A Sad Story of a Woman Named Bochna
Without holiness, we risk losing both our eternal life and our temporal life, and will not see the Lord.
Thomas Brooks shares a poignant story of a woman named Bochna who tragically loses both of her sons in a single day, illustrating the dire consequences of neglecting one's spiritual life. He draws a parallel to the audience, emphasizing that each person has two 'children': the soul and the body, representing eternal and temporal life respectively. Brooks warns that without holiness, one risks losing both, highlighting the necessity of pursuing a holy life to see the Lord. The sermon serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of spiritual vigilance and the eternal stakes involved in our choices.
Text
I have read a sad story of a woman named Bochna,
who had but two sons in all the world. One day, when she
was walking with the one son by the river, she heard the
other cry out, and hastening to him, she found a knife
sticking in his side, which killed him immediately. Then
she made haste back to the other child--but in her
absence, he had fallen into the river and drowned--
and so she lost both her sons at once!
Now, this is your very case. Everyone of you have two
children, as I may say--a soul and a body--an eternal
life and a temporal life; and oh, what a dreadful and
unspeakable loss would it be to lose both these at once!
And yet, as certain as there is a God in heaven, you will
lose them both without holiness.
"Without holiness no one will see the Lord." Heb. 12:14
Sermon Outline
- Introduction
- Our Two Children
- The Consequences of Losing Both
- The Warning from Scripture
- Hebrews 12:14
- Without Holiness No One Will See the Lord
Key Quotes
“Everyone of you have two children, as I may say--a soul and a body--an eternal life and a temporal life; and oh, what a dreadful and unspeakable loss would it be to lose both these at once!” — Thomas Brooks
“Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We must prioritize living a life of holiness to ensure we don't lose our eternal life and our temporal life.
- Without holiness, we risk a dreadful and unspeakable loss, and will not see the Lord.
- Hebrews 12:14 warns us that without holiness, no one will see the Lord.