Documenting the American South Logo

Receiving Christ:
Electronic Edition.


Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
supported the electronic publication of this title.


Text scanned (OCR) by Christie Mawhinney
Text encoded by Barry Maglaughlin and Jill Kuhn
First edition, 2000
ca. 15K
Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
2000.

No copyright in the United States

Source Description:
(caption title) Receiving Christ.
8 p.
[Raleigh, N. C.]
[s.n.]
[between 1861 and 1865.]
Call number 4821 Conf. (Rare Book Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)


        The electronic edition is a part of the UNC-CH digitization project, Documenting the American South.
        Any hyphens occurring in line breaks have been removed, and the trailing part of a word has been joined to the preceding line.
        All quotation marks, em dashes and ampersand have been transcribed as entity references.
        All double right and left quotation marks are encoded as " and " respectively.
        All em dashes are encoded as --
        Indentation in lines has not been preserved.
        Spell-check and verification made against printed text using Author/Editor (SoftQuad) and Microsoft Word spell check programs.

Library of Congress Subject Headings, 21st edition, 1998

Languages Used:

LC Subject Headings:


Revision History:


No. 106.

RECEIVING CHRIST.

        I CANNOT doubt that you have at some time felt alarmed in view of your sins, and uttered the inquiry, "What must I do to be saved?" The answer is given in the words of Paul to the jailor, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."

        Do you inquire what is the meaning of these words, or what it is to believe in Jesus Christ? This inquiry is indeed one of infinite moment. It is written, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." To this inquiry I reply:


Page 2

To believe in Jesus Christ is to receive him in the heart as a Saviour. It is written, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." John 1:12. Here we learn that receiving is believing, and that believing is receiving; and thus we are taught by the Scriptures, that saving faith is the receiving of and resting on Jesus Christ, as he is offered in the gospel. In order to this.

        1. The soul must feel its need. No one will accept of Christ, until he realizes that Christ alone can remove the burden of sin. No soul ever believed in Christ, until it found itself to be lost and condemned.

        2. The soul must not only feel its need, but it must see in Christ one who is able and willing to save even to the uttermost. The devil often blinds anxious souls, so that while burdened with sin, they cannot see the way to Jesus. They know he is able and willing to save others; but when the thought of their own acceptance occurs to them, it seems dark and doubtful. Their sins appear too great for even


Page 3

the grace of Christ; they think they have sinned so boldly and against so much light, that their day of grace is past. But Christ is willing to save you. Hear him: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." In that word all, is there not room for you? Hear him again "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." In that word in no wise, is not your case included? Think much on the fulness of Christ, and you will see that it is infinite. Doubt not, lest you add sin to sin: only believe. He is as willing as he is able. Your doubts may appear to you to savor of humility; but they are the highest dishonor to the name of Him, of whom it was said, "This man receiveth sinners." Yes, Christ can save you now, even at this late hour, if you will receive him.

        3. To believe in Jesus, is to receive him as a complete Saviour, and to renounce all other hopes of salvation. To receive Jesus as a Saviour, is to cast yourself on on him without reserve, accepting him as your only hope. Your own righteousness may have often pleased you, but now you


Page 4

see it to be "filthy rags;" your goop works afford no hope of removing sin. You see that even the deepest repentance could not save you, unless it lead you to accept HIM.

                         "This for sin could not atone;
                         THOU must save, and thou alone."

The believing soul will exclaim with the dying Lambert, "None but Christ; none but Christ." In receiving Christ by faith the soul has a view of his excellence, and desires him above all things; so that it is written, "To you which believe, he is precious." The believer finds all fulness in Christ. Such is the completeness of his work, as our "wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption," that nothing can be added. A believing soul desires Christ above all things. So Paul prays for his people "that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith." Believing in Christ, will cut the cords of sin. As sin must be repented of, and abandoned and hated, so faith exclaims, "I must have Christ, even if I must abandon what


Page 5

once I loved." Right eyes can be plucked out, and right hands cut off, rather than lose a Saviour. The language of such a soul is, "I must have Christ, be the terms never so hard. Be my sins never so many, I will yet go to Him, and venture my soul upon Him. If I perish, I will perish at his feet." That soul truly receives him, and is saved. Thus to believe in Christ, is to receive him in our hearts as he is offered in the gospel, and to place our whole trust in him as an all-sufficient Saviour.

        If the reciving of Jesus Christ be believing on him, then those who have the least degree of saving faith, have cause to admire the rich grace bestowed upon them; for the smallest measure of saving faith receives a full and complete Christ. O believer, though the arms of thy faith be weak, yet they embrace a great Christ; no sooner bast thou received him, but he is formed within thee the hope of glory, and thou hast the broad seal of heaven to confirm thy title to eternal life.

        As you hope to meet God in peace, receive his offered Son, for "there is none


Page 6

other name given among men, whereby we must be saved." Consider a moment what is in Christ:

        1. The righteousness of God is in him, by which God can be just and justify the sinner, that believeth. By this righteousness only can the sinner be justified. He is "the lord our righteousness," and we are made the "righteousness of God in him."

        2. The love of God is in Christ; the mercies and compassions of God are in Christ. Mercy and compassion are what poor sinners want. If you receive Christ, you receive mercy; but out of him "our God is a consuming fire."

        3. The salvation of God is in Christ; wherefore, if you believe not, you exclude yourselves from all hope of salvation.

        Consider also how Christ is offered - freely, as the gift of God; you are not to purchase him, but to receive him. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat without money and without price." Isa. Iv: 1. You are eatreated to receive him. "As though God did


Page 7

beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." 2 Cor. v: 20. Oh, what amazing condescension is here shown us! God now beseeches thee to believe. What sayest thou? canst thou cry out, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief?"

        Consider also the sin and danger there is in neglecting the present offer of Christ; here is the very malignity of sin in refusing to believe. Hereby a man murders his own soul. "I said therefore unto to you, that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." John viii: 24. Unbelief is self-murder; you are guilty of the death of your own soul: life and salvation were offered, and you rejected them. The refusing of Christ by unbelief, will aggravate your condemnation above that of others who perish in ignorance of him--Oh, it will be more tolerable for the heathen than for you, who have rejected a Saviour whom they never knew.

        In receiving Christ, beware of dangerous delays. "Take heed to the things which ye have heard, lest any time ye let


Page 8

them slip." You have read of some that were almost persuaded, and of some that were "not far from the kingdom of God," yet they perhaps perished, after all. See that you receive him with all your heart. "Lay hold on eternal life," which is given to all that believe. Thus "make your calling and election sure."


                         "That blest moment I received him
                         Filled my soul with joy and peace
                         Love I much, I've much forgiven,
                         I'm a miracle of grace."