Jesus – A Word For the Anxious

How thankful we may be that God, in His great grace, has not only found a way by which we may come to Him, but has made known in His word, and is making known by His servants, the welcome which all receive who draw near to Him by that appointed way.

Jesus is that way. His is the only name for salvation. He is the only road of blessing. Salvation is wrapped up in Him, and in Him alone is it found.

Let me take the five letters of His blessed, peerless name, and link with them the answers to several questions which are connected with our coming to God by Him.

First then, “How are we to come?” J shall bring before us the answer

JUST AS WE ARE.

God’s salvation reaches us in our sinful state, and provides for us perfectly.

God is righteous. He is “just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” He “justifieth the ungodly” (Rom. 3:26; 4:5).

It was for the salvation of sinners that He gave His Son to suffer and to die, and Christ’s death upon the cross opens the way of blessing for the worst who come.

Thus we are invited to come just as we are. Not to wait to improve ourselves—not to stay until we are more religious; but, as the prodigal in Luke 15, in his ruin and wretchedness, came to his father, so we are called to come as we are. God knows all about us. Every one of our sins is before His face, and the most secret thought of our heart is open in His sight, but the value of the blood of Christ is such that He can call us to the gospel feast, and bless us in spite of our condition.

The second question shall be, “Who may come?” and the letter E shall answer,

EVERYONE.

The house of blessing is open to all—Jew and Gentile, master and servant, banker and beggar, young men and maidens, old men and children—whatever their language, or colour, or country, all are welcomed.

The order to the servants who were sent forth to gather guests for the marriage feast was to bring “as many as ye shall find” (Matt. 22:9), and many other Scriptures show how free the invitation is.

Thus we read “Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters” (Isa. 55:1).

The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Rom. 1:16).

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

“Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17).

Thus none need stay away—however young, or however old. “Everyone,” “whosoever,” throws open the door for all. Let nothing hinder your coming, dear young reader. You will never be more fit to come; and you will never have a better opportunity of coming than you have now, while you read this paper. The Lord waits to be gracious. He is long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Our next question is “What shall I gain if I come?” To this there might be several words beginning with the letter S given as answers, but we choose the word

SATISFACTION.

Where will you find a satisfied heart in this weary world. Solomon with all his wealth and wisdom had it not. Looking upon all his toil and trouble to find happiness under the sun, he said, in the bitterness of his soul, “All is vanity and vexation of spirit.” There was no profit from all his labour. His heart found no rest. What was true for him then, is true for man now, and add to this the soul-anguish of one who learns what his sins are in the sight of God, and who cries “What must I do to be saved?” and the value of satisfaction will then be seen.

Thank God there is full satisfaction, both for the conscience and for the heart. Not only is our guilt met by the blood of Christ, but He, living now in heaven’s glory, becomes the Object for the believer’s affections. He finds that the One whose sacrifice on the cross puts away all his sins, is enough to fill the largest desires of his heart, and he may sing,

“Jesus, Thou art enough

The mind and heart to fill,

Thy life to calm the anxious soul,

Thy love its fear dispel.”

Our fourth question is “Shall I be cast out if I come?” No, indeed, He is an

UNFAILING

way of blessing. He hath said: “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” That is He will never, no never, cast out one who comes. No needy soul who applied to Christ, when He was here, was refused. The leprous, the palsied, the weak, the weary, the children—yea, all who came—were received and blessed. Sinners defiled and outcast found a welcome to the Son of God. And so it is today. A guilty, but penitent, sinner is never sent away unforgiven. The thief on the cross, the persecuting Saul of Tarsus, the hard-hearted jailer at Philippi have all been saved, and sinners of all ages and all conditions, drawing near to God by Him, find plenteous pardon and eternal blessing.

He did not fail me, my reader. Without any goodness of my own I came; and I found not only a present salvation, but a permanent one—He has kept me through twenty years of my life, and brought me stage by stage on my journey, and He hath said, “I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

At all times and at all seasons He proves Himself an unfailing Saviour—all power is in His hand, and the believer, whatever his circumstances, may say, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Our last question shall be, “What shall I lose if I come?”

Very often people think that they will be worse off if they are converted. Perhaps you are numbered in their ranks; you believe you will be dull and doleful all your days, and will, if you are turned to God, make “a heavy loss.” When I came to Christ I certainly made a heavy loss, but it was a happy loss—I lost my

SINS.

They had burdened my conscience and robbed me of rest, but I learned with joy and thankfulness that Christ had borne them in His own body on the tree, suffering for sins, “the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”

He has taken them away, and they are drowned in the depths of the sea of eternal forgetfulness.

Is not that a good loss? The Christian will never come into judgment, for the Lord Jesus has borne it at the cross. “The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” The Christian has peace and happiness that far exceed all that the worldling knows. His happiness is truer, brighter, and better, while eternal sunshine is before him.

In closing, let me urge my young reader to obey the invitation and to come now. We have seen:

How we are to come.

Who may come.

What we shall gain if we come.

That we shall not be cast out if we come.

And that our only real loss will be, our sins and the judgment.

Have you come? If not, will you come now?

I.Fleming

Scattered Seed 1896