The Joy of Resting on Christ’s Finished Work

So I stand before you a confessed and a convinced Protestant and yet with a heart, I trust, filled with love for all my brethren who do not see as I see. I have no unkind thought for my friends in the Roman Catholic group or any other great groups who do not see these things. From the depths of my heart I long that they may be brought into the same joy and the same assurance that I have myself; for there is the wonderful thing about it: when you rest in the Word of God, you have absolute confidence. I have stood sometimes at the brink of the grave and I have watched many a Christian slip away into eternity and I have never known one who did not bear witness that all was well. And as they bade good-bye to friends on earth, they had the assurance that they were going out to be forever with the Lord. John Wesley said when people were criticizing his followers, “Well, the wonderful thing about Methodists is that they die well.” And that is a great testimony. When one has risked everything on the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and then comes down to facing eternity, there is no fear, there is no dread, nothing but perfect rest and joy and assurance based upon the work of Christ.
As a dear man was dying he looked up and somebody said, “Well, is it all right with you.” He said, “Yes, it is finished. Upon that I can hang my whole eternity.” What did he mean? Christ on the cross finished the work that saves and he could risk his all on that, and he knew that all would be well forevermore.
“Upon a life I did not live,
Upon a death I did not die:
Another’s life, another’s death,
I hang my whole eternity.”
if Christ fails me, then everything is lost. But if Jesus Christ abides, if He is the same yesterday, today and forever, then everything is well for eternity, for God in grace links up with Him all who put their trust in Him. I would not want to be without Him. I would not turn from Him to any church or any sacramental observances, to any ritualistic services, to any efforts of my own. I would not turn from Christ to trust in anything that might be presented for I find absolute satisfaction in Him, He has met every need of my soul and He has settled the sin question to the divine satisfaction. No, we will not attempt to liquidate Protestantism. We will go on preaching, in love and in the power of the Holy Ghost, as the Lord enables us, the blessed realities that were recovered for us at the glorious reformation through which all the centuries since, millions of people have found the full assurance of faith and trusted Christ alone and would not rest on church or sacraments for salvation. We stand today for these same precious things, and by the grace of God we will proclaim them as long as He gives life and strength.