The biggest loser!
There are usually two sides:
the one dangerousâthe other safe; the one is uncertainâand the other is sure.
It is always the wisestâto be found on the safe side!
Look at the unbeliever:
He denies the Bible to be God’s book.
He walks by his own reason.
He gratifies his senses and his lusts.
He lives in sin.
He must soon die.
He has no Savior.
He has no true hope.
If the Bible is falseâthen he is safe; BUT if the Bible is trueâthen he is damned forever!
He is certainly not on the safe side!
There are many things in the Bible which he does not like.
He is prejudiced against it.
It never prophecies good concerning himâbut always evil.
It requires him to change his present sinful courseâbut he loves it.
He loves sinâand the Bible condemns it.
He gratifies the lusts of the fleshâand the Bible bids him to mortify them.
In a word, there is as much opposition between the Bible and himâas between light and darkness, holiness and sin, truth and error. Therefore he hates it!
At the best, with him all is uncertain, unsatisfactory, and vexatious.
He is certainly not on the safe side!
Now look at the true Christian:
He believes the Bible to be from God. He has examined it. He has evidence of its inspiration in his heart. He fully believes it.
What the Bible says of himself as a sinnerâhe knows to be true.
What it says of Jesus as a Saviorâhe has proved to be a fact.
As guiltyâhe has applied to God for pardon, and obtained it.
As impureâhe has sought the cleansing operations of the Holy Spirit, and has experienced them.
His guilt is goneâtherefore he has no slavish fears.
His soul is justifiedâtherefore he has peace with God.
He approves of the inspired preceptsâand regulates his life by them.
He carries his cares to Godâand is sustained under them.
He realizes that God is his Friend, his Father, and his everlasting Portion.
He is peaceful.
He is often happy.
To him death has no stingâand eternity has no terror.
He knows Jesus as his Saviorâand trusts in Him.
He knows God as his Fatherâand walks with Him.
He knows the Holy Spirit as his comforting Teacherâand listens to Him.
He is, perhaps, more tried than the unbelieverâbut he has supports, consolations, and pleasuresâof which the unbeliever knows nothing. He lives to bless others, to honor God, to prepare for a glorious immortality.
He would not change his worst dayâfor the unbeliever’s best day!
He is on the safe side!
If the unbeliever should be rightâthen the Christian is no loser.
But if the Christian is rightâand he isâthen the unbeliever is the biggest loserâan infinite loser!
Reader, on which side are you? There is but one safe side.
There is no safety for a sinner nowâbut at the Cross!
There will be no safety at death and judgmentâbut in Christ!
He who is on the safe side nowâwill be on the safe side then!
There will be no changing sides then!
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne! All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right handâand the goats at His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Fatherâinherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world!’ (the safe side)Â Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed onesâinto the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons!’ (the perilous side)Â And they will go away into eternal punishmentâbut the righteous will go into eternal life!” Matthew 25:31-46
(James Smith, “The Safe Side!”)
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