"I felt better every time I heard that man preach," were the words of one who had listened to man, but had not heard God. He had been attending a series of gospel meetings; but, like many others, was not convicted of sin.
"But did you not learn that you are lost?"
"Oh, no. I am not so bad as that."
"Ah, it is only the lost man who gets the Savior, Tor the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.' Do not miss the thought: it is only the sinner who is sought. For 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance' ". Luke 5:3232I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32).
"Of course I must repent and be sorry for my sins."
"Then why not repent at once?"
"I have, for a long, long while."
"Then your sins are forgiven?"
"No, I can't say that; I don't feel as I've been sorry enough."
"My dear friend, you will never feel enough sorrow to merit pardon. Besides, how can you be sorry for your thousands of sins done long ago and long since forgotten?"
"Then hasn't a man got to repent?"
"Every soul must repent, but it is 'the blood of Jesus Christ His Son that cleanseth us from all sin,' and not repentance. Repentance is not sorrow for sins, though that may be involved in it. It is self-judgment in the light of God's testimony which I have believed. The Ninevites believed God, and repented at the preaching of Jonah. Therefore, you are to hear, believe, and bow to what God says to you in His word. He says, 'All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.' Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23).
"This condemns you as guilty, lost and undone. Now your only course is to bow to the sentence, acknowledge the exposure of your guilt by the Word of God, and as a self-judged sinner (the true state of a repentant soul, brought about by the Holy Spirit using God's Word) believe that He was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification.
"Justification is freely offered, not through repentance and good works, but through the accomplished redemption of Christ. Will you take it, by faith, as it is offered freely, and thank God for it?"
"Well, if that is the scriptural plan, and it seems it is, any sinner may be saved?"
"Precisely. 'Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.' "
Will you take it, reader? Salvation is free, full, and everlasting.