The Final Destination Of The Blessed
[Notes Of A Sermon By Mr. E. White, Preached At Enon, Woolwich, Sunday Evening, May 29th, 1892.]
“The shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”—Matthew 25:34
We learn from God’s Word that the final destiny of men will be according to what they have been in this world. The destiny will be fixed according to character; and what we have been here will be the test of where we shall be for ever and ever. At the last great day there will be a separation. We cannot be separated here on earth, for the Master said concerning the wheat and the tares, “Let both grow together until the harvest.” If we try to separate the hypocrites from the godly we are very likely to make a mistake. We might exclude the real child of God, and take in the hypocrite. But the Master knows, and we have His words, that He will say to those on His right hand, “Come in, ye blessed of My Father.” We will now divide the text into three parts:—
I. The sweet appellation. II. The vast possession. III. The final destination.
I.—The sweet appellation. “Come, ye blessed of My Father.” This is in harmony with their character in this world. They have been coming to Him when on earth: and those who have been departing, will depart still farther. If we have been coming to Him for help, salvation, and blessing, it will be ”Come” then. But if we have been departing from God, it will be so still; go on as you have been doing. Believers are always coming to Christ, and we, as believers, cannot live without Him. We came to Him at first for pardon and peace, are still coming, and will be while on earth we stay. These words breathe the language of a hearty welcome. Christ said, “Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out.” But it will be spoken even more heartily then: come and enjoy all the vast blessings which are in store for you. We are unworthy, but we are welcome: unworthy to fall at His feet; unworthy to step into heaven’s door, yet He will say, “Come in; come, ye blessed of My Father.” Once we were under the dominion of the law, but now blessed; once cursed, and Sinai made us tremble as curse after curse came against us, but that is reversed, and we are now blessed. Am I speaking to an ungodly person? You are under the law, and therefore under the curse.
“Come, ye blessed.” This is a distinguishing favour, it is to be blessed indeed. “Oh, that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil!” When we say, “God bless you,” we wish it; but when God blesses, He imparts the blessing. “The blessing of the Lord maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow thereto:” it is to have all spiritual and temporal blessings as well. A child of God is blessed in all things and in all ways. These blessings flow from God the Father to us. He is the fount of blessing, the source of all good. He is the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. These blessings flow from Him to us through the Spirit.
II.—The vast possession. “Come, ye blessed, inherit the kingdom.”‘ God has three kingdoms; the kingdom of providence, the kingdom of grace, and the kingdom of glory. He has the kingdom of providence for He ruleth over all, and He reigns here on earth in every matter. Nothing transpires but what He overrules it all. Then He has His kingdom of grace. It is also called the kingdom of God. “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Salvation, peace, justification, all come from this kingdom of grace. Then God has a kingdom of glory, and if we are in His kingdom of grace now, we shall be in the kingdom of glory hereafter. Sometimes this kingdom is spoken of as the Paradise of God, leading our thoughts back to the first Paradise. This is the kingdom or garden of the Lord. There shall be no night there, and Christ’s name is written in the inhabitants’ foreheads. Heaven is sometimes spoken of as a city; then as a crown of glory; then, again, as eternal life. But here it is referred to as a kingdom. It is called thus because of its vastness and richness; because it is under the immediate rule of Jesus Christ. He rules here on earth, for He says, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.” But here we cannot see His face, while in heaven we shall see His face and be under His immediate rule. It is called a kingdom because of its durable character. “It shall never be destroyed. It is an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. This kingdom will last for ever and ever. Inherit means a lot, as the children of Israel had their inheritance by lot; so we shall receive our kingdom or lot because it is ours, and we are to come and inherit it. Inherit it, not because we have purchased it, nor because we merit it, but by the regeneration of the Holy Ghost and justification by faith we have it; nor because of our works, but by Jesus Christ. This inheritance belongs to us by relationship, by birth, and we shall have this kingdom because we have been born of God, and therefore are related to Him. ”If children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.” “Are they (the angels) not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.” They are heirs of the kingdom through this divine birth. How can we know we are heirs to the kingdom? “Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that love Him.” I cannot climb to heaven to see if my name is in His book; but I do love Him, therefore I am an heir to this kingdom.
III.—The final destination. “Prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” It is prepared, and that which is last in execution was the first in God’s determination. Some do not like to think about God’s predestinating love, but we may be sure if God intends to take His people to heaven He would think about it beforehand. He thought about it far back in the ages past, as far as mind can travel. And it is good it is so, for if He had had to alter His thoughts and plans in time, it would have shown He was imperfect. But He is perfection itself; He laid His plans and carried them out. He promised it before time began. He promised it to Christ the Saviour and Surety of His people, and all the promises of God are Yea and Amen” in Christ Jesus. And in due time Christ came to remove all obstacles out of the way, and then went back to heaven to fit it for our reception. “I go to prepare a place for you.”
Then God predestinated the heirs before the world began. There is an inseparable connection between the two (Rom. 8:30), “Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” And God knows everyone who is an heir. “The foundation of the Lord standeth sure, and He knoweth them that are His.” We can come and see if our experience tallies with what is in the Bible to know if we are heirs of heaven. How may we know? By calling, regeneration, the new birth. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
We know by the sealing of the Holy Ghost: “After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory.” And if the Holy Spirit has sealed Christ”s pardon on our hearts, that is a pledge which God has given that heaven is prepared for us. Every one is known to God, even the most trembling and weak, and not one shall be left behind. Should not this strengthen our faith? God has determined in wisdom, love, and power, to bring every one to His kingdom. Our feelings sometimes doubt it. But shall our feelings change His purpose? No; therefore this fact should strengthen our faith. He who hath promised shall perform, and bring us safely to His right hand. Then, should this not wean us from the earth and terrestrial things, when we have a kingdom above? “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” We shall soon have to leave this earth and the things which surround us here below, sin and Satan. Some of us will be glad to leave them; but there is a great deal of clinging to the earth, for we get so earth-bound. But there is a kingdom, a place of rest, where we shall ever dwell; therefore our hearts should aspire in gratitude to God. When we look through this Book and see all that God has prepared for us, our heart breaks forth in blessing and praise, and we cry, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” He not only gives us all here, but He has prepared things that we cannot express. If this be the happiness prepared for the child of God, would you like to be shut out? Men are very interested if a will is to be read and they have a legacy. May the Holy Spirit grant we may be as interested in this glorious inheritance. Amen.
Edwin White (1846-?) was a Strict and Particular Baptist preacher. His first pastorate was with the church meeting at Orphington (1877-1879). After two years, the communion question cropped up, the majority of members deciding to throw the Table open. He forthwith resigned his office. His second pastorate was with the church meeting at Clare, Suffolk (1881-1887). After six years of blessed ministry, he resigned the office due to health reasons. His third pastorate was with the church meeting at Woolwich, Enon Chapel (1891-1919). In 1911 was elected president of the Metropolitan Association of Strict Baptist Churches.
