WHILE visiting an old man who was anxious about being saved, I found great difficulty in making him understand that pardon is the free gift of God, through the precious blood of Christ. At last I said to him,
“Now, suppose I were to go to a store, and buy something for you, and pay for it, and tell you to go and get it, need you take any money with you?”
“No,” answered the old man, brightening up; “it would be paid for.”
“Need you make any promises to pay at some future time?”
“No,” he replied, “I would have it for nothing.”
“So,” I continued, “it is with forgiveness of sins. The Lord Jesus has paid the full price for it! He has had the groans, the sighs, the tears, the wrath, the punishment, —yea, all that sin deserved! He bore it all! He paid the whole. Yes, bought forgiveness with His precious blood, and now He gives it as a gift to all who bring their sins to Him.”
“Yes,” said the old man, as his eyes filled with tears. “I see it now, it is pardon for nothing! Pardon for nothing! Christ has bought it, and He will give it to me!”
The thief on the cross was as fit to go to heaven as Paul, and he went there; and none go not fit. There is no fitness or meetness for heaven, except through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our fitness.
Just see for a moment what blessings come to those who hear and believe the words of Jesus:
“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.” John 5:2424Verily, 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. (John 5:24).
Could anything be more plain, more sure, more blessed?
ML 08/31/1924