Are you Reconciled to God?
By Noah W. Vincent
If our heart condemn us, we cannot have confidence toward God. Guilt is justly attended with fear. For God has ordained that sin should be rewarded and finished by death. The transgressor is a rebel against the one Lawgiver. If we have sinned, we have been taken captives, and set in array against our first and supreme Friend. We can no more joy in God whom we have grieved. We cannot love him, or find our chief pleasure in pleasing him. We have denied him; unless he looks upon us in mercy, we shall perish as his enemies. But Christ has made reconciliation for iniquity. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John iv, 10. While we were yet sinners, when we were enemies, God pitied us, and permitted Jesus to die for us. Oh, will not such grace make us give up our rebellion, and draw us to the holy, atoning Lamb? Dear unconverted, or backslidden friend, in love you are commanded to repent and believe the gospel. The Father now looks upon you in compassion. He is ready to forgive you for Christ's sake. He can be just and the justifier of him that believes in Jesus. "I delight not in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." Christ has bought us with his own blood. He bids us come. He suffered the death which we merited. He now says, whosoever will, let him partake of the water of life freely. We need not die the second death. All in Heaven, and the saints on earth, wish to have us saved. But there is only one door to the kingdom of Heaven; this door is Jesus. He is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him. The Father cannot love us with approval, while we slight his dear Son. Jesus cannot wash us from our sins while we adhere to them, and tread under foot his precious, justifying blood. Jesus first loved us, and gave for our ransom all that he could—even himself. Worthy is our ransom,—the sinless, only begotten, loving Son of God. Oh, let us in him be reconciled to God. Let us hate our sins which made it necessary that we should forever be lost, or that our good Shepherd should die. Let us confess our sins, and henceforth obey the kind and perfect law of God. After we have become the friends and children of God in Jesus, we shall delight to obey his word. Our Master will deliver us from the dominion of sin, and make us more than conquerors. Perfect love will cast out fear, and manifest itself by willing and patient obedience. While the longsuffering of God is waiting, while his good Spirit is striving with a rebellious world, let us be zealous and repent. Let us buy of Jesus gold tried in the fire, and white raiment. Let us obtain the evidence that he dwells in us by faith, and that we please him. Then we shall love his appearing, and not hide ourselves in the dens or rocks of the mountains. Then he will give us the kingdom. There shall we realize forever how great is our Father's goodness and love. There shall we be permitted to serve and glorify forever the Lamb that brought us nigh to God. NOAH W. VINCENT.