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Two Great Receptions

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 10, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 41.

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Two Great Receptions

By H. A. St. John

H. A. ST. JOHN

The Reception of Sinners

OUR loving Heavenly Father, through his Son Jesus, has prepared a great reception for sinners. As all have sinned, the invitation to this reception is to all. Our Heavenly Father gave freely his own beloved Son to die for man, that, through the merits and the sacrifice of Christ, all who would, might come to him. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” Not only will he receive them, but he will make them members of his household, sons and daughters of the Almighty; not for a day only, but for eternity; cleansed from all sin, washed in the blood of the Lamb, clothed in the beautiful garments of salvation, and fed continually with that bread that ever cometh down from heaven.
Who can measure the honor, the blessedness, the sweetness, of such a reception? The glad tidings and great joy of this invitation are to all people. Jesus rejoices, and all the angels rejoice, over every sinner that accepts of this invitation, and comes to this reception. The way is still open, the invitation continues, and still there is room. O sinner, come before it is too late.

The Reception of Saints

Very soon after the close of the reception for sinners, there will be a call to saints, those who have accepted the first invitation. Hear Jesus talking to all the guests at the first reception: “In my Father’s house are many mansions. . . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself.” He will receive all the sons and daughters of the Lord at one time. Before they enter the holy city, the place of the reception, their sickly, mortal bodies will be instantly changed, fashioned like the immortal, beautiful, glorious body of Jesus. All tears will be forever wiped away from all eyes; no more death; peace and joy unspeakable and full of glory.
“O how sweet it will be in the beautiful land, So free from all sorrow and pain, With songs on our lips, and harps in our hands, To meet one another again!”
No pen nor tongue can portray the unsurpassed glory and beauty of that city home. All will be eternal. And the best of all will be that Jesus will be with us, and we shall be his loving children eternally.
*Sanitarium, Cal.