SHALL WE STAND IN THAT DAY?
By F. M. CORBALEY
BEHOLD, I will send My messenger, and He shall prepare the way before Me,” writes Malachi, “and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap.” This question should interest every one at this time it; will be no little trial to stand in the day of the Lord’s appearing. How often we are warned concerning the coming of the Lord, and what kind of people we must be in order to stand at that time. God’s all-seeing eye is resting on all, and He is searching the hearts of all. He has sent out warning after warning that He will spare neither old nor young in that day, but only those who have their names written in the Lamb’s book of life. Whose names will be there? This is left entirely with you and me. Mine may be there, and so may yours. We do not write it there; but we may cause it to be written there. The names that are written there will be of a people that will be able to abide the day of His coming. Because some feel that the Lord has delayed His coming, they have grown cold and indifferent, and have fallen away. Such will have their names erased from the book of life. Many taste the good word, and on receiving it, become strong and full of zeal. Time passes, and it becomes an old story with them. They do not feel the necessity of living up to the constant pleading of the Spirit. Their minds become hardened, and can not see the purity in the message. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him. Thus they fall out by the way; others step in and take their places, and lend a hand in pushing the work of God. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? No, it does not. Neither can we serve God and the great offender of truth. Titus says in regard to our lives, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” This world comes to us not year by year only, but moment by moment; and as it comes it becomes present to us. The present moment Christ calls us to duty, to-morrow is not present, and may not be ours. Keep your eye on time, and live that time soberly, righteously. “Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.” Christ said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch can not bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” Christ is the Vine, and we can not abide with Him and be separate from Him. How easily we can separate ourselves from Him! When the boughs are withered, they shall be broken off. God will not break us off until we become withered. It is the farmer’s sharp plow that prepares the ground for the corn to take root. It turns up the fallow ground, digs out the weeds, lets the sunshine in. Let the sharp Word of God plow deep; let it break up our fallow thoughts, stir up our minds, that we may be able to discern the times. Heed the pleading of God’s voice. Put on the whole armor of God, and be able to stand. “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God;” as God has said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God.” “Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah? and who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, and hath not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah.” Ps. 24: 3–5. The day is far spent and the time is at hand, that God is calling on every Christian to awake, for His coming is near. He is sending warning after warning that the pure in heart only will see Him, those who stand refined before the great Refiner. That day is not far away, let all arise and be ready.