02.02. The Turning-point in the Christian Life
02. The Turning-point in the Christian Life
Let me begin by saying a word or two about the subject which has already been brought before you in the last chapter — Living without hope, and without God in the world. A fearful subject! And if it has left any impression on your heart, I am very thankful for it. If I spoke strongly, it was because I felt strongly. And if I seemed to deal harshly with you, it was because I wish faithfully to tell you the truth; and because, as much as I desire your favor — I desire far more to profit your soul.
Thank God, there is a Turning-point in the career of many of us. Thank God, there is a time with many of us, when we turn out of the broad path of the world — and heartily endeavor to walk in the narrow way of God. Though we never see the tawny Ethiopian change his skin, or the mottled leopard his spots — blessed be God, we do sometimes see a change wrought in men’s hearts — a thorough, real, vital change! This is spoken of in Scripture under different names. It is called a Quickening: God is said to quicken, or give new life to our souls. It is called also a New Birth: the sinner becomes so entirely altered, that he is as one born again. Sometimes too it is called Conversion: this describes the turning of the whole man to God — the yielding up the sinful, wayward, worldly heart to His service. This is the thing which I am now going to speak about, and which I have called ’The Turning-point in the Christian Life.’ God give His blessing while we dwell upon it!
How few of us have led a life of holiness! Have we not, like silly sheep, wandered and strayed from the fold?
Here then we see the need of conversion — that blessed Turning-point when a man begins to act for Christ, and to live for Christ, in the world. Our hearts need to be converted before we can live this new life. Believe me, we all need this — every one of us. And does not our Lord Himself say to us, ’Except you are converted, you shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven.’ The Reckless, Ungodly Sinner needs it. He must leave the sin in which he is wallowing, and ’cleanse himself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit.’ The Worldly Man needs it. The love of the world must die in him, and a better love, even the love of God, must spring up within him. He must declare plainly that lie seeks a better country. The mere Nominal Christian needs it; for it is one thing to ’have a name that he lives,’ and quite another to give his life, his heart, his whole self, to God’s service.
Yes, we all need it — for until our hearts are changed, we cannot love God. The Christian path will be all uphill to us. We can neither enjoy God’s service here, nor be fitted for the happiness of Heaven. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, a most touching picture is drawn — a full-length portrait of thousands now on earth, and of tens of thousands now in glory. If I wanted to show a sinner his complete wretchedness and misery, I would use that parable. If I wanted to touch his hard heart, and bring him on his knees before God — I would use that parable. Again, if I wanted to prove to him that, as bad as he is, and far as he has wandered, there is a return, a way back — that pardon is not beyond his reach — that the gate of mercy is open even for him — I would read to him those simple words of Jesus. And truly from no other lips did words of mercy like those ever come. ’Never man spoke like this Man.’ Never did such loving, gracious, winning words drop from any mouth, as the words of that parable, which the youngest child may understand, and from which the aged penitent may take comfort. But I am not going to dwell now on the parable; but merely on that one point in it, where it is said that the son, who had left his father’s house, just as we have left ours — had sought happiness afar from him, as we have done, and found it not — at length ’came to himself;’ reflected on his misery; remembered that the very servants in his once happy home were highly favored, compared with himself in his present degraded state; and at once resolved to go and cast himself at his father’s feet. This was his condition, and these words beautifully describe it, ’He came to himself.’ The expression is familiar to us all.
When, for instance, one has been sleeping, and you suddenly rouse him, he starts up, stares about him for a moment or two, and then you say, ’He has come to himself.’ When a person has been long ill, and his illness takes a favorable turn, and he begins to recover, you say of him that he is himself again. When a fellow-creature loses his reason — when his mind fails, and, the foolishness of a little child comes over him — when such an one is mercifully restored, we speak of that man as once more coming to himself. And what can better describe that moment — that happy moment — that eventful moment in our history — (and oh, that there may be just such a moment in your history!) when the soul which has been long asleep awakes, when the soul which has been long diseased rises up and recovers itself, when, the soul which has been given up to madness feels that folly must have an end? What, I say, can better describe this state, this Turning-point, than those few simple words, ’He came to himself?’
Now, if you and I have come to ourselves, how has it been effected? Or, if we are ever to come to ourselves, how will it be effected? The heart cannot change itself, any more than the dry barren soil can, if let alone, become fertile; or the wild crab-apple tree of its own accord, bear delicious fruit.
Neither can man change the heart of his fellow-man. God may use men as His instruments, but they are only instruments in His hands. An able preacher may arrest attention. He may draw tears from eyes that never wept before. He may send his hearers away thoughtful. But conversion is beyond his power. Paul never of himself converted a single soul. Peter was not the renewer of one heart on the day of Pentecost.
No, the power is God’s. The work is His. ’Of His own will, He begat us with the word of truth.’ ’As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God — who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.’
You come to church. Some word strikes you. You feel as you never before felt. You go away to live a new life. Or you are seized with a fit of illness. You are laid aside in your sick room. And in the stillness of that silent chamber, thoughts of the past and the future come over you. You feel that you have not lived to Christ; and you feel unfit, most unfit, to die. From that hour you become an altered person. Or a good book falls in your way. You take it up carelessly. But that book perhaps has an arrow in it which pierces your very soul. Or you receive a visit from a pious friend. You asked him to your house, because you thought his company would give you pleasure. But there is One who sent him to you for a far different purpose; namely, to lead you by his words and his example into the blessed path of peace. By one or other of these means, you have become pious. Still, it was neither the Sermon, nor the Illness, nor the Book, nor the Friend — that wrought the wondrous change. There was a Mighty One at work! It was ’the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’
I have said that this change is absolutely necessary, and that it is the work of God Himself. Bear these two points in mind, and reflect upon them, for they are most important. But there are three other points connected with this subject, which, though not so important, are still deeply interesting.
