Chapter 6: Not "Attain," But "Obtain"
Chapter 6: Not "Attain," But "Obtain"
"I am come that they might have life." - John 10:10
A YOUNG CHRISTIAN girl once told me that she entered the life of unbroken fellowship and victory by noticing the distinction between these two words. For years she had been endeavouring to attain to a certain standard of rest, and peace, and power; but each year she seemed to get further from the mark. One evening, however, she happened, as we say, to go to a little prayer-meeting, at which there were only three persons present, beside the minister who was conducting it. Whilst giving out a hymn he quietly looked up, and said, "You see, my friends, this is something which we cannot attain, but must obtain." From that moment she saw that all that was needful for the noblest life had been accomplished and won by the Saviour, and that she had only to receive. From that moment an exceeding great light has filled her soul.
Perhaps the distinction will help some of my readers. You will never get the blessedness for which you long by struggling and agonising; by your vehement cries and prayers; by your determined resolutions and endeavours - but by stilling yourself before God, and quietly appropriating the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, which are in Christ Jesus.
Did you attain forgiveness and salvation at the outset of your Christian life by an effort of yours? Certainly you did not. You may have tried to do so for long years, but no peace or joy came; you became more miserable and hopeless; the wicket-gate and its shining light were further off than ever. At last, when you had come to an end of yourself, one day you looked up and saw Jesus standing, and He offered you, without money and without price, without any equivalent on your part, forgiveness, righteousness, peace, and joy. You simply received. You took what He offered, you obtained as a gift what you could never have attained as a guerdon. This is precisely the attitude you must adopt with respect to all other gifts and graces in Christian living.
You cannot attain that victory over besetting sin which shall enable you to walk worthy of the Gospel and of your Lord - you have fought and wrestled for it in vain for years, and always been worsted - but you can obtain it by the up-glance of the eye of faith to the Lord Jesus, who has overcome all our foes, and holds in his hand the talisman of victory.
You cannot attain that power in service before which hard hearts will break, and eyes unused to weeping shall be filled with tears. It is not an acquisition or an attainment; it will not come by practice, or education, or any number of elocution lessons; it is a secret from all who desire it for any selfish or vain-glorious end. But if you will wait before God in silence and patience, your eyes being ever toward the Lord, He will give you your heart's desire.
You cannot attain some grace of Christian character, which you long to possess, but you can obtain it. It is there in the character of Jesus, waiting for you; and all that is requisite on your part is to adopt an attitude of utter and constant dependence. God has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Jesus, and He hath given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness through the blessed knowledge of the Son of his Love.
How could I answer such a letter as the following, unless I knew this blessed secret? "Five years ago," the writer says, "I got into a very bad habit, which I did not take much notice of then, but which has clung to me ever since. I find that it has a very much stronger hold than formerly, and all my efforts to throw it off seem to be useless. I have made special prayers to God for the past two years, asking Him to give me strength to overcome the temptation. I get very disheartened; for it seems that my prayers are not heard, and I seem to be getting worse rather than better. Now, will you please tell me what I can do?"
Now, there is only one thing to say-"Do not strive to attain the victory by your own efforts; but look to Jesus to give the victory." "Now thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." "They that receive the abundance of grace shall reign."
To live like this is very blessed. The heart is stilled in its great expectancy. It realizes that all it needs is in God; and it endeavours to live with nothing between itself and the Source of all its bliss and grace. Then, as each emergency, trial, or difficulty arises, it simply goes to the everlasting supply which God has caused to reside in Jesus, and obtains all and more than all its desire.