do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? "Oh yes, I do!"
You must surely be mistaken for the Scripture states that "He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36).
"I believe on Jesus, but I cannot
say I am saved."
Then you are making God a liar; for
He again and again asserts that everyone who believes on Jesus has
eternal life (See John 6:47). But "He that believeth not God hath
made Him a liar, because He believeth not the record that God gave
of His Son" (1 John 5: 10,11). Believe and be saved.
(BACK)
"I
DON'T FEEL ANY CHANGE''
Of course not. How could you so
long as your mind is occupied with your feelings toward God instead
of His feelings toward you. If you continue to look into your cold
wretched heart you will become more and more miserable. By dwelling
on its coldness or hardness, your want of love or want of sorrow,
faith or feelings, you must be unhappy.
Peace is not to be derived from
looking within; it is only to be found by looking unto Jesus, by
thinking of what He has done.
So long as you do not believe on
Jesus you cannot have that love to Him you ought. You must first
believe in His love and death for you; and the moment you know that
the mighty work has been finished, that justice has been satisfied,
peace will fill your heart and love will flow out to Him who loved
you. (BACK)
''HOW
AM I TO COME TO CHRIST?''
A Scotch shepherd, in a state of
great anxiety of soul, asked a preacher if he could tell him what
was meant by "coming to Christ." "I have been hearing," said he, "a
most earnest discourse; we have been urged and entreated to 'Come to
Christ'; and I felt as if I had been sitting on nettles all the time
for he never told us how to come to Him."
"Can you fly to Him?" "No, I cannot
do that." "Can you walk on your feet to Christ?" "No." The preacher
then told him that Christ, though in heaven, was beside him on
earth, eagerly anxious to save him. He was shown that with his mind
and heart, and not with his body, he was to go to Jesus in other
words, he was to believe on Him who died that he might live. "Is
that it? Is it so simple? I see it now," he said, and believing on
the Lord Jesus as His Saviour, went on his way rejoicing.
(BACK)
"I
CANNOT REALIZE IT"
What do you mean? "I see that
Christ has borne my punishment and that God is perfectly satisfied
with what He has done; but somehow or other, I cannot realize that I
have eternal life."
Your mistake is, you are taken up
with the realizing of your mind instead of with the realities of
God's salvation. Suppose for some crime you were sentenced to a term
of imprisonment with the option of paying a large penalty. A friend
pays the amount in full, and brings you a receipt; would you then be
afraid of going to jail? "No." "Why not? Because of your realizings
or graspings?" "No." "Why, would you not be afraid? Because the
ransom had been paid."
God in His Word tells you that
Christ has given Himself a ransom for you (1 Tim. 2: 6, and on the
ground of what He has done you may be saved. (BACK)
"I
CANNOT FEEL SAVED"
Paul did not say to the jailor,
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt feel saved"; but
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (See Acts
16: 30,31). Ask that man whose debt was paid by his brother, "Do you
feel that your debt is paid?" "No." is his reply, "I don't feel it
is paid" I know from this receipt that it is paid, and I feel happy,
because I know it is paid." So with you, dear reader. You must first
believe in God's love to you as revealed at the Cross of Calvary,
and then you will feel happy, because you will know that you are
saved. (BACK)
''GOD
SAYS I AM SAVED, AND IT MUST BE TRUE"
Such were the words uttered by a
young convert on the night he found peace. Reader, can you
truthfully adopt his language? "I wish I could." Then there is
nothing to hinder you from doing so now. Jesus has died on Calvary.
He has suffered for sins, "the Just for the unjust," and the Lord
has declared that those who believe on Him have eternal life (John
5:24; 6:47). If, therefore, you really believe on Him you have God's
Word for it that you are saved.
"I don't feel I am saved." Neither
do I, but thank God, I know it, because He says so in His Word, and
He always speaks the truth. (BACK)
''TIME
ENOUGH YET''
Allow me to ask you in closing,
"Are you saved?" "I intend to be but there is no great hurry.
"What?" No great hurry, "and the messenger of death at your very
door! The man-slayer, fleeing into the city for refuge did not think
so.
When asked why you despised His
pardon, and neglected His great salvation, what answer will you
give? Don't, oh, don't allow Satan to lull you to sleep in the
cradle of a false security. Time is short and eternity is at hand.
Will you, can you, dare you one moment longer remain unsaved? "Now"
is God's time. Tomorrow may be too late.
(BACK)
CONCLUSION
YE
MUST BE BORN AGAIN (John 3:7)
REFORMATION IS NOT REGENERATION
Turning over a new leaf won't
destroy the old ones. Future good conduct does not blot out past
disobedience.
GOD IS WILLING TO SAVE YOU NOW "Now
is the accepted time" ( 2 Corinthians 6:2). "Come now" (Isaiah 1:
18)
SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT It cannot, therefore, be earned or
bought by good works, prayers, or religious observances. 'The wages
of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life" (Romans
6:23 Revised Version). "Not of works, lest any man should boast"
(Ephesians 2:9). (BACK)
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH ALONE This
is clearly taught in Scripture. "being justified by faith" (Romans
5:1). "If by grace, then it is no more works" (Romans 11:6).
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy
house" (Acts 16:31).
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