SUNDAY READING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14841, 18 November 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

SUNDAY READING.

- m- & PRESENT SALVATION. 'f r ■ ■ - ■ ■■-■■■ BT EST. X. B. WAISMNGTON. / "Ho that believeth>on the Sob•.bath■ emlffltiftf life."—John iii. 36. . The preaching, of a present and a realised t |; salvation«is oft-times tie cause of - misoonception and offence. One day I came in contact with a man who was for a short time an occasional hearer in my church. "Do you know' why I cowed to ' attend your church?" he asked. "1 have not been, since I heard you say in .a sermon ;i : that fe|| you knew that . your tins were fcTgiven, and that you were certain of heaven. I was always taught that no one could be oertain of salvation.". ~ I replied that, as no minister is infallible, we should always try what we hear ,by: tV : Word of God. The Boreans who heard tfie Apostle Paul preach are commended ; oe- I m cause they ''searched the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so" (Acts 18, 11). >|f This I earnestly urged him to do,' solemnly I;'' warning him of the danger of " neglecting ',4 % !so great salvation" (Heb. 2, «5). ' ' » 4 -•%4w| ■ Those who have not come to Ohriiit for salvation cannot be assured of what , they,-o : X "have not accepted, and are actually reject- jsi ing by their neglect and unbelief. "Tlusju r~'-' the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men lovea darkness Wither'- ',;/ than light, because their deeds were evil" ■ SI (John iii. 19). t The Bible teaches that unbelief is the ,4" ) great cause of condemnation, for we read:; 'I •$ He that believeth not is condemned al- || ready" .'(John iii. .18; Mark xvi, :16).tt;:^ : |||i||® The Bible also teaches that all who .hate | ; been led to see their need of a Saviour ]bjf/M|| the Holy Spirit, and have been enabled to.?;- Hi trust to Jesus only as having made a ; ife||||i fect satisfaction and atonement for their Ag sins, are freely and fully forgiven;- in fast,, > h "have everlasting life." , . .... ;> In the First Epistle of John (v. 13) ff* #rjg read "These things have I written unfa you that believe on the name of the ' Son ./>' l of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life." "I write unto you, little children (the youngest and weakest 'of be- , lievers), because your sins are forgiven youy for His name's sake"' (ii. 12). ' * W|H Therefore, the language of believers M j®jji (recorded in the Bible is that of certainty ggj -j! for although they well know that their: siMp|||! deserved eternal death, and that, they w<re.'i ; ' weak and helpless, sinners, yet they trusted j; „ in the Lamb which God had provided as their Sin-bearer and Substitute, who for ggll His hoNy life and agonising death obtain-ad for them "eternal life, which fed, that gjj cannot lie, promised before the world be- ,&>i| gan" (Titus 1. 2). St. Paul writes: "We are always conn* dent" (2 Cor. v. 6).; "God hath saved : ;U%||p;j . and called us with a holy calling,, not according to our works, but according to H' l own purpose and grace, which was Bt76# us in Christ Jesus before the world began _e • ||||| (2 Tim. i. 9). Si:. John writes: "We know that we have passed from death into l»e» ,>v,l because we love the brethren" (1 John ui« 14) ; and in the 'Revelation (i. 5) he add# jgM|§ that "Ho loved us, and washed us frost' our sins in His own blood." ■ . ■ , • God having found a way by > which ' -> C might be just, and the Justifier ,01 i|i|p which believeth in Jesus" _ (Rom. !»•, 4Pw i|| all believers are addressed in the Bible a * 3 undoubtedly pardoned:—"l have blottedout. as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud thy sins return unto .Me, for I have redeemed thee" (Isaiah xliv. Mb Nor is this confidence confined to ww primitive ages of the Church, for the pre* ~ cious blood of Christ Uta|J§|§ Shall never lose its power, „ ': . Till all the ransomed Church of God, . Be Bared, to Bin 110 more. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (395), said' JM j "To bo assured of our salvation is no arw gant stoutness; it is our faith. It MffgaßH pride; it is devotion. It is no prestiunp* tion; it is God's promise." ml^SSaam A Christian -woman who was passing m>ot ?|gr|g eternity, evidently without a doubt • »|||| fear, being asked the crrotind of hor conn donee replied: "The justice of God Maw lieving that Jesus paid her debt when Si died for her upon the cross. Gods lcl * . l|| fulness and justice, not our frames -a™* y|J feelings, are the ground of assurance. a Riga doubt whatever He states is fearful pr sumption, for "Ho that believoth not wv*» , j|jj bath made Him a liar" (I John v. .W)» '