THE FIRST STEP TO BLESSING
The first step to blessing is to learn what you are in
God's sight, and to accept His estimate of you. The first utterance of God in
creation was "Let there be light," and in the new creation of a soul this is
the first act of grace. A dirty man in the dark may think he is clean; so a
sinner whose conscience has not been enlightened may be satis-fled with
himself. But when God says, "Let there be light," a Job cries Out, I am vile";
an Isaiah groans, " Woe is me"; Simon the fisherman confesses, "I am a sinful
man, 0 Lord"; and one like Saul of Tarsus can only call himself "chief" of
sinners.
In the opening verses of Romans 5 we have a four-fold description
of those for whom Christ died :-
(i) "When we were yet without strength,"
v. 6.
(2) "In due time Christ died for the ungodly," v. 6.
(3) "While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us," v. 8.
(4) "When we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son," v. 10.
How
wonderfully do "GRACE AND TRUTH" shine together in this scripture!
Here the
foul disease and the certain remedy are seen together. Guilt is fully
discovered, but it is in the light of grace. Sin appears in connection with
love that puts it away. And if our true character is painted in its darkest
colours, it is that we may know the riches of the grace that seeks our blessing
in spite of all. Do not then, I beseech you, imitate the Pharisees, who
"rejected the counsel of God against themselves," and refused to take the
guilty sinner's place before Him. For if the light of God's grace does not find
you out and expose you in your true character now, depend upon it, the light of
His judgment will find you out by-and-by. Be honest with your own soul and with
God, and take home to yourself the solemn truth that you are without strength,
ungodly, a sinner, and an enemy, needing to be reconciled to God.
If
you refuse to accept this four-fold description as being true of yourself, you
thereby shut yourself out from the saving value of Christ's death. It was for
those who could by no means save, or help to save, themselves, that Christ
died; it was for ungodly sinners that He gave His life; and if you are not such
an one, you have neither part nor lot in the blessings which flow from His
death. A lifeboat is for the drowning, a physician is for the sick, and a
Saviour is for lost sinners.
Do not make a mistake. You may be decent
and moral in your life, fair and upright in your dealings with your fellow-men,
a good husband, a dutiful wife, an obedient child, or a faithful servant, and
yet be unsaved. You may attend church, chapel, or mission room with the
greatest regularity, and yet be among the many who are on the broad road. You
may even be a communicant, a church member, a liberal giver to charitable and
religious causes, a Sunday-school teacher, or a preacher, and at the same time
be a lost sinner on the way to death and eternal judgment.
Blame not
that honesty of speech which warns you in plain terms of your from your carnal
security in this world than to be damned in the next. Think of eternity. The
day speeds on when "the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be
burned up. . . and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." At that day you
will either be seated in glory around the Lamb once slain, or sus-pended in
space before the great white throne to be judged according to your works.
Either inside the heavenly city whose light is the Lamb, or outside, lighted
along the dark road to judgment by the crimson torch of a burning
world.
Thank God! it is not yet too late, but do not trifle with
present grace. You may remember the loss of the vessel called the Central
America. She was in a bad state, and had hoisted a signal of distress. A ship
came close to her, the captain of which asked, through the trumpet," What is
amiss?" "We are in bad repair, and are going down: lie by till morning," was
the answer. But the captain on board the rescue ship said, " Let me take your
passengers on board now." "Lie by till morning," was the message which came
back. Once again the captain cried, " You had better let me take your
passengers on board now." "Lie by till morning," was the reply which sounded
through the trumpet. About an hour and a half after, the lights were missing,
and, though no sound was heard, she and all on board had gone down into the
fathomless abyss.
Unconverted friend, do not say, "Lie by till
morning." Now is the accepted time. Today you may enter into life; to-morrow
the door may be shut.
C. A. COATES