“THE Lord Jesus says, ‘He that heareth my words’ — have you heard His words?” “Yes, I have.”
“Then you have everlasting life.”
“Oh, I cannot say that.”
“But it is God Who says it. Now, just listen one moment, while I repeat the whole verse. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.’ Cannot you believe God’s word?”
“Oh, yes, I believe what He says, every word of it.”
“Then you have ‘everlasting life.’”
“No, I cannot say that; I wish I could.”
Poor man, I had found him in one of the sick wards some weeks before. Since then both my brother and myself had spoken to him. He always listened with great apparent attention, and readily answered our questions, and now I perceived he was alternating between hope and fear, being “swift to hear” the good news, but at the same time very slow to set to his seal that God is true. For all that the word of God expressly says, “In Whom (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,” he seemed to think he must continue to ask for the forgiveness of his sins. The word of God says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Full and open confession of sin is much more humbling and heart-searching than is continual asking for forgiveness simply.
A I said, “You have a son.”
“Yes, I have. Do you ever see him?”
“I do sometimes; but now I want you to go back in your recollection of him to the time when he was a little boy. Was he ever naughty then?”
“Yes, very often.”
“And did you ever forgive him after he had been naughty?”
“Yes, a good many times.”
“Now, then, if after he had been naughty, and you had told him that you had forgiven him, he came to you and said, ‘Father, will you forgive me?’ would you not think this strange?”
“Yes, I should.”
“And if he came the second time, and said, ‘Father, will you forgive me?’ would you not think this more strange?”
“I should think it was.”
“And if he came the third time and asked for your forgiveness for that one offence, would you not think it even more strange?”
“Yes”
“And if he continued to ask for forgiveness after you had told him that you had already forgiven him, would you not have presently lost all patience and answered-him sharply, ‘Have I not already told you that I have forgiven you; cannot you believe my words?’”
“Yes, I should have got quite angry with him.”
“Well, then, what does God. think of you, if you will keep on asking him for the forgiveness of all your sins, after He has Himself said, ‘I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins,’ &c. Surely you ought to believe His words.”
I was compelled to leave his bedside rather abruptly, as the time had come for visitors to leave the hospital. And since then, up to the time of my writing this, I have not seen him. Should we meet again on earth, I do desire, for his own sake, that I shall find him in possession of that faith that believes to the saving of the soul.
Meanwhile, I would address these few words of earnest remonstrance to any reader who readily admits the truth of God’s word, while hesitating “to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Dost thou believe on the Son of God? If thou dost, thou hast everlasting life, even as it is written, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life,” Thou also desirest to be kept back from presumptuous sins, but beware lest thou shouldst be found guilty of asking for what God says thou hast already; and whom then dost thou believe, if thou doubtest His word? Again, did he who was sick of the palsy ask for the forgiveness of his sins after the Lord had said unto him, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee?” Did she, who stood at His feet weeping, and washed His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, &c., eoc., did she ask Him to forgive her after He had said unto her, “Thy sins are forgiven thee?”
Precious soul, if thou believest on the Son of God thou hast everlasting life; and in Him thou hast redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Why dost thou. hesitate to return to give glory to God. A. J.