I Would thou Wert Cold or Hot.
By A. M. LINDSLEY
All! these are the words of Jesus! Words of deep import! And they have their application now, and to us. “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” Here is the end of those who make profession of the present truth, but do not come up to the standard in living it out. They have not the love of it deep down in the heart. Such are holding the truth in unrighteousness. Paul writes, “For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” Rom. 1:18. For such to profess the truth, is admitting in words their obligations both to God and man, yet practically denying the same. It is plain that a living faith in the messages will produce corresponding works. A faith or profession which comes short of this will only avail to our condemnation in the end. It is possible to live out these solemn truths. It is possible to obey God perfectly, else he would not have commanded it. By unbelief, we count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing. It is not possible to have the favor of God and be saved in his kingdom, unless we put forth efforts commensurate with the greatness of the work, and continue them till they shall be crowned with success. Hot, in the text, implies great earnestness and zeal; a thorough heart-work; in fact, a loving God with all the heart, might, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. Every power and capacity of our being must be entirely enlisted to overcome. How reasonable, if God is our kind Heavenly Father, Creator, and Preserver, that we should love him and be obedient to him. Jesus wants our love. He first loved us. Oh! how he loves! “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” Shall we open to him? We must. By the help of God, we will. Not sometime in the future, but now. Now is the day of salvation. Oh! for a taste of his love, then should we not rest satisfied at the halves. Oh! that we might realize our privilege in living at a time when the religion of Jesus Christ may cost us something. Away with faintness, and stumbling, and weakness, and unbelief, and hardness of heart, and all the list of hindrances to the pure life of God in the soul. Eternal life is worth something. It cost Jesus a life of toil and suffering, and a death of terrible agony—six thousand years of merciful providences on the part of both the Father and the Son, to bring about the salvation of a world. Oh! why should we cling to our rags and filthiness, our poverty and wretchedness, our blindness and nakedness? May God help us to make the exchange for the true riches, that we may, by-and-by, be exalted to a seat at his right hand, where the good and pure of all ages shall congregate; to a home with Jesus and angels; where God himself shall wipe away the last remains of sorrow. A. M. LINDSLEY.