"A MAN must do summat." Such was the curt reply of an old man to whom I had been speaking of salvation by grace, through faith, and not of works. And verily, his case was but one of many. Men spend their lives for their own pleasure, and then, as they draw near the end, with mind alienated, and foolish heart darkened, they begin to think of doing something to set matters right! And though they think that something must be done, they are entirely at a loss to decide what to do.
“Believe! Why, I always have believed!" he again retorted.
I replied: “But if you have always believed that Christ suffered for your sins-yea, bore them all in His own body on the tree, how is it that you have never loved Him, but have lived in sin, and delighted in sin?"
With a serious look he replied: "You have done me there, sir. I have got ne'er a leg at all now. I had only got that one leg to stand upon, and you have knocked that away. I have delighted in sin, and it's no use to make it out otherwise. I can see, if I am to be saved, He must do it, or it will not be done at all."
“Well, as you acknowledge your helplessness, let me read to you of God's willingness to save you just as you are. 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 3:1616For 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).) ‘God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).) Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.'" (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15).)
“He must have loved me, or He never would have suffered as He did."
“Well now, you trust in what He is to you, apart from anything you could do to merit His love. Look for peace in what He has done for you, and not in what you can do for Him."
“That is all I can do, for it won't do to trust in anything else."
Thus ended our last conversation. Illness prevented me from seeing him again. But I hope to see him in glory. He was a truly repentant sinner, and the scripture gives us reason to hope for such, for “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."
Reader, are you a repentant sinner? "Except ye repent ye shall . . . perish." The time is short.
G. G.