The Chief Object of Your Study

Here is an outstanding devotional note from Octavius Winslow, found in Go and Tell Jesus (page 9 in the edition I’m reading).

Dear reader, let the chief object of your study be to know the Lord Jesus. It may be in the region of your sinfulness, emptiness, weakness, and foolishness that you learn Him — nevertheless, however humiliating the school, slow the progress, and limited the attainment, count every fresh step you make in a personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus as a nobler triumph, and as bringing you into the possession of more real wealth than were the whole arena of human knowledge and science mastered, and its untold treasures poured at your feet. When adversity comes, when death approaches, when eternity unveils — oh! how indescribably valuable, how inconceivably precious will then be one faith’s touch, one faith’s glimpse of a crucified and risen Saviour! All other attainments then vanish, and the only knowledge that abides, soothes, and comforts, is a heart-felt acquaintance with the sublimest fact of the Gospel, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

shane lems

A Feeble, Trembling Faith…Saves!

I’ve found several of Octavius Winslow’s (d. 1878) brief meditations to be a great help while comforting the dying saint.  They are short, gospel-centered, soul-warming devotions that point the Christian to his/her living Savior.  Here’s one I used just last week, based on 1 Tim. 1.15 (The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners– of whom I am the foremost [NRSV]).

“He came into the world to save sinners, and he is willing to save you.  His compassion inclines him to save sinners, his power enables him to save sinners.  And oh, how easy it is to be saved when the Holy Spirit draws the heart to Christ!  It is not great faith, nor deep experience, nor extensive knowledge that are required.  The dimmest eye that ever looked to Christ, the feeblest hand that ever took hold of Christ, the most trembling step that ever traveled to Christ, has in it present salvation and has in it life eternal.  The smallest measure of real faith will take the soul to heaven.  Yes!  There is hope for the trembling penitent.  Jesus suffered to the uttermost, therefore ‘He is also able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him’ (Heb. 7.15).”

Amen!  Even a tiny, trembling, and feeble faith saves because the object of faith is strong: a risen and living Savior.  Even a pipe that is small, brittle, and a tad leaky can carry life-giving water.  The pipe is simply the instrument through which the water is received.  Faith saves not because it is a virtue, but because it receives all the benefits of Christ.

Especially on our deathbeds we need to remember to rest on and hope in Jesus, not the strength or virtue of our faith [or faithfulness].  When we take stock of our life as we face death, we say, “I am a filthy bag of sins, but Christ came to save sinners like me.  Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.”

shane lems

sunnyside wa