I was brought up a Jew, and taught to observe the ceremonies and rites of Judaism. When I came to years of responsibility, I fell into the companionship of some atheists, and began to devour their blasphemous assumptions. While I was still outwardly conforming to the ritual of the synagogue worship, skepticism was eating up the vitals of my belief, and I was beginning to lose faith in God's revelation.
At this time He who said to Nathaniel, "When thou wast under the fig tree I saw thee," took particular notice of me. Even then His unseen hand was guiding, and He caused me to be brought into contact with a godly Christian man. I soon knew that this man had something to which I was an utter stranger. It was not so much what he said as his reality and his godly walk that impressed me. What surprised me most of all was to see a man delighting in the One whose name I despised and blasphemed.
Seeking to follow in this Christian's footsteps, I began to pray and read my Bible. I became a teacher in a Sabbath school, and very devoutly followed the Jews' religion. I vainly imagined that what faith in the despised Nazarene could procure for a Gentile, Judaism could surely give to a member of Jehovah's chosen race. I knew not the Scripture which thunders out in language unmistakable and clear: "ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE AS FILTHY RAGS." Isa. 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6).
One Sunday afternoon I took a walk into the city. There I saw and joined a crowd surrounding three men who had been holding an open-air meeting. They were just concluding by singing a hymn, the last line of which is, "Whosoever will may come." That grand word "whosoever" stuck to me.
The singing over, the three friends asked the bystanders to follow them to a meeting room. Among others, I was invited by one of the preachers, but declined. Thereupon he looked me in the face and asked me, "Are you saved?"
I replied, "Yes, but not in your way."
This answer of mine drew from him the scriptural fact that there was only one way of salvation, and he quoted God's Word: "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."
I began to argue with him, but he quietly answered, "Friend, in a little while I will be praying for you."
Not long afterward his prayer was answered; but how? By God showing me my real condition before Him—that I was a sinner against One who is "of purer eyes than to behold iniquity."
I was stripped of my self-righteousness, leaving behind a dismal void and an accusing conscience. Sin, my sin, was making life a burden and existence a misery. "The pains of hell got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow." The thought came to me with awful intensity, "Where shall I flee for refuge?" Everything in which I had trusted proved insufficient to bear the weight of my guilty soul. My friend, whose life had so impressed me, began to tell me at this time of the Lord Jesus, though he was utterly unaware that I was anxious about my soul. I did not argue this time, and soon learned that "salvation is of the Lord." I learned that, if I was ever to be saved, it must be by faith in the Lord Jesus, and by Him alone.
At last, one Lord's Day afternoon, I came to Jesus as I was. I rested my weary soul on Him who died for me on Calvary's cross. From that moment I knew that I was one of the WHOSOEVERS. I believed in Him and my sins were forgiven for His name's sake. Now my heart rejoices in His Word, knowing, as I could not before, that my "transgression is forgiven" and my "sin is covered" in His precious blood. (Psa. 32:11<<A Psalm of David, Maschil.>> Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (Psalm 32:1)).