These people believed chiefly in Samuel’s prayers. He was a mighty man in prayer; and when the Philistines came, the children of Israel cried to him, saying, “Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us.” How much greater faith should we put in the Lord Jesus, who died, and rose again, and ever lives to plead for us! “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Sinners, Christ is praying for you. If you trust him, his prayers will help you to break the fetters of sin.
“The Lion of Judah shall break every chain,
And give us the victory again and again.”
The people had faith in Samuel’s sacrifice; for Samuel took a lamb, and burnt it whole upon the altar; and our glorious Christ has made himself the Lamb of God, and he has been wholly consumed as an offering unto God. Trust in his word. Trust in his prayers. Trust in his sacrifice. Believe that the precious blood can make you white. Believe that there is virtue enough in the death of Christ to make atonement for all the sin that is confessed and laid before him. If thou believest, the blood of Jesus Christ his Son has cleansed thee. If thou wilt trust him, thy sin is put away. This is the very errand on which he came, “To put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hear what the Lord hath said by the prophet: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.” Believe this, and, believing it, thou shalt be helped to break the idols, helped to prepare the heart, helped to come and serve the Lord only. Let the prayer go up from your heart to him who poured out his soul on Calvary, but who is now alive, and attentive to the voice of our cry: “O Lord, I trust in thy sacrifice, I rely on thy blood, save me for thy name’s sake, and cleanse me from my sin.”
“Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole,
I want thee for ever to live in my soul;
Break down every idol, cast out every foe—
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Israel also accepted Samuel’s rule: “Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And he went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.” You see, salvation means being delivered from the power of sin. Salvation means being made a new man—an honest man, a holy man, a gracious man; it means that Christ, who saves the soul, begins to govern the life; and this salvation is to be gained through faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord help you to believe in God incarnate, in God making sacrifice for sin, in Jesus dead, buried, risen, ascended, sitting at the right hand of God, and soon to come in glory! Let him enter your life, and dwelling in your heart, judge your every action, and rule over your entire life.
I trust that none of you will say, “We will keep our idols.” Ah, if you do so, you will not keep them long! If your idols are not taken away from you, you will be taken away from your idols. What will some of you do in the next world, when there is no gold to hoard, and no revelry in which to indulge, when you will have no occupation but to gnash your teeth upon yourself, because you committed everlasting suicide, and refused and rejected Christ for a few days’ pleasure, or a few years’ gain? Will any of you be mad enough to let eternity go, and let heaven go, and let God go for the paltry lusts of the flesh, for the fleeting gains of the hour? As I shall confront you at the bar of God, I charge you, seek him! Put away your idols, prepare your hearts, trust in Jesus, and serve the Lord only. God grant that it may be so, for his name’s sake! Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
