William was a high-rated employee of a large Canadian bank. While still young he was appointed manager of a branch in a thriving town in rural Ontario. Besides being a keen, kind-hearted man of the world, he was a member of a local congregation. Throughout the town he was regarded as one of its choicest citizens and a model Christian business man.
But he was only a Christian in name. He owned that Jesus was the only Savior, he did not know him as his own Savior. He knew nothing of the saving power of the blood of Christ, nor of his need of cleansing by it. Satisfied, successful, ambitious, he pursued his chosen career.
But how seldom do things turn out the way we expect. Totally unknown to William, God was working in his life. He was transferred to Montreal. There he resided with his sister whose husband was an official of the same banking institution as himself. They too were members of a formal church and William attended the services with them. Life for him still flowed on without a ripple.
But one Sunday morning as he left the service his attention was drawn to a large text displayed on the opposite side of the street. Painted in bold letters on a wall it read:
“THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”
It was a sharp arrow from God's quiver and it pierced his conscience. Of all William's secret dreads, Death was "The King of Terrors." Up until now he had succeeded in drowning the thought of death whenever it entered his mind; but now it lodged there. "The wages of sin is death" began to ring in his ears constantly. He knew they were the words of the living God spoken directly to him, and he was forced to listen.
He knew that he was a sinner, but not till then did he realize the magnitude of his sins or what would be their dreadful consequences. Now he saw that he was lost and helpless, bound for the judgment bar of God. He trembled at the thought of being cut off in his sins and condemned for eternity.
"If ever a man had a glance at hell, it was I," were his often repeated words.
Many make light of hell, many scoff and declare it to be an invention of priests and parsons. To the often asked question, "How do you know there's a hell?" we reply that the same Bible which plainly tells that there is a heaven, just as surely tells that there is a hell. It is God who declares: "The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17).
Some say that hell is a man's conscience. How would the above verse read, "The wicked shall be turned into their own conscience"? And what of those who do not seem to have any conscience?
Awakened to the fact that he had sinned against light and love, William immediately set about trying to save himself. He labored fervently to work himself into God's favor― by extra church going― giving to the poor, praying, and strictest religious observances. Convinced that the forgiveness of sins was obtained by good works, he toiled perpetually to merit God's pardon. Later he wrote in a letter to a friend: "I fasted till I could barely walk. Day after day during Lent I walked early in the morning without breakfast to a ritualistic church to take the morning sacrament. I fasted the rest of the day and prayed so earnestly and so long that I am surprised I did not break down. I gave away my money and did everything a deceitful heart and a false religious system suggested, until worn out and discouraged, I almost gave up in despair.
"I wonder how I stood the agony and pain, both of mind and body, which I endured day after day and week after week. I feel certain that it was the Holy Spirit who sustained me during that severe ordeal. He was teaching me the plague of my own heart and for some wise purpose was showing me the utter futility of forms, sacraments and religious observances in obtaining God's favor."
The more zealously William struggled to save himself, the more miserable he became. He did not know that God was waiting for him to give up all his self efforts and simply accept eternal life as His free gift.
The truth dawned upon him one lovely spring morning. Sad and weary of heart he was leaving the service in company with his young nephew. The little boy suggested that they walk on the other side of the street. Crossing over, William was again confronted by the big text which had started all his trouble. Slowly and deliberately he read it again,
“THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.”
This time it was the last two lines which struck home like a bright ray of light from heaven. The core truth of the gospel entered his dark soul in a flash. Throwing up his hands he exclaimed: "My God, is it possible that eternal life is a free gift? And I have been working so hard to procure it!" In a moment he perceived that Christ by His sacrifice had settled the sin question and won eternal life for him; and that by simply believing on Him who did it all― paid it all― he was saved.
He immediately hurried to his room and falling on his knees thanked God for plucking him as a brand from the burning.
In contemplation of his life of sin, folly, ingratitude and rebellion on one hand, and God's amazing grace in giving Jesus to die in his stead, William's heart overflowed in praise and thanksgiving. In the freshness of his "first love" he made the following decision: "Henceforth I shall devote my life, my heart, my strength, my all to the proclamation of the gospel which has been God's power to the salvation of my soul."
Sitting down he wrote his resignation as manager of the bank and sent it to the head office. Constrained by divine love, he commenced to tell others the glad and glorious gospel. For nearly forty years he labored in Canada, England and the United States, serving his Lord and never failing to tell the story of his conversion to God.