GRACE FOR SERVICE.
"FOR the grace of God that bringeth salvation to all men hath
appeared; teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present
world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us,
that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a
peculiar people, zealous of good works."
In this wonderful passage we see grace in a threefold aspect: grace
that bringeth salvation; grace for holy living; and grace for
service. I have had three red-letter days in my experience: the
first was, when I was converted; the next was when I got my lips
opened, and I began to confess Christ; the third was, when I began
to work for the salvation of others.
I think there are a great many who have got to the first stage; some
have got to the second; very few have got to the third. This is the
reason, I believe, why the world is not reached.
Many say they are anxious to "grow in grace." I do not think they
ever will, until they go out into the harvest field and begin to
work for others. We are not going to have the grace we need to
qualify us for work until we launch out into the deep, and begin to
use the abilities and the opportunities we already possess. Many
fold their arms, and wait for the grace of God to come to them; but
we do not get it in that way. When we "go forward," then it is that
God meets us with His Grace.
If Moses had stayed in Horeb until he got the grace he needed, he
never would have started for Egypt at all. But when he had set out,
God met him in the way and blessed him day by day as he needed. Many
grow discouraged because there is a little opposition; but if we are
going to work for God we must expect opposition. No real work was
ever done for God without opposition. If you think that you are
going to have the approval of a godless world, and of cold
Christians, as you launch out into the deep with your net, you are
greatly mistaken. A man said to me some time ago, that when he was
converted he commenced to do some work in connection with the
Church; he was greatly discouraged because some of the older
Christians threw cold water on him, so he gave up the whole thing.
I pity a man who cannot take a little cold water without being any
the worse for it. Why, many of the Christians in old times had to go
through the fire, and did not shrink from it. A little cold water
never hurts any one.
Others say they have so many cares and troubles, they have as much
as they can carry. Well, a good way to forget your trouble is--to go
and help some one else who is carrying a heavier burden than
yourself. It was when Job began to pray for his friends that he
forgot his own troubles. Paul gloried in his infirmity, and in the
tribulations he had to undergo, so that the power of Christ might
all the more rest upon him. He gloried in the Cross: and you must
bear in mind that the Cross was not so easy to bear in his day as it
is in ours. Every one was speaking against it. "I glory in the Cross
of Christ," he said. When a man gets to that point, do you tell me
that God cannot use him to build up His kingdom? In his second
letter to the Corinthians, Paul speaks of "the thorn in the flesh;"
he prayed the Lord to take it away. The Lord said He was not going
to take it away: but He would give His servant grace to bear it. So
the apostle learned to thank God for the thorn, because he got more
grace. It is when the days are dark that people are brought nearer
to God. I suppose that is what Paul meant.
If there is any child of God who has a "thorn in the flesh," God has
grace enough to help you to bear it if you will but go to Him for
it. The difficulty is that so many are looking at their troubles and
sorrows, instead of looking toward the glorious reward, and pressing
on their way by God's help.
In ii Corinthians 9:8, we read: "God is able to make all grace
abound towards you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all
things, may abound to every good work." There are three thoughts
here--God makes _all grace_ to abound, that we may have _all
sufficiency_ in _all things_. I think this is one of the most
wonderful verses in the Bible.
There is plenty of grace. Many Christians, if they have grace enough
to keep them from outward sin, seem to be perfectly satisfied; they
do not press on to get _fullness of grace_, so as to be ready for
God's work. Many are satisfied to go into the stream of grace ankle
deep, when God wants them to swim in it.
If we always came to meetings desiring to get strength, then we
should be able to go out to work and speak for Christ. There are a
great many who would be used of God, if they would only come boldly
to His throne of grace, and "find grace to help in time of need." Is
it not a time of need now? God has said, "I will pour water on him
that is thirsty." Do we thirst for a deeper work of grace in our
hearts?--for the anointing of the Spirit? Here is the promise: "I
will pour water on him that is thirsty." Let all who are hungering
and thirsting for blessing come and receive it.
Another reason why many Christians do not get anything is--because
they do not give out to others. They are satisfied with present
attainments, instead of growing in grace. We are not the fountain;
we are only a channel for the grace of God to flow through. There is
not one of us but God wants to use in building up His kingdom. That
little boy, that grey-haired man, these young men and maidens; all
are needed: and there is a work for all. We want to believe that God
has grace enough to qualify us to go out and work for Him.
If we have known Jesus Christ for twenty years or more, and if we
have not been able to introduce an anxious soul to Him, there has
been something wrong somewhere. If we were full of grace, we should
be ready for any call that comes to us. Paul said, when he had that
famous interview with Christ on the way to Damascus, "Lord, what
wilt Thou have me to do?" Isaiah said, "Here am I, send me." Oh that
God would fill all His people with grace, so that we may see more
wonderful things than He has ever permitted us to see! No man can
tell what he can do, until he moves forward. If we do that in the
name of God, instead of there being a few scores or hundreds
converted, there will be thousands flocking into the Kingdom of God.
