Sunday Night Meditations 51 Message and Song - 1950's — Welcome Detweiler

The Wonder of Salvation

Of all the stories that have been told, there is none that wears quite so well as the old, old story of Jesus and his love to undeserving, guilty sinners. It has already changed the lives of millions, and there are millions more who could stand the change.

The gospel of the grace of God is the most appropriate message for this day, and we ask you to listen carefully as we seek to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ on this gospel program. This is Welcome Deathwiler speaking, and asking you to listen now to a message in song.

This world is full of wonders. There are wonders in nature, science, medicine, inventions. In fact, the world is one big wonder. Salt is a wonder. When I think that salt is composed of two poisonous substances, I am filled with wonder.

How is it possible that salt, which is necessary for life, is composed of sodium and chlorine, either of which, if taken individually, would kill you? I can't answer it. Neither can you. It's a wonder.

Water is a wonder. Its chemical formula is H2O. That means it has two parts of hydrogen, for each part oxygen. Oxygen is flammable. Hydrogen readily burns. You ignite hydrogen and oxygen into water, and you put out fires with it.

That's another wonder. But then the greatest of all wonders is this. Salvation is the greatest wonder. How God can take a poor, vile, hopeless sinner and transform him into a respectable citizen is the greatest possible wonder in this earth.

It is happening. Yes, it's happening every day. In the skid row of our cities, in wealthy and poor homes, in jungles, anywhere, wherever any soul wants Christ, the wonder of the new birth is taking place.

People who read and believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior as revealed in God's Word are finding that they know the wonder of wonders. They simply come and trust the Lord Jesus as Savior. I wonder if all now, radio audience, have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, so that you too are enjoying the greatest wonder on earth, that is, knowing peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Looking Upward to Jesus for Rest

...selected is entitled Looking Upwards. It was written by a girl of 19, converted only nine months previously, who had the care of a paralyzed widowed mother, several young children of school age, and with all the housework to do including cleaning, cooking, and washing of the whole family.

I was feeling oh so tired, my head was aching too, for the day had seemed a long one with so many things to do. Oh shall I ever finish, I murmured with a sigh. Indeed the work seemed endless, I felt that I could cry.

Suddenly these words came to me as this whispered in my ear, his rest in looking upward upon his face so fair. Then I looked away to Jesus, away from all my care, away to where he dwelleth in glory bright and fair.

And the beauty of the Savior burst on my longing gaze, and I seemed to see God's glory shining in his blessed face. And that sight so grand, so glorious, filled me with joy divine, as I whispered in my gladness, I am his and he is mine.

I forgot that I was tired, for the day had seemed so long, and the task, daily task was finished with a glad and grateful song. Do you ever feel so burdened with a heavy load of cares, the task so heavy and the worry often more than you can bear?

Let your eyes look off to Jesus, let his beauty hold your gaze, and he'll fill your heart with gladness, and your lips shall sing his praise. For a few minutes I invite your attention as I speak on a subject that may be of great interest to you.

True Riches and the Search for Happiness

The subject is how to become rich suddenly. It is quite obvious that our natural ambition is toward accumulating as much of this world's goods as possible. The eye is always open to watch for a shorter cut to sudden wealth.

Who has not dreamed of having a rich uncle who left a will for our benefit, or finding a treasure chest, or an oil well? In other words, we have without much serious consideration thought that sudden wealth would be the greatest and the best thing that could happen.

It has happened to a few people here and there, and has brought with it a few moments of great satisfaction. But over a period of time, such have discovered that sudden wealth is not the greatest thing that can happen to a man.

For, strange as it may seem, wealth and happiness are seldom found together. If you were to stop and think seriously, you would discover that, after all, happiness is the greatest of all possessions. We are compelled to admit that the happy man, with very little of this world's good, is after all the richest.

Since this is true, I could change my subject, how to become rich suddenly, to how to become happy suddenly. Perhaps you are of the opinion that true riches or happiness cannot be found suddenly, but rather that it must be acquired over a period of many years.

If such is the case, you will have to admit that you are not making very much progress. How much happier are you tonight than you were a year ago? In the main, there are three kinds of rich people. First, those who are born rich.

Second, those who acquire riches. And third, those who have riches thrust upon them. Perhaps I should add a fourth, those who pretend to be rich and are not. When it comes to eternal riches, which is the highest degree of happiness, none are born rich.

None acquire riches. But all who are rich, spiritually speaking, have those riches thrust upon them on the basis of sovereign grace. I was not born happy, nor did I acquire happiness. But I had happiness thrust upon me suddenly, the very moment I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior.

True happiness is the effect of a cause. It cannot be manufactured. It is the result of having spiritual security. To know that I, too, must die someday, and not be certain where I will be after death, will rob me of all happiness, for insecurity is the greatest hound of happiness.

