There is no real point in our going round to the back door,
or, in other words, using camouflage, for we do not want to
take anyone by guile. So let us be quite frank, and if the
matter is of no concern to you, or, rather, if you think it
to be of no concern to you, just don't read on. Frankly
then, we are going to look squarely in the face this matter
of God's interest in us, and our relationship to Him.
A good many people are seriously thinking along these
lines, and, sooner or later, everyone will do the same. Let
us in the first place take off our blinkers and take in some
facts. You know that a lot of responsible people,
governments and officials have come under pretty severe
condemnation recently because, it is said, they refused to
believe facts. For seven years Germany has been most
thoroughly establishing Fifth Column agents and forces in
almost every country. But whenever anyone said so and warned
the governments of those countries that it was so, not only
was the suggestion repudiated, but evil intent was
disbelieved. Well, the persistently disbelieved reports have
proved true, but this has meant the undoing of a few
countries in a most disastrous way. Then again, if, in 1939,
someone had prophesied that in a little over a year Germany
would have overrun and defeated Holland, Belgium and France,
in addition to the number of other European countries which
have fallen to her, such an one would have been ridiculed,
if not put into prison or an asylum as mad or an incurable
defeatist. Today we see those "unbelievable" things as
actualities. So it is that the things which had been
reported and rejected have become terrible realities; and
things beyond imagination are facts. The suffering involved
is very largely — if not entirely — due to unbelief.
Surely all this should make us the more disposed to give
some attention to one or two very much more vital matters
which are not lacking in evidences that there is something
in them. At least we should be ready to entertain the
suggestion — "supposing they should prove true."
To begin with, supposing it should prove true after all
that God did send His Son
Jesus Christ into this world so long ago and determine men's
eternal destiny according to their attitude toward Him, in
acceptance or rejection of Him as their Lord and Saviour?
Supposing that it should prove true that man's eternal
well-being rests upon his being able to satisfy God with
absolute righteousness as to nature and conduct, and God saw
that "there is none righteous, no, not one," but "all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God"; and so God
provided Himself with His requirements in the person of His
Son, and then proclaimed to men that His Son would be
accepted for them if they would believe on Him in one or two
respects:
(a) that He was God's sinless
Son;
(b) that He — in His death — took man's sin and suffered man's
judgment for sin;
(c) that He rose from the dead to be man's representative
and mediator before God?
Then again, supposing it is
true that, after His Son had returned to heaven with this
perfect work done for man, and as man's representative and
advocate on high, God did
send His Holy Spirit to make all that good in the heart and
life of every man who will accept His Son as his Lord and
his Saviour, so that what is true in heaven becomes true
within?
Finally, supposing it should prove true that what has been
done by Germany in this present world-situation has been
done by another enemy in this realm of so much vaster
consequence? You now know that the reason why the
governments and responsible people would not believe that
Germany was plotting and insinuating Fifth Column activities
in these countries was because it was a very part of the
whole scheme to deny it on the part of those very agents.
Unbelief was fostered as an important factor in their
success, and so unbelief meant culpable blindness and
neglect. You find it difficult to forgive that when you look
at the results. Well, do not be caught in the same device
and guilt in relation to your own eternal well-being, for
multitudes have been lost by an unbelief which would not
allow even the suggestion — "supposing it should prove true."
Evidence there is in abundance. For many centuries there
has been a line of those who have proved the "supposing" to
be fact on both sides. On one side definite faith in and
acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour in the terms
above mentioned has resulted in a real experience of a new
life, peace, joy, assurance, and purpose in being alive:
while rejection of Him has resulted in a consciousness of
having missed the real purpose of life and having — as one man
put it — to "take an awful leap into the dark."
Here is a true incident. A certain famous Judge who had
been an equally famous Advocate, one day had a man appear
before him on a serious charge. The man made a very earnest
appeal to the Judge, saying that he — the Judge — had years
before taken up his case when he was then in trouble and had
secured his discharge. The Judge replied — "My man, when you
came to me years ago I was in a position to be your
Advocate. That time has passed and I am now only able to be
your Judge." God's Son, Jesus Christ, is now in the position
of Advocate and Mediator; the time is coming when He will be
Judge, for it is written — "He (God) has appointed a day in
which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance to
all men, in that he raised him from the dead" (Acts 17:31).
But that will be too late!
Our talk has been without sentiment, no "sob stuff," but
straight from the shoulder. The issues are far more serious
than those of the present world affairs. If you want to
settle things, bearing in mind that God has given the
fullest possible evidence in the gift of His Son that He has
a tremendous concern for our salvation, and is wanting to
make that a personal matter with every one of us, just talk
to Jesus Christ as you would to your best friend, and tell
Him all about it; and if you do so, believing that — although
unseen — He is a living person, you will have the evidence in
yourself very soon.
Get hold of a copy of Paul's letter to the Romans and read
the first eight chapters. This will put things fairly fully
and clearly before you.
Remember that God has only one ground upon which He
receives or rejects men. That ground is not whether you are
a small or great sinner; that is, a sinner more or less, few
sins or many, better than some and quite as good as some
others. No, His interrogation will always be, "What about My
Son, Jesus Christ; what have you done with Him? I appointed
Him to be your Lord, and I gave Him to be your Saviour — What
about it? Or rather — What about Him?"
The difference which is all the difference of two worlds is
whether Christ as a living Person is — by His Spirit — resident
within your heart, or is outside. He leaves the decision to
us, but has left us in no darkness as to how much is bound
up with our decision — one way or the other.
First published by "Witness and Testimony Publishers".