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During the American Civil War, Chicago evangelist D. L. Moody served as a chaplain. This is his memorable account of a dying soldier's conversion through John 3:15.
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The Bible will tell you. Take the illustration that Jesus Christ used with Nicodemus; you couldn’t have a better one. Jesus took him to the answer:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15.
Now, there’s the answer. How can I be saved? By looking to Christ; just by looking. You might say the whole plan of salvation is in two words—giving and receiving. God gives; I receive.
A Dying Soldier
After the battle of Murfreesboro, in the Civil War, I was stationed in the hospital. For two nights I had been unable to get any rest, and being really worn out, on the third night I had lain down to sleep.
About midnight, I was called to see a wounded soldier who was very low. At first I tried to put the messenger off, but he told me that if I waited it might be too late in the morning. I went to the ward where I had been directed, and found the man who had sent for me. I shall never forget his face as I saw it that night in the dim, uncertain candlelight. I asked what I could do for him.
“I need you to help me to die,” he said.
“I would help you to die if I could,” I said. “I would take you on my shoulders and carry you into the kingdom of God if I could, but I can’t. I can tell you about One that can.”
So I told him about Christ who was willing to save him and how Christ left heaven and came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost.
“He can’t save me; I have sinned all my life” was his response.
My thoughts went back to his loved ones in the North, and I thought that even then his mother might be praying for her boy. I repeated promise after promise, and prayed with the dying man, but nothing I said seemed to help him. Then I said that I wanted to read to him an account of an interview which Christ had one night while here on earth with a man who was anxious about his eternal welfare, and I read the third chapter of John, how Nicodemus came to the Master.
As I read on, his eyes became riveted upon me, and he seemed to drink in every syllable. When I came to the words: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” he stopped me and asked:
“Is that there?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Well,” he said, “I never knew that was in the Bible. Read it again.”
Leaning his elbows on the side of the cot he brought his hands together in a firm grasp, and when I finished he exclaimed:
“That’s good. Won’t you read it again?”
Slowly I repeated the passage the third time. When I finished, I saw that his eyes were closed, and the troubled expression on his face had given way to a peaceful smile. His lips moved, and I bent over him to catch what he was saying, and heard in a faint whisper: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” I read through the whole chapter, but long before the end of it he had
interest in the rest of the chapter.
When I got through, he opened his eyes and said, “That’s enough; don’t read any more. That’s all I want.”
Early the next morning I again came to his cot, but it was empty. The attendant in charge told me that the young man had died peacefully, and said that after my visit he had rested quietly, repeating to himself, now and then, that glorious promise: “Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
D. L. Moody
You may read the whole original wonderful story here:
The Gospel of John Chapter 3, Verses 1-12.
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.