The Ancient Preacher

Good News –March 2016 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Ancient Preacher

Today you don’t often hear preaching about such “old fashioned” ideas as the spiritual fallenness of mankind, of the sin and moral ruin of humanity. There is very little warning of the fact that man is a guilty sinner before a holy God.

But there is still at least one preacher of the old school, one who speaks today just as clearly and powerfully as always. Of course, this preacher is not much loved. Nevertheless, the whole world is his parish. He visits the poor and goes into the homes of the rich; he shows up in the homes that care for the impoverished as well as in the dwellings of society’s celebrities. He preaches to the religious and those with no religion equally. This ever-present and universal preacher is: DEATH.

Who has not heard this old preacher on some occasion? Every gravestone serves as his pulpit. The daily newscasts give him plenty of space. Every day his congregation can be seen on the way to the cemetery.

Sometimes he has addressed you personally: the sudden parting of a neighbor, the solemn departure of a valued relative or a dear member of your immediate family. All of these are urgent messages from the old preacher.

One day, perhaps very soon, you may be the text for his sermon; at your grave and in front of your grieving family he may make his penetrating voice heard.

You can read the Bible but reject the Savior of which it speaks and ignore its warnings. If you want to, you can avoid the preachers of the gospel and you can even burn this paper. But, what will you do with the old preacher? Inevitably you will have to face him. You will die.

We cannot think about death without coming to the conclusion that there is something terribly abnormal in the human race. Why do we say that? Just because of the unceasing sermons of the old preacher: “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12 ESV).

So the sentence of death has been pronounced upon everyone – upon you. An innocent person can insist that he be given justice, but for the guilty the only justice is punishment.

The grace of God is the only hope for the sinner, who can only be pardoned by the One who has the power to condemn. If you would recognize your true state you would plead, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Lk. 18:13).

It is to this confession and this consciousness of your need of pity that the old preacher wants to lead you. It is undeniable that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), but to this terrible sermon the message of God’s grace responds.

Ever since mankind fell, a liberator has been proclaimed, the Son of God who died. The old preacher never spoke so solemnly and eloquently as he did at Calvary. Jesus Christ knew no sin, but He was made sin for us. He collected the wages of sin: death; and those who believe in Him have salvation. “For our sake He [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). “Truly, truly, I [Jesus Christ] say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who has sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (Jn. 5:24). “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

God offers you, dear friend, the eternal life that Christ assured by His death. Tell Him, then, right now, “I believe that You suffered the punishment for my sins. I receive You as the One who came to save me from eternal punishment and to give me eternal life.”

He, without doubt or delay, will accept you and save you. We can tell you more.

A version of this article is available as tract #110 (Spanish only: El Antiguo Predicador) from Grace & Truth.