As I am coming almost to the end of my reading of the book J. Hudson Taylor, God's Man in China, by Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, I came upon this remarkable passage, a quote from Hudson Taylor's own writings. I want to share this with all my friends, and I hope it touches them as it is touching me, to transform and renew our minds in Christ...What did our Lord really mean by His command, "Preach the gospel to every creature"?
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How are we going to treat the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to this command?
Shall we definitely drop the title Lord as applied to Him, and take the ground that we are quite willing to recognize Him as our Saviour, so far as the penalty of sin is concerned, but are not prepared to own ourselves 'bought with a price', or Him as having any claim to our unquestioning obedience?
Shall we say that we are our own masters, willing to yield something as His due, who bought us with His blood, provided He does not ask too much?
Our lives, our loved ones, our possessions are our own, not His; we will give Him what we think fit, and obey any of His requirements that do not demand too great a sacrifice?
To be taken to heaven by Jesus Christ we are more than willing, but we will not have this Man to reign over us?
The heart of every Christian will undoubtedly reject this proposition, so formulated; but have not countless lives in each generation been lived as though it were proper ground to take?
How few of the Lord's people have practically recognized the truth that Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all!
If we can judge God's Word as much or as little as we like, then we are Lords, and He is the indebted one, to be grateful for our dole and obliged by our compliance with His wishes.
If, on the other hand, He is Lord, let us treat Him as such.
'Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?'
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