TORREY MEMORIAL BIBLE CONFERENCE
by Dr. W. Herschei Ford Dallas, Texas
1 W ILLS" of JESUS
W E have all heard someone say about one who is reliable and trustworthy, “His word is as good as his bond.” I know of a businessman who had as his motto, “I always do what I say I will do.” We can’t say this of too many people for how often they disappoint us. It is common to hear their promises but we never find them fulfilled. There is One, however, upon whose word you may always de pend. He is the perfect Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus says, “I will,” you can rest assured that “xactly that will take place. One of the first “I wills” of Jesus is found in John 6:37. It speaks to us of salvation: “Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out.” This is a blessed promise of reception for sin ners. No matter who you are, or what your sins may be, if you come to Christ, He will never cast you aside. If you try to join a certain club or social group you must generally have a given amount of money. To become a member of some lodge it may re quire civic standing or academic back ground. Jesus, however, makes no re strictions. His only requirement is that you come to Him just as you are. Don’t try to bring money, refer ences, or good deeds. They will all be in vain. Come ye sinners poor and needy, Weak and wounded, sick and sore; Jesus stands ready to save you, Full of pity, love and power. A young soldier had been living a sinful, careless life. When he became a Christian, everyone could see the great change in his life. When asked how it came about, he would tell them, “Jesus Christ said to me, ‘Right, about face’; I obeyed Him in my heart!” This is conversion. It. is turning from the world and sin to Christ, the only Saviour. Then there is the “I will” of the Church’s foundation where we read in
Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” Christ has been building that church ever since. Any time a person will declare, “I believe in Christ, and I’m trusting in Him to take away my sins,” the Lord uses him as another brick in the great Building. We may think that He is building out of poor material when He accomplishes it through human lives. Never forget, however, that He is the foundation. For that reason, though the gates of hell assail it, the Church can never fail. The Lord tells us of all the powers of, evil in this world. These Satanic forces have been blasting at the Church down through the centuries. It stands as firm as the day He founded it. (We are not speak ing of denominations, but the one true Church, made up of all truly born- again believers. The Church stands today because it offers something that no other institution can give. This is forgiveness of sin for the sinful soul. It offers peace of heart for the trou bled mind. It offers strength and cour age for every mile of the wearisome way. It offers, too, a blessed hope for the life to come. This is all made possible only through the Lord Jesus Christ. Too many church members are giving far more time to man-made in stitutions and not enough to the only Institution which Christ founded and through which He promises to do His work. The Church first met b e h i n d locked doors for fear of its persecu tors. It met later in the catacombs of Rome, still with the Spirit of Christ. It could not be conquered or destroyed. Down through the ages there have been those faithful ones who, despite persecution of atheist and religious hierarchy, have remained faithful to the Lord. Are you a part of the Church through faith in Christ? Are you bearing your part of the load? Are you building up or tearing down ? Another interesting “I will” is that 29
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