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Come to Jesus

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Michigan · Aug 26, 1862

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 20, No. 13.

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Come to Jesus.

COME IN FAITH.

In the New Testament we read very much about faith. We are said to be "justified by faith," and "saved by faith," and are told to "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be saved." Faith is confidence, reliance. If I am hungry, and a kind friend offers me something and says it is bread, but it is dark, and I cannot see, yet if I begin at once to eat it, this is faith. I trust in his word. If I am sick, and medicine is given me which I am told will do me good, and I drink it, this is faith. I believe or have confidence in the doctor's skill. Jesus came into the world to die for sinners. He says, "Believe in me. I have purchased a full pardon for you, and you may go free. It cost my own blood to obtain it, but you are freely welcome to it. If you will obey my words, and trust in my protection, I will engage to save you from death and hell: I am quite able to do this. Here is bread to eat, which will make you live for ever if you eat it: here is a medicine which will so cure your soul's sickness that you shall never die. Come unto me—believe in me, and you shall be saved." Faith is just trusting to what Jesus says. Faith is simply coming to Jesus. He has died for thee. Believe it and take the benefit of his dying. He has opened the prison-door for thee. Believe it, and make thine escape. He is willing to bear thy burden for thee. Believe it, and cast thy sins upon him. He has paid all thy debts. Rejoice. He brings salvation to thee, and says, "It shall be thine, if thou art willing." Stretch forth thy hand, and take it with a grateful heart. Like the prodigal in the parable, thou hast wandered far from home; but Jesus has obtained for thee permission to return. Thy Father, for his sake, is willing to welcome thee back. Believe it, and say, "I will arise, and go to my Father." You desire to be trusted by your husband, or wife, or children; you would feel hurt by their doubting your word. So Jesus wishes to be believed when he says, "Poor sinner, I am able and willing to save thee. Come unto me." Do not grieve him by distrusting his word. If you do not come, because you think you are too great a sinner, you say, in effect, that he is not able to save you, though he tells us "he is able to save to the uttermost All who come." You make him a liar. Believe that he really will do what he promises. Go to him at once. Say to him, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. Thou art able to save to the uttermost—save me."

COME AS A SINNER—JUST AS YOU ARE.

Perhaps you say, "How can I, who am so vile a sinner, venture to come near the holy Jesus? Will he permit such a wretch to approach him? Must I not wait till I am more fit?" Fellow-sinner, what you think to be a hindrance is your best encouragement; for "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners," and therefore to save such as you. "I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Not that there are any who are absolutely righteous, but there are many who think themselves so, and such persons will never be received by Christ. We must come to him in our true character, if we come at all. We are great sinners. We have broken God's laws. We have indulged in wickedness in our hearts, as well as in open conduct; we have quenched the Spirit, and despised the love of Jesus. Every thing we do is full of imperfection. We cannot make ourselves pure. And if we come to Jesus pretending we are righteous, we only mock him. Instead of thinking we are "rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing," we must come as those who are poor, miserable, blind, and naked. Thus we must come to Jesus, and confess our unworthiness. In one of his parables he spoke of a self-righteous man, who thanked God that he was better than others; and of a broken-hearted penitent, who did not venture to raise his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" It was the latter who went home pardoned and saved. And if we would be accepted by Jesus, we must go to him in the same spirit, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner!" And we must not wait, thinking that we shall ever be more worthy. No, our souls are stained through and through with sin, and all our washing will never get rid of one dark spot. The blood of Christ alone can make us clean. We can never make ourselves better. We must come to Jesus to make us better; and till then nothing is done. Our very first duty is to come to Jesus. Come then, poor sinner. Wait not another moment, foolishly thinking you will be more fit by and by. You will never be more fit, and never more welcome, than at this moment. Jesus knows, far better than even you do, how sinful and vile you are; yet he does not say, "Wait," but, "Come." Come then, with all your sins and weakness, and hardness of heart, come to Jesus. Come as a sinner, and come just as you are.