We must admit that God is the source of all joy, and to be at peace with God is of utmost importance. The opening verses of Psalm 32 are, Blessed or happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

Forgiveness Is Not Earned by Works

Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity. Before the sin question is settled, there can be no happiness. The old word blessed is not used as much today, but it is akin to the word happy.

The text does not say, happy is he who hopes that his transgressions are forgiven, nor he who feels they are forgiven, nor even he who thinks they are forgiven, but happy is he whose transgression is forgiven.

When a person stops hoping, feeling, and thinking, and knows his sins are forgiven, he is on the highway of true happiness. Perhaps you are asking, how can I know? If God is satisfied with the basis of your forgiveness, you may know, and you should know, that you are forgiven.

If you have no clear statement in the Bible indicating that God is satisfied with that which you are resting upon, you can't know. If you are trusting in your good life, your morality, your religion, your good deeds, your religious service to obtain forgiveness, then you can never know, and you can never obtain happiness by that method, for God clearly says that forgiveness is not obtained by works.

In Ephesians 2, 8 and 9 I read, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Titus 3, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.

Romans 4, 4 To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. All who seek to gain admittance into heaven on the basis of good works deprive themselves of spiritual happiness here and will be lost in the end.

Christ’s Finished Work and Peace with God

The only basis of forgiveness that God will accept is the precious shed blood of Christ. His substitutionary death has become a means by which God's holy demands are satisfied. And the individual who rests solely on his finished work enjoys the absolute knowledge of peace with God.

Once more, Romans 5, 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. My eternal happiness rests on a solid foundation, the perfect atoning work of Christ. Could I be sad?

Could I be alarmed? Could I be anything but happy with the absolute knowledge of sins forgiven and the God-given assurance that he saves to the uttermost? If you are not happy, it is most likely because you are not resting your soul on a secure foundation.

And if you persist in ignoring the foundation that God has provided, you may be reasonably certain that the remainder of your days will be spent just about the same as they have been heretofore, groping for happiness and never finding it.

Those who know Christ are happy regardless of circumstances. It is not a superficial emotional happiness, but a deep-rooted joy, the direct result of spiritual security and certainty. Why should you go through life without this priceless possession?

It can be yours this very moment. How to become rich suddenly? The answer, trust Christ. And when I say trust Christ, I mean rest on his finished work. Believe that he died for you and that his death is sufficient to cleanse you from every sin.

When you do so, you will immediately enter into a realm of joy heretofore unknown, and you will suddenly and eternally enter into true riches. David exclaimed with joy, As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Bearing the Burden of Sin and Coming to Christ

Like Bunyan's pilgrim, you have carried the load of your sins for many days, and that burden seems to increase in weight as the days go by. It seems so unnecessary that you should continue to struggle under that load of your sins since a burden-bearer stands ready to relieve you at any moment.

His ability to save has been demonstrated many times before your very eyes, and what he has done for others he can do, and he longs to do for you. A man with a load on his back is incapable of doing a great deal of work, and you will never be able to work for the Lord until the load of your sins is turned over to him.

If you continue on without coming to Christ for salvation and pass out into eternity before your sins are removed, you will be eternally bound to them, and they will sink you into the abyss of woe. I wish I could convey to you just how happy you would be if you could say, I know my sins are blotted out.

They are past and gone. I shall see them no more forever. It may seem almost too good to be true, but it's absolutely true that you can know, and I ask you once more to trust the Savior who is standing by, waiting for your decision.

True riches, true happiness, it may be yours in one moment of time. You may become rich suddenly. The question is, do you want to become rich, or do you want to remain a poor, lost sinner? It indicates a certain form of madness when men prefer to be lost rather than to be saved.

It was Charles Haddon Spurgeon who said, He who knows he is lost and is contented to remain so is not an ordinary fool, but he is a madman. Remember, true eternal riches are offered to you freely by God's grace.

If you miss them, it will be your own fault. Those who have trusted Christ can say, You ask me why I'm happy, so I'll just tell you why. Because my sins are gone. When I meet the scoffer who asks me where they are, I say, My sins are gone.

They're underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary, so far removed as darkness is from dawn. In the sea of God's forgetfulness, that's good enough for me. Praise God, my sins are gone. My unsafe friend, if you can't say it, bow your heart before the Savior this very moment and thank Him for the work that He did for you on Calvary's cross.

Open your heart. As best you know how, trust Him as your Lord and Savior and you shall suddenly enter into the greatest riches possible. And now, our gracious Father, we ask thy blessing to rest upon thy precious word.

Bless those who are poor, who are lost, who are guilty. Save them by thy grace. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

The Song’s Call to Consider the Cost

You come down, you come down.