In titling this article I could have named it “Faith Illustrated” just as well. In I Timothy 1:12-14 we read, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” The apostle says he committed himself into the hands of Christ, that is, himself to Christ to be Christ’s property, and Christ’s servant for the work committed until that work was finished. This act of faith is not to be performed once only, but it must be continued as long as you live. As long as you live you must have no other confidence but “Jesus only.” You take Him to have and to hold through life and in death, in storm and in sunshine, in poverty and in wealth, never to part from Him. You take Him to be your only prop, your only pillar from the day of committal to journey’s end. You are on board with Him and there is no terminal or getting off place. This train is the Church, His body and bride; He is the Conductor and heaven is our destination. “In 1792 William Carey founded the first Protestant Missions organization with a number of pastors and theologians in the UK. Andrew Fuller (a founding member of the BMS) described the conversation that set it all in motion: “Our undertaking to India really appeared to me, on its commencement, to be somewhat like a few men, who were deliberating about the importance of penetrating into a deep mine, which had never before been explored. We had no one to guide us, and while we were thus deliberating, [William] Carey, as it were, said, ‘Well, I will go down if you will hold the rope.’ But before he went down, he, as it seemed to me, took an oath from each of us, at the mouth of the pit, to this effect that ‘while we lived, we should never let go of the rope.’” My good friend Pastor Henry Mahan wrote, “Let Us Be About Our Father’s Business. When William Carey announced that he wished to go overseas to preach to the heathen, a pastor replied, ‘Young man, if God wishes to save the heathen, he will do it without you!’ What a bad spirit and error! Yes! God can accomplish His purpose and save His people WITHOUT ME and WITHOUT YOU; but He will use SOMEONE to preach the Word, SOMEONE to send the messenger, and SOMEONE to pray for and support His servant. I want that someone to be you and me! What a privilege and joy to have something to do with His glorious purpose to glorify Christ in calling out a people. Today, pray for your pastor as he preaches, encourage and support the missionaries, invite someone to hear the Word, give out a tape or book, and let us be about our Father’s business.” This February I will have been in the ministry 50 years. Most of them have been right here in Winston, GA. We’ve fought a lot of battles, and most have not realized it, but the battle has been with Satan, the wicked one: and the issue has been and still remains Christ and His Gospel. Like Mr. Carey, I’ve been in the well, but I have had those holding the rope for me, and for Christ sake and the gospel they have not let go of the rope and will not until the work is finished.
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