Persecuted for His Sake.
By F. E. Gibson
SHALL we not trust in the One who said, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"? Need we think it strange who are followers of Christ Jesus if we are persecuted for doing that which is right? This same Jesus said that "men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you;" but, thank the Lord, it is falsely. And why do they do such things?—Because we are doing the will of God for Jesus' sake. Are we to be sorrowful and down-hearted because we have to pass thru these things?—No, the Lord said that we should "rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." A man or woman, or boy or girl, who is a Christian, a Christlike person, will experience these things as long as sin and Satan are in the world, which will be until we behold Jesus (the same personal Jesus who was on earth, a babe born in the manger of Bethlehem, who grew up to manhood, who was persecuted and at last nailed to the cruel cross, and who had the spear thrust into His side; the One who, after His resurrection, said unto Mary, who was seeking her Lord, "Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? . . . Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God") coming in the clouds of heaven the second time without sin unto salvation; until we see Him coming at that time with all His holy angels and in His Father's glory. What a glorious scene that will be to the Christian! What a terrible scene it will be to those who have not been doing the will of our Father which is in heaven!—so terrible that they will cry to the rocks and mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" I am thinking that they will then wish they had built their faith and doctrine upon the solid Rock, which is the Word of God, Jesus Christ, instead of the sands of sin and strife, and the pleasure of this world, instead of the doctrines and commandments of men which are false and like the quicksand! O, there is so much that could be said along this line, which would take too much time to tell you now, but I do hope that these few words will help some poor soul to look unto the Lord and be saved. It is now high time that all who are expecting to be saved in the kingdom of God and of our Christ, should be sure that their names are recorded in the Lamb's book of life, and that we should be looking unto Jesus continually every moment, every hour and day of our lives; for by so doing we shall be saved. "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else." "Look to the cross, sinner, believe it,
Look to the cross, healing is there;
Pardon is thine, only receive it,
Look to the cross in prayer. "Leave all thy sin, humbly confessing,
Truly forsake, turn and obey;
Jesus will give freely His blessing,
Ask and receive to-day. "Ask of the Lord, now He is willing,
Strength to impart, grace to bestow;
Promises sweet, ever fulfilling,
Prove the great debt we owe. "Look to the cross, trusting in Jesus,
Mighty to help, mighty to save;
From all our guilt gladly He frees us,
For us His life He gave."
F. E. GIBSON.