03 What Is Christ to You?
What Is Christ to You? This is a very important and searching question, an answer to which will go far towards deciding what is our state before God. In times like these we ought to be decided, and to know how we stand in reference to eternity. We ought not to be satisfied with an uncertain hope, or an ill-founded confidence. Our calling and election should be sure. We should be able to say with the beloved apostle, "We know that we are of God." "We have passed from death unto life." "We are now the sons of God." Our standing before God--depends on our connection with Christ; and the state of our heart depends upon our fellowship with Christ. Let us, then, briefly look at the question.
What is Christ to you? If I reply for myself, I say, He is the foundation of my hope; for I have no hope towards God but what is founded on his person, sacrifice and finished work. I hope for pardon, because he died for sin; I hope for justification, because he rose from the dead; I hope for eternal life, because he ever lives to make intercession for me. The depravity of my heart, the imperfection of all my services, and the unholiness of my life--forbid my hoping for acceptance with God, access to God, or the enjoyment of God--upon any other ground. The Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, is my hope—He is also the object of my faith. As I believe in God, I believe also in him. I believe him to be what his word declares--I believe he has done what the gospel proclaims--I believe he will give what he has promised to those that seek him. I have no confidence but what is founded in Christ. Take away Jesus, and I despair. But while he occupies his proper place, I can believe that God will graciously pardon, fully justify, and faithfully keep my soul. My trust is in him, and in him alone. I rely on his obedience, blood shedding, and perfect work. I depend on his mediation, substitution, and atonement for eternal life; and feel persuaded that he will keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Jesus is the source of my supplies. I look to him for all I need for body and soul, for time and for eternity, for temporal and spiritual things. I believe that the wealth of God is stored up in him--that every blessing promised is in him--that all the provisions of the everlasting covenant are entrusted to him--that he has heaven and earth at his command. I therefore ask of him, look to him, expect from him. To him I confess my poverty. With him I lodge my problems. To him I present my petitions. From him I expect my supplies. I believe the testimony that it has pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell. I have had a glimpse of his glory, and perceive that he is full of grace and truth. I have received with pleasure the information, that all things are delivered unto him by his Father. I therefore repair to him as the fountain of living waters. I trust in him as able to supply all my needs. I expect from him, because he has kindly and faithfully promised. The Lord Jesus is the subject of my meditations. Not a day passes but my thoughts are occupied with Jesus. Forget whom I may, I never forget him. Nothing feeds, nothing refreshes, nothing delights my soul--like vigorous meditations on Jesus. I dwell at times on the glories of his person, the riches of his grace, the merit of his blood, the transcendent glory of his righteousness, the tenderness of his sympathy, the constancy of his love, the vastness of his resources, the greatness of his power, the variety of his characters, the glory of his offices, the prevalence of his intercession, and the grandeur of his second coming--until I am enamored with his beauty, and enraptured with his love. My meditation of Jesus is sweet, and it makes me glad in the Lord. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth praises him with joyful lips, when I remember him upon my bed, and meditate on him in the night watches.
It is delightful to occupy our thinking powers on Jesus and his glorious salvation. May I meditate upon him daily and hourly; and may my last thought in the time of death be, a thought of Christ!
He is the theme of my song. No song pleases me--if the name of Jesus is not in it; and the more it has of Christ in it, the better it pleases me. It is sweet to think of Christ; but it is at times, a little heaven on earth to sing of Christ. Herein we resemble the inhabitants of the better world, for they are singing, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Jesus is the solace and joy of my soul. In sorrow I repair to him for solace, and in sadness for the joys of his salvation. There are times when no one can make me happy but Jesus; but he always can—and blessed be his holy and adorable name, he sometimes does. When all is dark within me, when all is dreary around me, when all is discouraging before me--he fills me full of joy with his countenance. One look from his eye, one word from his lips, one breath breathed on my soul--relieves, restores, and makes me happy. He is the river of pleasure, in which I sometimes bathe; he is the Eden of delights in which I sometimes walk; in him are the wells of salvation, from which at times with joy I draw. Take away Jesus, and my soul droops, desponds, and dies; give me Jesus, and the enjoyment of his presence, and I can do without any other heaven. He is the glory of my brightest days, and my solace in my dreariest nights. In a word: he is the Alpha and the Omega of my salvation. It begins, it proceeds, it is completed in him. He engaged in the everlasting covenant. He appeared in the fullness of time. He bore our sins and carried our sorrows. He put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself. He brought in the everlasting righteousness. He conquered death, hell, and the grave. He ascended up on high, and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. He sent his gospel by his servants, and his Holy Spirit to apply it to the heart. He ever lives to intercede for us. His strength is perfected in our weakness. His grace is sufficient for us. Having obtained help from him, we continue to the present day. By his grace we are saved.
Such is the testimony of holy writ, and such are the views that revive my faith, refresh my soul, and endear my Redeemer to my heart. My experimental religion began with my feeling my need of him--it proceeded until I realized my saving interest in him--it stands now in my daily making use of him--and it will be perfected by my everlastingly enjoying him. Jesus is my all in all! And now, reader, What is Christ to you? Have you been able to go with me in my statements? Is your heart as my heart is? Perhaps you say, "Yes; but the half has not been told!" The half! No---not the ten thousandth part! The glories of Jesus are infinitely beyond our comprehension! Now we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but that which is perfect will soon come, and then shall we know even as also we are known. Is Jesus precious to your soul today? Is he the joy and rejoicing of your heart? Is he divinely glorious in your estimation? If so, you are the subject of the Spirit’s work: for he it is who glorifies Christ before us, within us, and by us. He takes of the things of Jesus, and shows them unto us. Without the presence, power, and operation of the Holy Spirit, we would never trust in him, boast of him, look to him, or surrender ourselves into his hands to be saved by him. Every right view of Christ, every honorable thought of Christ, every sweet enjoyment of Christ, every effort to honor Christ, every attempt to imitate Christ--flows from the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. The more we experience of the Spirit’s work, the more shall we love Jesus, exalt Jesus, extol Jesus, obey Jesus, and be conformed to the likeness of Jesus! Oh, that the Spirit of God, then, would work more powerfully in all our hearts! But perhaps my reader has no sympathy with me--but looks upon what I have written as a mere rhapsody. Is it so? Then from my heart I pity you--from my heart I pray for you. You need just such a Savior as Jesus is. No one but Jesus can save you from hell, raise you to heaven, or give you solid happiness in the present world. But Jesus can. Oh, that you felt your need of him! Oh, that you would flee to him to be saved from the wrath to come! Oh, that you would cast yourself into the arms of his mercy, and enjoy a free, full, present, and everlasting salvation!
What is Christ to you now? Is he your precious Savior? Is he your daily food? Is he the joy and rejoicing of your soul? Is he the foundation of your hope, the object of your faith, the source of your supplies, the subject of your meditations, the theme of your song, the solace and joy of your soul. The Alpha and Omega of your salvation?
He will be your JUDGE by-and-bye. He will either condemn--or justify you. He will either invite you to inherit a kingdom prepared for you--or, command you to depart from him into everlasting burnings, prepared for the devil and his angels. Which will it be? Which? Have you come to any conclusion on this point? Have you decided in your own mind--whether you shall go to hell or heaven? If so, to which are you going? If you have not--is it not time you had?