From the time I can first remember I was taught to "say my prayers" and to reverence God's Word. I personally knew nothing of Jesus as my Savior. At times I longed to be "good," and like many others, I tried to make myself fit for heaven. Sometimes, doing good deeds, I felt quite proud of my efforts. At other times, my own miserable failure cast me into despair.
I continued in this manner until I was twenty-one. A brother, the idol of my heart, was taken from me by death. To comfort myself in my loss I filled all my spare time with a series of "good works," and felt that I must be earning God's approval.
More and more I longed to be pleasing to God. Day after day I asked Him to make me good, to make me feel that I was better. How I missed the mark!
One night I could not sleep. Hoping to induce drowsiness, I took up a little book to read. It was called "God's Glad Tidings." I thought it would be "dry" enough to put me to sleep quickly! It was a simple little book, but it soon had my close attention.
As I read I came to a quotation from Scripture:
"No flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Corinthians 1:2929That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29). This stopped me and I pondered over it. Then how could I attain the degree of "goodness" that would be acceptable to God?
I read: "But of Him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus." What? Didn't I have to do anything? Light began to dawn; and for the first time I saw the value of His work on Calvary.
With solemn wonder I now read: "Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
Now I saw that the whole work was Christ's, and if I believed it was for me and received Him as my Savior, God viewed me as in Christ Jesus. Only in Him would I glory, and through Him as my righteousness I would find acceptance with God.
How simple, yet how deep! My soul has reveled in it, and throughout the passing years it has grown more and more precious to me. "In Christ" I have found complete satisfaction, and perfect rest, for time and eternity.
The richest possible mercy—God loving the world
at
The highest possible price-the gift of His Son, for
The largest possible number—"whosoever" might not suffer
The darkest possible doom—might not perish, but
have
The greatest possible blessing—eternal life, on
The easiest possible terms—believing, and on
The best possible security—God's own Word.