Why should I not leave Christianity?

Well did Peter say "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." Eternal life has come in the Person, and in the testimony of God's own Son; and although it was but in a feeble way the disciples of Jesus could then know eternal life, not yet having the indwelling Spirit, they knew that in the Son of God, present among them, there were the precious words which gave them some knowledge of it. That blessed heavenly life was theirs, the gift of God to them, received by believing in the Son of God, yet the full joy and blessedness of it could not be theirs until the Lord Jesus died, and until they ate His flesh and drank His blood. There could not be the full knowledge of God's love until His Son died; nor could there be the true knowledge of the Father and the Son until the Holy Spirit came to indwell the believer. Still, it is good to know that while awaiting the full knowledge of the eternal life, the disciples knew that the Lord Jesus had for them the words of eternal life, which held them in deep attachment to Him, so that Peter could say "Lord to Whom shall we go?" They seemed to realise that eternal life was the substance of the Lord's ministry for them: a blessing of surpassing value, so valuable that they would remain with Jesus, even if all others left Him.

Many of those in the synagogue that day, even though professedly His disciples, were so carnally minded that they said: "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?" They were following Him with thoughts of a glorious kingdom; and the mention of death stumbled them. Accordingly many of them turned back, and walked no more with Him. This caused the Lord to challenge the twelve: "Will ye also go away?" Peter promptly replied: "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and know that Thou art the Holy One of God" (see R.V. of John 6:67-69). Happy Peter! His heart found its all in the Saviour before him. In like manner what "Thou hast" and what "Thou art" is sufficient to-day to satisfy every longing of the soul until glory dawns.

N.B. — Would the Saviour be likely to cast men upon Sacraments for eternal life, knowing well that priests of every brand, in their sectarian zeal, would be disposed to repudiate as false the Sacraments of all others? With the conflicting claims of Greeks, Romanists, Anglicans, etc., before him, where is the simple inquirer to find certainty? God be praised, we are not driven to investigate the rival claims of all these in order to obtain eternal life. The Word of God and the Christ of God are both available for us all. In these our souls may safely confide.

When these many disciples turned back to walk no more with Him, then He addresses the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” (v. 67). For it is an attracting and popular thing to follow the crowd, and we shall all at some time be faced with the fact that to follow Christ is not popular. How good then is the firm decision of Peter's answer, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Material things (loaves and fishes) were not his object: he must have a living person to sustain the need of his soul. Who else could substitute for the Son of the living God? He knew that the words of the Lord Jesus were those of eternal life, however feebly he may have understood all those words. There could be no possible question that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, the Christ, and Son of the living God. Faith could see this with absolute clarity.

Very blessedly Peter answers, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast words of life eternal, and we have believed and known that Thou art the Holy One of God" (N.Tn.). If the Lord's discourse has exposed the unbelief of the flesh, it has also confirmed the faith of true believers. If such leave him they might still find religious profession, present ease and honour in this world, but for evermore they would leave behind life — eternal life — and all the heavenly and eternal blessing to which eternal life must lead.

It was at this juncture that the Lord challenged the twelve with the words, "Will ye also go away?" Were they only following Him because of present advantage? How precious to the heart of the Lord must have been the response of Simon Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." Peter did not say, Lord, where shall we go, but "Lord, to whom shall we go?" The Lord Himself, in all His attractiveness, filled Peter's vision, and His words, words of eternal life held his heart. Others might value the loaves and fishes, but the words of eternal life, infinite in spiritual value, were highly esteemed by Simon Peter. Peter was learning in the company of His Lord that His words were the expression of Himself, and they were binding him indissolubly to his heavenly Master.

Are you, dear reader, trusting to your doings to recommend you to God, or to help in any measure your salvation? May it please God to shine into your heart, and so convict you of your utterly lost and unclean condition as to compel you to look out of yourself for a Saviour, and to find out your want of the accomplished work of the Son of God, who "came into the world (not to help, but) to save sinners." And when others are turning away from the Saviour, and you are asked if you will not also go away, your reply then will be, like Peter's, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God" (John 6:67-68).

"Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?" And who answered? Simon Peter. And now, you see, he that was of little faith had become, I may say, of great faith. The lesson was learnt, and he showed it, for when the question came the answer — the ready answer of his soul — was, "Lord, to whom shall we go?" He does not now say "I." He does not now say, "Lord, if it be Thou." "Lord, to whom shall we go?" There is no "if" now. "Thou hast the words of eternal life." No hesitation in his soul. Ah, there is faith. There is not little faith now. There is no mingling of doubt now. There is no question before Peter now, and what is more remarkable too, there is no such thing as that egotism that mingled with the former case, but he says, "We believe and are sure." He puts them all with himself, "We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

But there were those who were attracted by the light, and rejoiced in its heavenly rays. These He had challenged earlier in their history, when many of His disciples had abandoned Him. He says to them, “Will ye also go away?” Peter answers for all, “Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68) There was no one else to whom they could go. To turn back to the scribes, who sat in Moses’ seat, would have been to step out of the light of heaven into dungeon darkness. He was the only one in the universe who had the slightest attraction for them. He was all they had in the world, but He was about to leave them, and they were greatly distressed. Upon their path there shone not one ray of light, for what Christ was putting before them, they were not able to receive. They had Himself, and they did not desire to lose Him, and they knew no reason why they should, it was not where He was going that occupied them, they had no spirit for that; it was with the place He was leaving they were occupied. Where He was going had as yet no attraction for them. He says in chapter 16, “None of you asketh Me, Whither goest Thou?” They were too much occupied with the loss they were about to sustain, to have any interest in where He was going.

There are many questions that men will never be able to answer, whether it be as to the origin of life, or the origin of evil, or why God does this or does that, but we can testify that the knowledge of Christ as a personal Saviour satisfies the deepest aspirations of the heart, and renders the soul content and more than content with God’s revelation—the Bible.

The reasons of all this are not far to seek. We have all these cares, and fears, and misgivings, because we are fallen beings, whom academic surmises must fail to console. We yearn for something positive; and this Christianity supplies, and like the sun proves itself by lighting our darkness. It is positive; and hence it is the very creed to be preached with ready tongue and gladdened eye to every creature. It throws light upon, and holds out an ultimate solution of, the mystery of pain, which makes up human life. And, looking at it subjectively, in its renewing, transforming power, it carries with it its own credentials, for "He that believeth hath the witness in himself," and again, "He that doeth His will, shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God." Christianity in short sheds a divine light across my path, which judges me so effectually that I do not think of judging it. It reveals a Divine Person dying to put away sin, and no mere vain ideas and shadowy images, like false religions and philosophies.