In a large Southern city several charitable institutions provide "open doors" for the spread of the Gospel. In one of these, a hospital for incurably sick people, those who would carry the "Good News" to the inmates must go from bed to bed, speaking directly and individually to the patients.
A Christian gentleman, Dr. Wood, had for years visited this hospital every week.
Through his gentle ministry and loving presentation of the Savior many souls had learned God's way of salvation. But throughout the years one of the most afflicted of the poor, suffering inmates had remained unresponsive to the simple story of the Gospel. This man, Bob Hardy, now about twenty-three years old, had been born blind and, since early childhood, had been almost completely paralyzed. With keen mental faculties and the full grown body of a man, he lay, from day to day, year to year, a totally helpless invalid. Over this poor man, so grievously afflicted in body and seemingly hard and rebellious in spirit, Dr. Wood's heart yearned as he constantly prayed for his soul.
Another devoted servant of the Lord, Mr. Harrell, an evangelist, was specially interested, too, in Bob Hardy's salvation. However, since his labors kept him away from the South much of the time, his contacts with Bob had necessarily become quite infrequent.
On one of his visits to this Southern city, Mr. Harrell took a Saturday afternoon as an opportune time to call at the hospital for incurables. Passing from patient to patient, speaking to each one about Him who came from the glory down to the death of the cross to bring poor sinners to God, he noticed on nearly every bedside table books and pamphlets setting forth doctrines of works how to "work out" one's own salvation.
The mockery of such teaching, particularly among these poor, helpless sufferers! Unable to "do" in any measure for themselves, physically, how could they, by dint of mental effort, by "vain repetitions" (Matt. 6:77But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (Matthew 6:7)) of thoughts or words, or by any power within themselves, hope to improve their spiritual state or to prepare themselves for eternity?
Burdened with these thoughts, the evangelist went from ward to ward.
In the last room near the door Mr. Harrell found his old friend, Bob Hardy. As he lay motionless on his narrow bed, he seemed to be sleeping. The evangelist would have passed by, but the ward nurse greeting him by name, Bob heard and called out, "Hello, Mr. Harrell!” He turned to speak to the invalid, noting again the rigid body and limbs and the sightless eyes. A wave of deep pity for the helpless lad swept over him as he answered gently: "Well, Bob, you remember me. How is it with you, my boy? Has your soul found rest in Christ?”
The poor face, lined with the marks of suffering, grew tense. With evident effort the answer finally came: "How can I, Mr. Harrell? That is not for such as I. The nurse has been reading to me from the books the lady brought, and not one thing of them all can I do.”
Yes, on the table by the bed were the same little books―futile―useless―in their doctrine of "do.”
Breathing a prayer for words of wisdom, the servant of the Lord took in his own hand the stiff, unresponsive fingers of the crippled lad. In solemn tones he asked: "Bob, is God unfair?”
As though discovered in his own secret thoughts and realizing their unworthiness, the stuttering answer came: "N-no, oh no, Mr. Harrell; I wouldn't say that.”
"Ah yes, dear boy! If God's way to `peace that passeth understanding' demands of you one thing that you can't do send others can, then indeed He would be unfair.
But 'shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?'
"True, 'God is light,' and a holy God cannot overlook sin. But 'God is love,' too, and because 'God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' That is God's own word, Bob; you've heard it many times John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). Let us take His word rather than listen to the reasonings of men.
“‘God could not pass the sinner by,
His sin demands that he must die;
But in the cross of Christ we see
How God can save, yet righteous be.'
"God's way to save lost sinners, Bob, was, through the death, burial, and resurrection of His own dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to do for them what they could never, never do for themselves. 'God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, judged (or condemned) sin in the flesh.'
"This blessed Savior 'came unto His own'―to the world as well as to His earthly people, the Jew― 'and His own received Him not.' They rejected Him, Bob they would not have Him as Christ, the Messiah, nor as Israel's King. They refused Him as Savior and as Lord. 'But as many as received Him'―oh, the simplicity of it! just took Him at His word and let Him into their hearts 'to them gave He the power to become the children of God, even to as many as believed on His name.' To the weakest, feeblest, most helpless one who will believe and receive Him, to that one He gives the power to become God's child. That is all that the strongest man can do in order to know forgiveness of sins and to become a partaker of God's life, safe for eternity.
Oh, Bob, you can do that―without moving a muscle, without speaking a word― you can 'believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'”
Tears filled the evangelist's eyes as he saw responsive tears stealing from the sightless ones. Helpless to brush them away, and too choked with emotion to speak, Bob thought, over and over: "believe― receive―saved." As in a dream he heard his friend's whispered "Good-by, Bob, just rest in God's Word.”
As he left the building, Mr. Harrell met Dr. Wood coming in. "Wait a bit for me, Harrell, and I'll drive you back to town,” he said. When he came out, the doctor's face was beaming. "Something has happened to Bob Hardy, Harrell―something very wonderful. Did you see him?”
Dear reader, are you, too, resting on the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary? Or are you― as blind, as helpless, as dead toward God in trespasses and sins as was dear Bob Hardy, and as is every soul out of Christ―are you striving in your own strength to work your way to salvation? We beseech you, in His Name, cease from all such hopeless labor, "vain sacrifice" in His eyes, and rest in His work, His way, the sacrifice of Himself on Calvary's cross. For "By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”