What Does it Mean to be
Saved?
by
Robert Murray McCheyne
Many
of you may be saying just now in your heart: It is quite true I am not at
present a saved person; but I am not far from the
kingdom
of
God.
I have just to repent and believe on Jesus, and then I am saved. Now this is
so short and simple a matter, I may do it at any time. I may enjoy the world
and its pleasures a little longer and then when death or disease threatens
me, it may be a good time to become anxious. Now, all this argument proceeds
upon a falsehood. You think you are not far from salvation: but Ah! my
friend, you are as far from salvation as any one can be that is in the land
of the living. There is only one case in which you could be further from
salvation and that is in hell. You are as far from salvation as anyone that
is out of hell. You may have much head knowledge of sin without the Holy
Spirit, but He alone can convince you of sin. That Spirit is a Sovereign
Spirit. He is given to the children of God as often as they ask Him; but He
is not at the bidding of unconverted men. You cannot bid Him come when you
fall sick, or when you are going to die; or if you should bid Him, He has
nowhere promised to obey. And now I wish you to see that there is a second
Divine work needful on your heart before you can believe. The Spirit must
convince you of Christ’s righteousness. Flesh and blood cannot reveal Christ
unto you, “but my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). That God is a
Sovereign God. He hath mercy upon whom He will have mercy. He is not at the
bidding of unconverted men. He has nowhere promised to bring to Christ all
whom He awakens. Oh! how plain that you are as far from salvation as any
soul can be that is out of hell. And can you be easy when you are at such a
distance from salvation? Can you go and sit down to a game of chance to
while away the time between this and judgment? Can you go and laugh and be
merry in your sins? How truly, then, did Solomon say: “The laughter of fools
is like the crackling of thorns under a pot”
– a loud noise for a moment, then
everlasting silence
– a short blaze, and a dark eternity.
Some of you
may be awakened by God, but unless you attain to a conviction of
righteousness, your conviction of sin will be all in vain. Remember, anxiety
for the soul does not save the soul. Sailors in shipwreck are very anxious.
They cry much to God in prayers and tears; and yet, though they are anxious
men, they are not saved men
– the vessel goes to pieces, and all are drowned.
Travellers in a wilderness may be very anxious, their hearts may die within
them, yet that does not show that they are safe; they may perish in the
burning sands. So you are much afraid of the wrath of God and it may be God
has, in mercy, stirred up these anxieties in your bosom, but you are not yet
saved; unless you come to Christ all will be in vain. Many are convinced who
are not converted. Many are now in hell who were once as anxious to escape
as you.
God only can give you this. The Spirit convinces of
righteousness. It is not flesh and blood that can give you a sense of the
preciousness of Christ. It is true, the Bible and preaching are the means
through which God works this conviction. He always works through the
Truth
– never without the Truth. If you be truly awakened, I know how
anxiously you will wait on these means; how you will search the Scriptures
with tears, and lose no opportunity of hearing the Word preached. But still,
the Bible and preaching are only means of themselves; they can only make
natural impressions on your mind. God only can make supernatural
impressions. Cry to God, then.
But remember, God is a sovereign God.
Do not cry to Him to convert you, as if it were a debt He owed you. There is
only one thing you can claim from God as a right, and that is a place in
hell. If you think you have any claim on God you are deceiving yourself. You
are not yet convinced of sin. Lie at the feet of God as a sovereign God
– a
God who owes you nothing but punishment. Lie at His feet as the God who
alone can reveal Christ unto you. Cry night and day that He would reveal
Christ unto you
– that He would shine into your darkness, and give you the
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. One
glimpse of that face will give you peace. It may be you shall be hid in the
day of the Lord’s anger.
From a sermon on John 16:8-10:
“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of
righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more.”
