THE CHRISTIAN AND THE FUTURE

Our times are wholly in the Lord’s hands: and the Christian in contemplating the future will have regard to this and other relevant statements in the Scriptures, such as, “We know not what a day may bring forth,” and “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow.” Yet, while leaving themselves in the Lord’s hands as to what future time and days are to be still alloted to them in the World, believers are to be exercised as to their life and conversation in relation to the Lord in view of the remainder of their days.

Counting the cost as to following Christ Jesus as their Saviour and Master must continue to be a needful and personal concern to Christians. At the beginning of their spiritual career the requirements of Christ, “If any man follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me,” still require serious consideration in view of the future, however long or short the believer will still be left in the World. There may still be sufferings for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s awaiting the believer: there will always be duties and burdens to discharge and carry: calls to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ may well be ahead. And the divine Master is worthy to be followed and served whatever the cost; and thus the Christian needs to seek to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and to exercise a willing mind in serving Him, whatever the cost now or in the future. It appeared in the case of Ruth that whatever the future was to hold for her of trials and difficulties, as indicated by Naomi, she was resolved to cleave to and follow Naomi and Naomi’s God. She counted the cost and the Lord dealt most favourably with her as one who had come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel.

A devoted and gracious interest in the spiritual welfare of generations yet to come, ought most assuredly to engage the heart of every true Christian. The Church of Christ to-day, at the outset of a New Year, must surely reflect on the past faithfulness of God’s servants and witnesses, who are now resting from their labors with their Redeemer in heaven. On account of their love to the Word of God and presious souls, they were instrumental in preserving that Word in their day and making it known to their children. And all those to-day, who enjoy the Word of God and the Gospel of salvation and possess a humble, living hope in Christ Jesus of eternal salvation, have laid upon them also the duty and privilege commanded the fathers referred to by Asaph in Psalm 78: “For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children.” At this present time there are open, unashamed activities in the realm of the professing Christian Church in our Nation to undermine confidence in the Bible as God’s inspired and unerring Word. The Reformed faith based clearly on the doctrines and teaching of the Word is being boldly disregarded and the claims of the law of God are being called in question. All this contributes to the great danger of error instead of divine truth being made known now and in the future to generations to come. Therefore every exercised Christian must hold fast to the Word and gospel of God that they may hand these to the rising generation, that ‘they also might come to set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.’

Although the Lord may have kept a believer in his past experience until now, from conspicuous backsliding and with his garments unspotted from the World; yet this must not influence such to be unwatchful and unguarded for the future. The Scriptures give a pertinent warning: “Therefore let him that standeth, take heed least he fall.” For future “Keeping,” the Christian requires to look again and again to the mercy and power of God in Christ. The prayer of the Psalmist, in this connection, was: “Lord Keep me, for I trust in thee: shamed let me never be.” Here the Psalmist clearly is concerned not only with the present but with the future. If spared for a while beyond the present, there are unknown Worldly influences to be met, there are new temptations to be encountered and there may be difficult times of testing and trial for the Lord’s people. And the end of the journey will have its own testimony as to where those who professed Christ stand in relation to Him. As Paul observes in writing to the Hebrews, viz., “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end,” and thus bringing in the “beginning” and the “end” of the Christian’s adherence to Christ by faith. We repeat as a guide and example to Christians for the future, the petition of the petition of the Psalmist: “Shamed let me never be.”

— Free Presbyterian Magazine

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