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A FATAL MISTAKE

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 26, 1869

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 34, No. 18.

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A FATAL MISTAKE.

“THEN shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” Luke xiii, 26, 27.
We often think how highly favored were those persons who heard the voice of the Son of God. What an opportunity to make sure of being right. Indeed, they were a favored people. But it was just as easy to make a fatal mistake then as now. Our Lord warned them against one in particular, which nevertheless will be made by many.
Persons will come up in the Judgment expecting to be saved, not because of the putting away of their sins, and their leading lives of obedience to God, but because they were personally acquainted with Christ. They were his neighbors. They knew him from childhood. They had many a time heard him preach. He had eaten at their tables. He had lodged in their houses. He had wrought miracles in their presence. He had even wrought them for themselves or for members of their own families.
They were upon speaking terms with Him who is to be the Judge of mankind. There was no need of solicitude on their part to put away their sins. Their salvation was made sure, whatever might become of others.
So Satan can pervert the richest blessing, and turn it into a curse. These poor souls when they come up in the Judgment shall learn that Christ never knew them, i. e., as his people. They have trusted in the very thing which he warned them not to trust to, as it would be their ruin. Alas! how many in these days make a like mistake. They know the truth. They are intimately acquainted with the people of God. They walk to some extent with them, but they are never really of them. They neglect the great preparation. They fail to put away their sins. In the Judgment they awake to the fatal error which they have committed. Are there not some who read this article who are making this very mistake?