Coming to Christ

(Article for publication week of 5-8- AD 2014)

 

"And Jesus said unto them, ' I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst" (John 6:35).

We have been considering the doctrine of saving faith in its principle acts. We spent several columns on receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour. Next to be considered is the act of coming to Christ. Our text this week in John 6:35 shows us that coming to Christ is one of the principle acts of faith, if not synonymous with faith.

First of all, I will point out that everything we have said about receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour is applicable to coming to Christ. That is, we come to Christ by faith as a Lord to rule over us, and as a Saviour to save us from our sins. We come to Christ in all his offices as Prophet, Priest and King. And we come to Him as the God Man Who is the only Mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5).

But there are some things that are peculiar to the act of coming to Christ that are especially precious. First of all, I want you to understand that coming to Christ is a spiritual activity. It has nothing to with man's natural abilities. A lame man can come to Christ as a poor sinner and be saved, for coming to Christ is an act of the soul, not an action of the human body. Coming to Christ has nothing to do with coming to the front of the church, or coming to the baptismal pool or font. Many people have done these things who have never come to Christ by faith. Coming to Christ is just that; it is coming to Him as the only Mediator between  God and man, for He is indeed the only Mediator. Saving faith is coming to Christ. It is not coming to a preacher or a so-called "priest". There are in reality no human priests, and every man who claims to be one is a fraud.

Coming to Christ is coming to Him by faith in our souls as a poor sinner who needs to be saved. We come to Christ in our affections as we see in Him the only hope of sinners such as ourselves. The sinner who truly comes to Christ, repents of his sins and believes in Christ for his whole and sole righteousness. As the hymn says, " just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me; and that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, Oh Lamb of God I come."

Our text says something most wonderful about coming to Christ. Christ says that He is the bread of life and those who  come to Him will never hunger. It is obvious that our Lord is using a metaphor here. Christ is not saying that He is literally a piece of bread. No, He is saying as bread satisfies our hungry bodies, so He satisfies our hungry souls. The poor sinner who believes in Christ for salvation finds in Him that which satisfies the deep longings in His soul. And only Christ can satisfy a hungry soul. You see dear readers, believing in Christ satisfies the desires of a heaven born soul. The child of God who is born from above has longings and desires that he never had as natural man. Faith in Christ, which is likened to coming to Christ satisfies the regenerate soul as nothing else can. Poor sinner, come to Christ and feed upon Him. Coming to Him you shall never hunger, and believing on Him you shall never thirst.

A Great Saviour for Great Sinners

(Article for publication week of 5-1- AD 2014)

"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (I Timothy 1:15).

A dear saint of God upon his dying bed, surrounded by his family and church members was asked if he were prepared to die believing the gospel he had preached, said, " I am a great sinner, but Christ is a Great Savior"! Though he had lived a holy life, his hope in his dying hour was in Christ Alone. Such is the experience of every child of Grace. Though taught of the Spirit to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, we know that our best righteosnesses are filthy rags before God, and our lives cannot stand the scrutiny of God's strict justice. The believer feels himself to be the "chief of sinners", but He knows that Christ is a great Saviour.

Dear reader, do you feel yourself to be the "chief of sinners?" Have you been taught by the Word and the Spirit that you are utterly lost and ruined? Well, here is the glorious gospel of the Son of God- Christ Jesus came into the world to save the chief of sinners! The Lord Jesus Christ is able to save, and He is willing to save.

The Lord Jesus Christ is able to save because He is God. Our text says that He "came into the world." It is implicit in the text what is explicit in other scriptures, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God. He is without beginning or end and is coequal with God, because He is God. Our case is such that none less than God Himself could or would save us. We are not small sinners, but very great ones. And so the Eternal Son of God came into the world conceived in a virgin's womb by the direct agency of the Holy Spirit and became a Man Who would live a sinless life and die as a Substitute for all the Father gave Him in the Covenant of Grace. Christ accomplished redemption when He died upon the Cross and He rose again the third Day for our justification and ascended back to His rightful throne in heaven where he now pleads the cause of all for whom He died. Christ is able to save the chief of sinners!

And Christ is willing to save the chief of sinners. Why, He said in John 6:37, "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." He said in Matthew 11:28, "come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Dear reader, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, the very moment you receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour. The only people Christ ever turned away were those who were self righteous and did not want a saviour. We read in the scriptures where Christ saved thieves, murderers, prostitutes, persecutors of the Church, tax collectors, and the vilest of characters. Perhaps you feel your sins are worse than all these out together. Well I will give you the words of scripture, "the blood of Christ cleanseth from ALL sin" (I John 1:7); and "ALL manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men" (Matthew 12:31). Perhaps you fear you have committed the "unpardonable sin." I am not sure the theologians have figured out exactly what it is, but I doubt if you are given over to a reprobate mind if you are truly repenting and seeking Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief, and He saved a wretch as vile as Thomas Ray Floyd, and I am sure that according to the scriptures He is able and willing to save you too. Come to Christ and receive Him as your Lord and Saviour and you will find Him mighty to save.