Charles Carroll Luther was a journalist and a lay evangelist before being ordained as a Baptist minister in 1886. He wrote a hymn with the above title in 1887 when he heard Rev. A.G. Upham relate the story of a young man who was about to die. This young man had been a Christian for only one month. He was thankful to the Lord for giving him salvation during his final hour. He, however, was grieved that he would not have an opportunity to serve the Lord nor to share Him with others. He explained, “I am not afraid to die; Jesus saves me now. But must I go empty handed?” Upon hearing this account, Luther wrote the following hymn, a part of which says:

“Must I go, and empty handed,”

Thus my dear Redeemer meet?

Not one day of service give Him,

Lay no trophy at His feet?

Chorus: “Must I go, and empty handed?”

Must I meet my Saviour so?

Not one soul with which to greet Him,

Must I empty handed go?

Be Grateful to the Lord

For some people, it is only when they are about to die that they understand an important truth: “I need to know where I am going after I die. I do not want to go to hell.” But when you accept Jesus as your Saviour, your heart will have real peace and there is a real reason for it: The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit, the Almighty God comes into your heart to comfort and assure you of eternal salvation: eternal life and heaven. But you are a sinner who has sinned against God in thought, word and deed. How can you enter heaven which is the home of God, a place without sin? The reason is that Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross has washed away all your sins. You can now enjoy eternal life because Jesus suffered a painful death on the cruel cross because He loves you infinitely. For that reason, you must now live your life for your Lord and Saviour. Do not be ungrateful. How can you not do the thing that He is most concerned about, which is to preach the gospel and save souls into heaven? You must do something for your Lord. That was how this young man felt: How can I see my Lord empty handed with no gift to give him?

Evangelize Whilst You Have Life

Do not regret. If you live a self-centred life, a life that revolves only around yourself, your family and your self-interest, when the day comes that you must die, you will surely regret. This is because when God created you, He puts in you the desire to want to accomplish things that have everlasting value. Hence, if you die without having saved souls for Jesus, you will regret and that regret will a burdensome and frightening one because you know you can never go back time. Your chance to serve God is gone forever. The fact is that you may die anytime. History and the newspapers are replete with examples of people who die when they were young, healthy, and vibrant. It can happen to you next year or even tomorrow. Do not regret. Only the things that you do for Jesus, especially the souls you save into heaven, will have real value. God and those you save and build up will remember you for all eternity. Everything else will be forgotten. Therefore, serve Him faithfully. Walk right before Him. Do not love sin and the world.