One is, Whether the change we have been speaking of is sudden — or gradual. Some will not believe in sudden conversions, and others again take little note of any that are not sudden. Let us look into the Bible, and then judge for ourselves.
Saul’s change was sudden. He was stopped in a moment, in the very midst of his fearful opposition to the Savior, and at once became a devoted follower of Christ. The Philippian jailer’s conversion again was sudden. A deep conviction of his guilt flashed across his mind, and he fell down at the Apostle’s feet an inquiring penitent, and an earnest believer. On the other hand, take the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch. His conversion was gradual. He goes to Jerusalem, and there probably he hears for the first time the glad tidings of salvation. He is led to search the Scriptures. He becomes an anxious inquirer after the truth. Then, as he journeys homewards, Philip meets him by the way — not accidentally, but by the Lord’s direction — and under his teaching, his mind is further enlightened, and he is enabled to see and lay hold of the great gospel hope; ’and goes on his way rejoicing.’
Or, to mention another case of gradual conversion, Apollos, of whom we read in the eighteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, becomes impressed with religion, probably in his own native city Alexandria. For a while he gropes his way in the dark. He is fervent in spirit, and anxious to embrace the faith of Christ. But as yet there is only a glimmering of light in him. Something brings him to Ephesus. And there he meets with two earnest-minded disciples; and with their help he gets to know the way of the Lord more perfectly, and becomes at length a burning and shining light in the Church of Christ. And so it is now. Those, who are brought to God by the power of His grace, are brought in various ways. God is not tied and bound by any special rules.
Some are called into His service, as by a miracle. The change is sudden and striking. They pass rapidly from darkness to light, from sin to holiness. They are snatched by Almighty power as brands from the burning. The Holy Spirit at once convinces them of sin, and leads them to Christ; and they forthwith set out on their way to Heaven.
Others receive religious impressions; but they are slight. The world creeps in perhaps, and smothers for a while the spark which God with His own hand has kindled. The fire is lighted; but it burns slowly; and perhaps it is a long while before it bursts into a steady flame. There is grace in that soul; but it is not very marked. Still it is real grace, and by degrees it shows itself more fully. The person becomes gradually more and more enlightened, more in earnest, more decided.
So, you see, God is pleased sometimes to bring souls into His kingdom by a special act of grace — suddenly and instantaneously. And at other times He sees fit to carry on His blessed work in the soul — the very same work — but by a slower and more gradual process.
Another interesting question is this — Does a truly changed person always know when, and how, the change in him took place?
Some, doubtless, can confidently point to the exact circumstances which first led them to think seriously. God’s dealing with them was so clear; the occasion was so marked; that they have no hesitation in saying, ’It was that sermon that I heard — it was that quiet time in my sick chamber — it was those words spoken by my friend — or it was when reading that verse of Scripture — or when kneeling down in secret prayer — then it was that God in His mercy first touched my heart, showed me to myself as a sinner, and led me to the Savior. I can remember it with thankfulness, as the sailor remembers his deliverance from shipwreck.’
Saul could never in after years have doubted that that eventful journey to Damascus was the Turning-point in his career. And Manasseh could without hesitation point to Babylon, and say, ’It was there, in the house of my affliction, that God first made Himself known to me. It was there I learned the misery of sin, and the way of deliverance from it.’ But there are hundreds and thousands of others, just as truly and savingly converted to God, who know not how it was, or when it was, that the seed of grace sprung up within them. All they can say is, ’One thing I know, that whereas I was blind — but now I see!’
After all, the chief matter about which we need to be anxious is not the hour, or the place, or the manner, in which the change has been wrought — but the fact itself. Has such a change taken place in me? Am I very different from what I once was?
There is one more point, which I dare not leave unnoticed. There is a change in the history of some, not for the better, but for the worse. There is a Turning-point, when they begin to go back rather than forward — when the heart, which has been once warm, grows cold — when the taste for God’s word and prayer grows feeble — when temptations are listened to, which once they would have blushed to mention. They change, but like ’seducers,’ they ’wax worse and worse.’ The night grows darker and darker. The edge of conscience becomes duller and duller. Sin is welcomed, and God forsaken.
Oh, let us beware of this. For the Spirit of God, once grieved, will not readily return. It is hard, very hard, to roll back the falling stone; or to turn the stream which has burst through its appointed channel.
Pray earnestly that, if you have never felt the working of God’s grace in your heart, you may feel it now; and that, if the work is already begun — it may be carried on within you.
If there is only the beginning of good things in your soul — if there is but a feeling of earnestness, ever so slight — if there is a waking up to the great realities of eternity — if there is a desire, however faint, to live for heaven — may He, who ’despises not the day of small things,’ help you on your way! May He, who knows your difficulties better than I do — bring you through them all, and enable you from this time to stand forward as a heaven-bound traveler, as one whose heart is bent on reaching a better home!