Remember, that we honor God when we ask for great things. It is a
humiliating thing to think that we are satisfied with very small
results.
It is said that Alexander the Great had a favorite General to whom
he had given permission to draw upon the royal treasury for any
amount. On one occasion this General had made a draft for such an
enormous sum that the Treasurer refused to honor it until he
consulted the Emperor. So he went into his presence and told him
what the General had done. "Did you not honor the draft?" said the
Emperor. "No; I refused till I had seen your Majesty; because the
amount was so great." The Emperor was indignant. His Treasurer said
that he was afraid of offending him if he had paid the amount. "Do
you not know," replied the Emperor, "that he honors me and my
kingdom by making a large draft?" Whether the story be authentic or
not, it is true that we honor God when we ask for great things.
It is said that on one occasion when Caesar gave a very valuable
present, the receiver replied that it was too costly a gift. The
Emperor answered that it was not too great for Caesar to give. Our
God is a great King; and He delights to use us: so let us delight to
ask Him for great grace, that we may go out and work for him.
I find that many Christians are in trouble about the future; they
think they will not have grace enough to die by. It is much more
important that we should have grace enough to live by. It seems to
me that death is of very little importance in the meantime. When the
dying hour comes there will be dying grace; but you do not require
dying grace to live by. If I am going to live perhaps for fifteen or
twenty years, what do I want with dying grace? I am far more anxious
about having grace enough for my present work.
I have sometimes been asked if I had grace enough to enable me to go
to the stake and die as a martyr. No; what do I want with martyr's
grace? I do not like suffering; but if God should call on me to die
a martyr's death, He would give me martyr's grace. If I have to pass
through some great affliction, I know God will give me grace when
the time comes; but I do not want it till it comes.
There is a story of a martyr in the second century. He was brought
before the king, and told that if he did not recant they would
banish him. Said he, "O king, you cannot banish me from Christ; for
He has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee!" The apostle
John was banished to the island of Patmos; but it was the best thing
that could have happened: for if John had not been sent there,
probably we should never have had that grand Book of Revelation.
John could not be separated from his Master.
So it was with this brave martyr, of whom I was speaking. The king
said to him, "Then I will take away your property from you." "You
cannot do that: for my treasure is laid up on high, where you cannot
get at it?" "Then I will kill you." "You can not do that; for I have
been dead these forty years: my life is hid with Christ in God." The
king said, "What are you going to do with such a fanatic as that?"
Let us remember that if we have not grace enough for service, we
have no one to blame but ourselves. We are not straitened in God: He
has abundance of grace to qualify us to work for Him.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
I heard a story about two members of a Church: one was a wealthy
man, and the other was one of those who cannot take care of their
finances--he was always in debt. The rich brother had compassion on
his poor brother. He wanted to give him some money; but he would not
give it to the man all at once: he knew he would not use it
properly. So he sent the amount to the minister, and asked him to
supply the needs of this poor brother. The minister used to send him
a five-dollar bill, and put on the envelope "More to follow." I can
imagine how welcome the gift would be; but the best of all was the
promise--"More to follow." So it is with God: there is always "more
to follow." It is such a pity that we are not ready to be used by
God when He wants to use us.
Dear friends, let me put this question to you: Are you full of
grace? You shake your head. Well, it is our privilege to be _full_.
What is the best way to get full of grace? It is to be emptied of
self. How can we be emptied? Suppose you wish to get the air out of
this tumbler; how can you do it? I will tell you: by pouring water
into the tumbler till it is full to overflowing. That is the way the
Lord empties us of self. He fills us with His grace. "I will pour
water on him that is thirsty." Are you hungering to get rid of your
sinful selves? Then let the Spirit of God come in and fill you. God
is able to do it.
See what He did for John Bunyan--how He made one of the mightiest
instruments for good the world ever saw, out of that swearing
Bedford tinker. If we had a telescope which would enable us to look
into heaven as Stephen did, I can imagine we should see the thief,
who believed in Jesus while on the cross, very near the throne. Ask
him how he got there; and he would tell you it was through the grace
of God. See how the grace of God could save a Mary Magdalene
possessed of seven devils! Ask her what it was that melted her
heart: and she would tell you that it was the grace of God. Look
again at that woman whom Christ met at the well at Sychar. The
Saviour offered her a cup of the living water: she drank, and now
she walks the chrystal pavement of heaven. See how the grace of God
could change Zaccheus, the hated publican of Jericho! Now he is in
yonder world of light; he was brought there by the sovereign grace
of God.
You will have noticed that many of those who were about the most
unlikely, have, by the power of God's grace, become very eminent in
His service. Look at the twelve apostles of Christ; they were all
unlettered men. This ought to encourage all whose education is
limited to give themselves to God's work. When our earthly work is
ended, then, like our Master, we shall enter into glory. It has been
well remarked: "Grace is glory militant; and glory is grace
triumphant. Grace is glory begun; glory is grace made perfect. Grace
is the first degree of glory: glory is the highest degree of grace."
"Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let Thy grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it--
Prone to leave the God I love--
Here's my heart, oh take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above."