Luke 21:36 - Homilies By W. Clarkson

Standing before Christ.

"Watch … and pray that ye may be accounted worthy … to stand before the Son of man." What is involved in this worthiness? It must include our being—

I. PREPARED TO GIVE ACCOUNT TO HIM . We know that we shall have to do that ( Romans 10:1-21 ; 2 Corinthians 5:10 ); and we must expect, when we do stand before the Judge, to account to Jesus Christ for

II. CONFORMED TO HIS LIKENESS , Will not our Lord expect to find those who professed to be his disciples, who had access to so many and such great privileges, stand before him such as he lived and died to make them.t We know what that is. "He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity;" he has "called us to holiness;" he came and wrought his work in order that he might make us to be in our spirit and character the children of God, bearing our heavenly Father's image. He will therefore look to those who stand before him as his redeemed ones for:

1 . Purity of heart ; the abhorrence of all that is evil, and love for that which is good and true and pure.

2 . A loving spirit ; a spirit of unselfishness, of devotedness, of generosity, of tender solicitude for the well-being of others.

3 . R everence and consecration of heart to God.

III. READY FOR THE HEAVENLY SPHERE , To "stand before" the king meant to be ready to fulfill his royal behest, prepared to do at once and to do effectively whatever he might require. To stand before our Divine Sovereign means to be ready to do his bidding, to execute his commandments as he shall employ us in his heavenly service. We naturally and rightly hope that he will entrust us with the most honorable errands, will appoint us to elevated posts, will charge us with noble occupations that will demand enlarged ability and that will contribute great things to his cause and kingdom. We may be sure that the devoted and faithful discharge of our duties here will prove the best preparation for celestial activity and usefulness, lie that is faithful in a few things now will be made ruler over many things hereafter. He who puts out his talents here will be found worthy to stand before the King, and to be employed by him in broad and blessed spheres of service there. If we would be "accounted worthy" to do this, we must "watch and pray."

1 . We must spend much time with God—in the study of his will and in supplication for the quickening influences of his Spirit.

2 . We must often examine our own hearts, observing our progress or retrogression, ready for the act of penitence, or of praise, or of reconsecration as we find ourselves declining. We must also observe the forces that are around us, and distinguish carefully between the hostile and the friendly, between those which make for folly and for sin and those which lead up to wisdom and to righteousness.—C.