Jesus Saves to the Uttermost
By J. S. Washburn
"WHEREFORE he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Heb. 7:25. What a promise! To the uttermost! Down to the lowest depths, and far out to the utmost bounds of the universe, his almighty, saving love reaches. No soul is sunken in sin so deep, none bound so strongly in the chains of inherited weaknesses or acquired habits, but He is able to save completely. Though we sink hopelessly, as Jeremiah sank in Jerusalem's prison, he draws us, covered with the mire of sin, out of the dungeon darkness into the light of life, and washes us whiter than snow in his own life-blood. He will save also the respectable, genteel sinner, proud of the filthy rags of his own righteousness, if, like Job, when he beholds the spotless, glorious One, he cries out in the anguish of penitent self-reproach, "Behold, I am vile." "Mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." God is able to heal, and many times does answer our prayers for health, for temporal prosperity, and for earthly blessings, but it is not always best to grant these petitions. Even the thrice-offered, earnest prayer of the consecrated apostle Paul, that God would remove the thorn in his flesh, was not granted. God knew best. In every prayer of this kind we must always say, as Jesus said, "Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." He knows best. But there is one prayer that never needs to be thus qualified. It is always God's will to answer this prayer, and it is the most important prayer that we can pray. It is the prayer; all others are secondary petitions. What is this prayer? — The prayer for forgiveness of sin and for power to keep from sinning. It is always God's will to grant this prayer and to answer it completely, "to the uttermost." But it must be in faith, must be in the name of Jesus the Saviour, must be from the right motive. God may not take away the consequences of sin, even forgiven sin, at once; he did not in the case of David. Many are sorry for the consequences of sin, sorry for the effects, but not sorry for the sin itself. Drunkards often say they hate the drink, and wonder why God does not set them free; when in reality they still love the drink, but mourn over its blighting effects, its ruin in their own lives and in the lives of their loved ones. The man who hates the drink itself, will give it up. There is no evil habit fastened upon you, weary, struggling one, but that he will break, and give you the complete victory over, if honestly given up to God, with sorrow for the sin itself. He will make you more than conqueror. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." "I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." The honest, sincere, continued prayer of faith for forgiveness and victory over sin has never, never been unanswered. Truly he reaches to the lowest depths, saves the greatest sinner, the drunkard, the thief, the man with the murderous, evil temper, the outcast. Whenever he sees in the heart the faintest desire, or trace of earnest longing, for victory6over sin, even though Satan has almost complete possession, even though the mind be distracted, yea, even then Jesus will accomplish his wonderful work of salvation. Not only is Jesus able to take from us the worst sins, but he saves completely, from the least as well as the greatest sin, and keeps from falling now and forever. His name is Saviour, the sweetest name, the tenderest name in earth or in heaven. "Dearest name in earth or heaven,
Sweetest name my heart hath known;
By the Father it was given
To his well-beloved Son." "To my heart it brings a blessing,
And my lips take up the strain,
And his wondrous name confessing,
Tell its sweetness o'er again." "'Tis the holiest name, 'tis the lowliest name;
From the Father's lips to the earth it came,
Brought by angels of light, in the stillness of night,
Was the dear, dear name of Jesus." He saves and keeps those who come unto God by him. He ever liveth to make intercession for us. That is the one object of his life. Sometimes we say, "That person just lives for his loved ones." "That mother lives for her children." It is the one object of her life. The great purpose of our Saviour is to save to the uttermost and forever those who come unto God in his all-conquering name. "In the contemplation of Christ, we linger on the shore of a love that is measureless. We endeavor to tell of this love, and language fails us. We consider his life on earth, his sacrifice for us, his work in heaven as our advocate, and the mansions he is preparing for those who love him; and we can only exclaim, O the height and depth of the love of Christ! 'Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.' 'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.'"