A Criminal Made New

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 4
 
A man who had been a thief and was very violent and wicked was brought to know Christ as his Savior. He was asked, one day, the cause of the wonderful change in his life.
He said, "It was the crucifixion did it. Punishment did me no good. That only made me so bad, although I was bad to begin with. Punishment could not change me. I was flogged and handcuffed. I had irons on my legs. I was locked in the 'dark' and solitary for many a day.
"I just kicked against those who did it. I cursed and swore at them. When I was silent, I seethed more in my heart. Every stroke brought out a fresh sin. Nothing that I bore could pay my debt, for I broke the law at every turn. It was no use laying the lash on me.
"But, oh, when I read of Jesus, how He was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, I saw that He, God's Son, had borne everything. I was often dumb with my mouth, like a man: and bit my lips till they bled! But He was dumb within, like a sheep. When He was nailed to the cross He did not threaten. He submitted without a notion of fighting back. This was the way He was able to pay up instead of us. Oh, He was the Son of God, and had no sin. I saw it plainly, and believed it. 'The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.' We could not bear it without becoming worse. This is what broke my heart and made me a changed man.”
What power the gospel works in the lives of those who believe it! It is, indeed, "the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth." Rom. 1:1616For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16).
`Law and terrors do but harden,
All the while they work alone;
But a sense of blood-bought pardon,
Soon dissolves a heart of stone.”
It is only to him that "believeth" that the gospel becomes the power of God unto salvation. As a matter of history everybody believes about Jesus Christ; but if we are to be saved and made fit for heaven, we must believe "on" Him. As a guilty sinner in need of salvation, I urge you to take Him as your own personal Savior, and then you will be able to say: "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." Gal. 2:2020I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20).