"I May Not Belong to the Elect"

OME people are troubled over the matter of election. One hears them say, "If I am elected to be saved, I will be saved; but if I am not among the elect, I will not be saved." If this is your excuse, let me tell you that you have no more to do with this question of election, as you understand it, than you have to do with the government of China. Why do you not remain away from your place of business, and say, "If God has decreed that I shall succeed in business, I shall; if He has not, I won't"?

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Look up the word "whosoever" in your Bible. think the promises connected with this word will clear your mind of these "election" doubts. In 2 Peter 1: 10, we read, "Give diligence to make your calling and election sure." In this election, there are only three who can vote: Jesus always votes for you. The devil always votes against you. It is left with you to vote off the tie. If you cast your vote with Christ, you win.

You may not have heard of the little boy who said that he had trusted in Christ ever since a bee stung his mother. He dated his faith from the day when, as he neared the doorway of their country home, an angry bee came buzzing toward him. He quickly dodged behind his mother, and she was stung on the arm. She used the painful experience to teach her boy a spiritual lesson. As the bee was slowly crawling away, she said: "You need not fear now. The bee can't sting again. It has left its sting here in my arm. Just so death, the sting of sin, has fastened itself on Jesus. All who take shelter behind the cross are safe."

Suppose some one tells me of a man who has died and left five million dollars to a friend. "Well," I say, "I do not doubt it. That is a rather common thing nowadays." But suppose he says to me, "He left it to

you." How much more interested I am in the subject! We are likely to think of Christ's dying for sinners, for everybody, and for nobody in particular. The moment you realize that He actually died for you, that you may have eternal life, that moment you become really interested in salvation.

God was so careful that doubts about the possibility of being saved need not creep into any mind, that, in closing His wonderful letter to men, He says: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Revelation 22: 17. Are you thirsty for the water of life? That is the one requisite your great need. I wish I might write something to help the Spirit of God create a desire, a thirst, in your heart, that would cause you to "will" to "take."

Matthew, one of the Gospel writers, tells us the story of his own conversion. He says: "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed Him.” Matthew 9:9.

There may be lessons in the experience of Matthew which will help you. Notice, first, how modest he was in telling of this greatest event in his life. It is the greatest moment in anyone's life when he decides to obey the call of the Master. Matthew was humble. He did not tell us that he was a rich man; that he owned a large, fine house; that he made Jesus a great feast. He lets Luke tell all that. Did you never think that, in all the writings of David, he does not once refer to his killing Goliath? The first lesson we get from this experience is, that great and good men are humble.

Why did Jesus go to Matthew? Because He knew Matthew. You recall that He knew Nathanael under the fig tree; He knew where Peter lived in Joppa; He

knew where Paul was staying in Damascus; He knew Zaccheus up in the tree top. This is evidence that He also knows you and me. He knows our names, where we live, what we do and think. He knows us better than we know ourselves.

He knew all about this man Matthew. He saw his desire for a better life. He knew that Matthew was not satisfied with the life he was living. He had seen the tears of repentance which doubtless fell from this taxgatherer's eyes as he worked over his account books.

Matthew was a Jew; but the Jews hated him, because he collected taxes from them for the Romans. The Jewish church had no room for him. I am glad Jesus loves even those whom nobody else loves. He loved Matthew. Jesus said, "He is a sinner, but his sins shall be forgiven him, and he shall write My first Gospel." You and I would never have looked for the Gospel of Matthew in that publican; but Jesus did.

Why did Jesus go to Matthew? Was it because Matthew was to be one of the "elect"? No; it was because Matthew needed Him, just as you and I need Him. He could do more for Matthew than anyone else could do. He can do more for you. You need Jesus. He can take your tangled life and make it straight. He "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." Ephesians 3: 20.

Once more I ask, Why did Jesus go to Matthew? Because I say it reverently-Jesus needed Matthew. There was something Matthew could do for Him better than anyone else. And this is true of us all. There is a work for you; there is something you can do for the Master far better than anyone else can do it. Let Him lead you into this path of duty. He did not that first day tell Matthew all He wished him to do; neither will He tell you.

Matthew wrote his account many years after he accepted the invitation to follow Christ. Does he say

To a person in an airship, as he ascends higher and higher, the things of earth look smaller and smaller.

that he is sorry he ever made the choice? No!

No one

is ever sorry who does all Matthew did. Let us turn to the fifth chapter of Luke and follow these different steps which Levi-Matthew took.

In verse 28, we read that when Matthew heard Jesus calling, just as you have heard Him many times, "he left all." This meant something to Matthew. What did he leave? He left his tax books, his business, his chance of becoming a very rich man. None of these things looked good to Matthew after he had seen Jesus. To follow this humble yet powerful Man of Nazareth, to be called His friend, was worth more than all earthly wealth or worldly friends. It meant for Matthew forgiveness of sin, peace of heart, a clear conscience, and hope of eternal glory.

When you see and hear Jesus, as is your privilege, this world will not look good to you any longer. To a person in an airship, as he ascends higher and higher, the things of earth look smaller and smaller. A good way to test your experience! After you choose to follow Christ, if the things of earth fade in importance, be sure you are nearing heaven. On the other hand, if you love the world—its fashions, its pleasures, its riches if these look larger to you as the days go by, be sure you are not going toward heaven.

Matthew left all. I believe he left all his sins too. So must you. It will do you no good to leave a part of them. You can not follow Jesus and cling to known sin. A balloon tied to earth by a hundred ropes will not even start toward heaven until the last rope is cut. May God help us to leave all that hinders, and take all He has to give.

The second step Matthew took was to rise up and follow Jesus the grandest privilege in all the world! Do you ask what it means to be a Christian? Here is your answer: It means to follow Christ

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