"Old John" lived in the town of Kent, and was quite satisfied with his quiet, self-centered life. However, when a Christian lady became deeply interested in his spiritual welfare, he listened courteously to her pleas; although he remained uninterested and unconcerned. When special evangelistic services were being held in Kent, Miss Denson invited John to attend them.
John did not care to go. Miss Denson then urged him to give the evangelist a hearing. John replied: "What can an evangelist tell me that I don't know? Evangelists are not college men.”
One thing the evangelist knew that John was totally ignorant of. He knew that his sins were forgiven! He knew that one may be a master of arts, a doctor of philosophy, or a university professor, yet never have entered "Christ's College.”
One night John turned up at the gospel service and heard a searching address in which the exceeding evil of sin and the wondrous love of God were explained and expounded. At the conclusion of the meeting John remained in the hall while the congregation was leaving. When he was greeted by Miss Denson, he exclaimed: "And it was all for me!”
Miss Denson, surprised at such a remark, inquired what he meant. With deep emotion John replied: "Jesus suffered all that for me!”
"Surely you believed that before!”
"Yes, Miss Denson, I believed that Christ died for everybody, but now I know that. He died for me.”
Many, like John, believe that Christ died for everybody in general, but not for them in particular, and so they miss salvation.
Some confidently assert that they always believed on Christ. But this cannot be true because God says all who believe are saved. Perhaps you, unsaved reader, think, or say, that you "always believed on Christ." If so, you were always saved, (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31); Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)), and your sins are all forgiven (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)). Every believer on Jesus is the present possessor of eternal life (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)), and is eternally justified (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)).
Some time before Mr. C. H. Spurgeon was taken to be with the Lord he remarked to some friends: "I can die on these four words." And the four words were these: "JESUS DIED FOR ME.”
May the reader be enabled to say truthfully:
I ask no other argument;
I seek no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.