At the close of the gospel one night I observed a young woman leaving the meeting. There was a look of great distress upon her face.
As she was passing me at the door I spoke to her, inquiring the cause of her sadness. She told me that she was anxious to be saved but could not see her way clear.
I asked her if she had been anxious any length of time, and if she believed herself to be a lost, helpless, hell-deserving sinner. With tears in her eyes she answered, "Yes.”
When I asked what she was doing to get relief, she informed me she was doing the best she could and asking the Lord to forgive her sins.
"But," I replied, "Christ accomplished a complete and sufficient work upon the cross, and then said, `IT IS FINISHED.' He has borne the sins of all who believe in Him, and has put them away forever. In 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24) we are told: 'Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.'”
I endeavored to show the troubled young woman that Christ had all our sins upon Him on the tree; that if He had not then, He never would, for He would never be there again; that He then put them all away with His blood; and that if He did not then, He never would, as He could not again shed His blood, having shed it when He was crucified in this sin-stained and guilty world.
"Do you believe that Christ had all your sins upon Him when He was upon the tree?" I asked. "Yes, I believe He had.”
"Do you believe that He washed them all away with His precious blood shed on Calvary?”
"Yes, I believe He did.”
"Do you believe that He was buried, and rose again without them, according to the Scriptures?" "Scripture says so, and I believe it is true.”
"Do you believe that He is in heaven, and has been for nearly two thousand years without them there?”
She answered with all her heart, "Yes.”
"Well now, does not that make you happy?" I asked.
"No," she answered.
I saw she was in earnest, and for a moment I could not understand her difficulty. At last I asked her the question: "Have you ever thanked Him?”
She frankly owned she had not, and, at once the secret of her unhappiness was laid bare. I advised her to do so without delay, assuring her the Lord would then make her happy.
The next evening she was at the meeting again. At the close she came to me, and with a bright and happy face said: "I have thanked the Savior for what He did for me on the cross, and He has made me so happy.”
Years have rolled away since this dear young woman believed in: the Lord and His work, since she confessed it to Him and thanked Him for it. Still she is rejoicing in the knowledge of God's great salvation offered freely to whosoever will.