(James Smith, “Glad Tidings of Good Things” 1861) Play Audio! Download Audio
“The glorious gospel of the blessed God!” 1 Timothy 1:11
“Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel!” 2 Timothy 1:10
The gospel is most appropriately called “Glad Tidings,” for it brings tidings calculated to gladden the heart of the most depressed and sorrowful of men. It reveals God’s wondrous love, tells us of the Savior’s grace, and makes known the promise and the power of the Holy Spirit. It is indeed “Glad Tidings of Good Things”, for it informs us of . . .
pardon for the guilty,
peace for the troubled,
rest for the weary, and
salvation for the lost!
The gospel brings tidings from Heaven, tidings for sinners, tidings of good things for them; yes, tidings of the very best things, for the very worst of men!
It is the glorious glad tidings of the blessed God . . .
giving correct views of His nature,
revealing His loving heart,
publishing His gracious thoughts, and
making known His mercy to sinful men!
These tidings are calculated to . . .
gladden the saddest heart,
cheer the desponding mind, and
fill the despairing soul with joy and peace.
Never were there such Glad Tidings!
No one but an infinite God could have devised them.
No one but the all-merciful God would have sent them to rebellious sinners!
Jesus is an almighty Savior.
He is an ever willing Savior.
And a loving Savior!
Therefore He is able to save the vilest, to save freely, and to save all who apply to be saved by Him. The man or woman who reads these lines, is as sincerely invited by Jesus–to come and be saved by Him, as if a letter had been hand-written by Jesus and addressed to that person by name!
Can you conceive of anything better than this!
A Savior for vile sinners;
who deliver sinners from the lowest Hell;
raises sinners to the highest Heaven;
a Savior from sin, the cause of suffering;
from guilt, the source of fear;
and from the world, which is doomed to destruction!
The gospel is also the good news of a better country, a Heavenly one
Heaven is . . .
a rest for the weary,
a home for the homeless, and
the best company for the lonely and desolate. …
Heaven! What is it? Heaven! What does it comprise and comprehend?
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined–what God has prepared for those who love Him!” No one can give the faintest guess at what Heaven is; but whatever it is, whatever it contains, the gospel tells us that it is for saved sinners!
The gospel is God’s best message to man. It contains the promise of all that man can need, and all that God can give–to every one who sincerely believes the message. Take heed therefore how you treat the gospel; for we can conceive of no greater sin than disbelieving God’s message; or of any greater insult offered to God than to treat His message with contempt!
Precious gospel, that such sinners as we are–so vile, so poor, so feeble, so utterly worthless–may obtain God’s Heaven, and dwell in it with the Savior forever!
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