I made up my mind one Sunday that I would be a Christian. My Sunday School teacher was a Christian, and she seemed to be so happy, so I decided that I should start right away and be a Christian, too. What was the right way to start?
First of all, I thought, I must read my Bible more, and pray more. Then I must try to do all the good I can, and stop doing all the naughty things that I had been doing. I should even try to repent and feel very sorry for all the wrong things that I had done. Surely, I thought, this will make me a Christian.
I got on pretty well until Wednesday, when I made a had mistake. I did not read and pray when I got up in the morning, and at dinner time I got very cross at my brother. My week Was spoiled, and I decided I should start again next Sunday. I don’t know why I didn’t try to start again Thursday!
I soon found that each week I tried would end with failure, and I began to think I would never make a Christian at all. But one day, as I was reading diligently in my Bible, I found a most wonderful verse. This is what I read, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). I looked again and again at the wonderful words. “The gift of God.” Could it be true that it was all a gift from God, when I had been trying to earn it so very hard? I knew well enough that a gift was given to us for nothing, and not because it was earned at all. Right then I knelt down and whispered “Thank you” to God, and I was saved! I have often thanked Him since for His wonderful gift, and I hope you have thanked him, too. If you are trying to make yourself a Christian, stop right now. God loved you and sent the Lord Jesus to die for just such as you. When He died He said, “It is finished.” You must not try to add anything of your own doings to that finished work, but just accept Jesus right now and say “Thank you.”
ML 10/28/1951