ETERNAL VICTORY IN CHRIST JESUS!

"Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never die: believest thou this?" -John 11:26 [KJV]

Under great declining of strength, dejection of spirits, and in consideration of the near approach of death, these precious words of our dear dying Lord were brought to my mind: they were as a comforting, reviving, draught to my spirits. Lord! I bless Thee for them. O, my soul! dwell on them. Am I a sinner, born to die? Is death the wages of sin? Must these eyes, which now read thy precious sayings, be soon closed by death? Must the hand, which now directs this pen, be shortly still and motionless? 

Yet dost Thou, my Lord, say, “Living and believing in thee, I shall never die?” Dost thou ask me, “Believest thou this?” “Lord, Thou knowest all things!” knowest, that, by Thy grace, I can say, “Thou art the Son of God”—Thou hast fulfilled Thine own promise, “O death, I will be thy plague! O grave, I will be thy destruction!” (Hosea 13:14.) “Death is swallowed up in victory” (I Corinthians 15:54.) “Shall never die.” Death has lost his terrific appearance; he is changed from a substance into a shadow (Psalm 23:4.) Only children and fools are afraid of a shadow. 

Glory to Thee, my Lord! that I am a man of understanding, and by Thee am made “wise unto salvation.” Death has lost both his sting and his strength. Sin is atoned for: the law is fulfilled. I believe in Thee, O Jesus! Who hath done both for the victory. ‘Tis mine: I have it in possession. Thy word cannot fail: Thou hast said, “I shall never die.” The terrors of death are changed into the sweet composure of sleep. I shall soon fall into this precious rest—sleep in Thee! Thou shalt soon wipe away all tears from mine eyes; I shall awake with Thee, and sin and sorrow shall be no more for ever. 

O! well mayest thou ask, “Believest thou this?” For in the faith of this, consists all my comfort, which results from loving Thee, and glorifying Thee in life and death. “Faith works by love.” It works by the Father’s everlasting love, in giving His only Son to be our Saviour: it works by the precious love of Thee, Thou sin-atoning, law-fulfilling, justice-satisfying, death-conquering Son of God!—it works by the love of Thee, Thou soul-renewing, faith-begetting, sin-subduing Spirit of holiness and truth! 

This is the given principle of love, which faith springs from, lives upon, and works by. Here faith is all in all. For it brings Christ and all His victories into the heart, puts death, and every enemy, under our feet; silences all Satan’s accusations, and all legal condemnations. “This is the victory, even our faith” (I John 5:4.) 

O soul-reviving joy of faith, 

Which lives upon my Saviour’s word! 

It triumphs o’er the power of death, 

Possess’d of vic’try in my Lord. 

Christ lives and says, I ne’er shall die; 

His word I’m sure He will fulfil: 

He’s truth itself, He cannot lie, 

And death is subject to His will.

 

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)