Within and Without, or
The Great Difference

Francis Bourdillon, 1873
 

"Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:15-17
This is within.

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.' But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'" Luke 13:24-27
This is without.

Reader! If you were to die now, where should you be found — within or without? There are two ways by which you may judge. One is this: We know how those within got there. They have "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14). They would never have been there, if they had not so washed their robes (Hebrews 9:14, Revelation 1:5).

The other is this: We know also how those without got there. They did not strive to enter in at the strait gate while they might — and so they were shut out forever.

How is it with you? Have you washed your sins away in the blood of Jesus? Are you now striving to enter in? Have you been convinced of sin? Has your heart felt it and grieved for it? Have you fled, as a guilty sinner, to Christ? Have you cast yourself before Him, confessing your sins, and trusting to be saved through His blood?

Are you striving to enter in at that narrow gate? You know what striving means: trying hard, doing your utmost, giving your mind to it, using all means, losing no time — this is striving. Are you doing this? Which do you care for most, this world — or the next world? Which are you wishing for, asking for, trying for most, the comforts of life — or the blessedness of Heaven? You are not striving after Heaven — if you are not seeking it first. Are you seeking it first — above everything else — so that you would rather lose all than that?

Reader! Here are two great truths for you. As surely as you are alive at this moment, so surely will you stand without — if you do not now, in this present life, wash away your sins in the blood of the Lamb and strive to enter in at the straight gate. I say now, for all depends on this. "Many will seek to enter." Will seek — yes, but when? Not until the door is shut! It will be too late then: "Many will seek to enter — and will not be able."

The door is open now — the door of mercy, the door of grace, the door of Heaven —  opened through the blood of Jesus; and now is your time for striving to enter in — your only time. If you wait until the door is shut — -you will find that all your crying and seeking will never get it open again — no never!

This is not a thing that will bear putting off. Put off until tomorrow anything else you please; but attend to this today. It is the only day God promises you for it — tomorrow may be too late.

Think once more of the crowd outside that door, and the door shut. They are all in earnest now; at last they have begun to care for their souls. Look at them, how eager they seem! What anxious faces! There is not one of them that cares for anything but this one thing — and that is, to enter in. Oh! If the door would but open once more! If one word of hope might but be spoken from within! But the door is shut fast, and no sound is heard but those terrible words, "I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" May God the Holy Spirit now, in this day of grace, soften, incline, and turn your heart — for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.