‘And let him that heareth’ – that is us again – ‘say, Come.’ You must make the universal tender of salvation. We cannot agree with those friends who love the Lord in the Gospel Standard churches, who won't have the free offer of the gospel. This is as the last great commission of the Bible. ‘Let him that heareth’ – the reader of this book who is a born-again Christian – ‘say, Come.’ It's our duty to call men and women to Christ. We don't know who the elect are. We call everyone and that universal call reveals the heart of God. ‘And let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’ What tremendous words! It is the appeal of the gospel right in the last chapter of the Bible. In the words of Horatius Bonar, ‘I heard the voice of Jesus say, Behold, I freely give the living water, thirsty one; stoop down and drink and live.’ Aren’t they a marvellous paraphrase almost of these very words? – ‘And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’
‘Let him that is athirst come.’ This thirst is good; indeed it is vital. It is an essential part of obtaining salvation. Unless there is a need in the heart, we will not come to Christ as we should. All necessary resources are supplied from God’s infinite being. The problem is with our lack of awareness of our need. We are sinful, but we do not hunger for cleansing; we are dead but we do not yearn for life; we are alienated from God but we do not long for peace and reconciliation. The awakening of thirst and a sense of need is therefore like the pushing up of the first buds of Spring. It is the evidence of the beginning of the work of the Spirit in our hearts. God has never given any discouragement to those who genuinely thirst for his mercy. Though there is a a distance between our first sense of thirst to the possession of eternal life, the two are connected. The promises of God give encouragement every step of the way. Let him who thirsts come because he will not be turned away; he will not have had a wasted journey. Whoever comes to Christ, he will never drive away.
We cannot come without an invitation, else we have no warrant to come, but what are the terms of this invitation? Who may come? Must we already possess righteousness before we come? Are we turned away unless we reach a certain standard? No, it is sinners who are invited, as they are. Does God name certain individuals as eligible to come? No, there is no list given in Scripture of those who are invited. He invites all without restriction. The key phrase is ‘whosoever will, let him take’, or ‘let the one desiring take’. Every man, woman and child who feels their need of salvation may come for forgiveness and new life. Any published list of those invited would only take away the need to exercise faith for it would guarantee that we were received even before we came. But faith makes a personal claim on that general promise of mercy to sinners. We must come solely on the basis of God’s offer of mercy to sinners. We qualify because we are sinners and nothing more. It is by taking God at his word that we are assured of being accepted. But why should God give such an open invitation? Hasn’t he chosen from before the foundation of the world who will be saved? If the invitation is so indiscriminate, might not some come, whom God does not intend to come? No, only those who are drawn by the Father will ever come (John 6:44).