At the close of a gospel meeting in a small town, I observed a young woman leaving the room with a look of great distress on her face. As she was passing me, I asked her if she were saved and if so, why so sad. She answered 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―if she believed she was a poor, lost, helpless, and hell-deserving sinner. With tears in her eyes she answered: "Yes, and for a long time.”
I then asked her what she was doing to get relief. She informed me that she was doing the best she could; and asking the Lord to forgive her.
"But," I replied, "Christ has done a complete and sufficient work upon the cross. Then He said: 'IT IS FINISHED!' He has also borne the sins of all who believe in Him and has put them away forever.”
She assured me that she believed all this, but that it brought no relief to her conscience.
I endeavored to show her from this scripture that Christ had all our sins upon Him on the cross, and that if He had not then, He never would, for He would never be there again; that He then put them all away in His death, and if He did not then, He never would, as He could not again shed His blood, having shed it while He was in this sin-stained, guilty world.
I then asked her: "Do you believe that Christ had all our sins upon Him when He was on the tree?" "Yes, I believe He had.”
"Do you believe that He put them all away with His precious blood before He left the tree?”
"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 that He has been there nearly 2000 years without them?”
She answered, with all her heart, "Yes.”
"Well, now, does not that make you happy?" I asked.
"No," she answered.
I saw she was an honest soul, and for a moment I could not understand her difficulty. At last I asked her the question, "Have you ever thanked Him?”
She owned that she had not, and at once saw the secret of her unhappiness.
I advised her to do so without delay, assuring her that the Lord alone would make her happy.
The next evening she was at the meeting again. At the close she came to me with a bright and happy face and said, "I have thanked Him for what He did for me on the cross, and He has made me so happy.”
Months 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. She is still rejoicing in the knowledge of her full, complete, and everlasting salvation.
How is it with you, the reader of these pages? Are your sins all gone? If not, you cannot go to heaven with them; for heaven is the home of holiness, while hell is the abode of sin. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Trust it, dead soul, and rejoice in the prospect of eternity with and like your Savior.