The Unsaved Clergyman WiS 1963-1

The Unsaved Clergyman by D.C.P.

I was travelling some years ago from Rochester to Buffalo. There were about sixty passengers in the same car with me. We were all, I thought, just then travellers in a double sense; not only were we fellow-travellers on the train of time speeding on to an endless eternity. Oh, what a solemn thought is this!

Reader, where art thou going to spend the eternity that lies before thee? Thou art going there as fast as time can carry thee, and thou knowest not how soon thy journey will terminate, for it is written, “Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Prov. 27:1.

I had with me at that time, as is always my custom, a package of assorted gospel tracts. With a short, earnest prayer to the Lord that He would own and bless the tracts, I commenced to distribute them around, giving one to each passenger. When I came to the last two passengers I observed that one of them was dressed in the garb of a clergyman. I presented him with one of my tracts, entitled, “Are you ready to meet God?” Friend, how is it with thee? Art thou ready to meet God?

As I presented the tract to the clergyman his eye glanced at the title, and at once very sarcastically and emphatically he exclaimed, “No, I’m not! Are you?” In answer to his question, “Are you?” I replied, “Through the grace of God I am ready to meet Him. God has saved me by His grace, and the blood of Jesus, His beloved Son, has satisfied all God’s claims against me as a sinner.” How is it with thee, my reader? Canst thou give such an answer, or art thou still in thy sins and afraid to meet God?

My saying I was ready to meet God seemed to astonish him greatly, for he said at once, “I consider you are awfully presumptuous to say you are ready to meet God.” “Surely,” I rejoined, “it is not presumption to believe God's Word, but it must be the height of presumption and folly to call in question, and refuse to bow to what God has declared in the Scriptures.”

Clergyman though he was, I felt I must be faithful to God and His truth. So I asked him, “How do you expect to get ready to meet God?” He replied, “By doing all the good I can, and living a holy life.” I said “What authority have you for that way of getting ready for God's holy presence?” “Oh,” said he, “I could give you plenty of verses from the Bible which teach us that.” I asked him to give me one. This he did not because he could not.

“No,” I said, “God’s Word declares, 'It is not of works lest any man should boast' Eph. 2:9; also, 'By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight'" Rom. 3:20.

I continued: “You have sinned and come short of God’s glory, Rom. 3:23, and all righteousness, holy living, and good works in the sight of God are as filthy rags. Isa. 64:6.” He now became very angry at me for speaking so personally and pointedly to him, and indignantly retorted, “Why do you trouble people, and who are you to presume to give a tract to me — a clergyman?”

I replied, “Clergyman though you are, you need salvation, and if you do not repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and get your sins forgiven you will be eternally damned.” Mark 16:16. With these words I left him, trusting the Lord would bless my conversation to him and to those who were listening.

And now dear reader, you, likewise, may be in the place of a teacher, may be a Sunday-school teacher, or an active member of some religious body, and be yet unsaved — not ready to meet God. It may be thou art saying to thyself, “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” Jer. 6:14. If thou art trusting to anything in thyself — any good thou canst do — then surely thy peace is a false peace. Be warned in time, give up thine own doings, and flee to the Lord Jesus Christ for true peace, “for He has made peace by the blood of His cross.” Col. 1:20.

The clergyman’s plan of salvation was, “Do the best you can, and try and live a holy life.” It was his own plan — the devil’s plan — and many thousands to-day are trusting it. Satan has succeeded marvellously in preaching this plan of salvation; it is his plan, and leads to the lake of fire. It is the way of Cain, who offered to God the fruit of his own toil. Scripture pronounces “woe” to all such. Jude 11.

Dear friend, what art thou trusting to for salvation? Listen to God’s plan: He first declares, “There is none righteous, no, no one” Rom. 3:10; “none that doeth good,” verse 12. To all who acknowledge this, and bow to God’s verdict of “guilty,” God declares the good news, “Christ died for the ungodly.” Rom. 5:6. “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” How precious is this truth, dear unsaved reader; it is for the ungodly,and for him who works not, but believes. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31.

Sources

• Words in Season 1963-1