I SHOULD like to tell you how the Lord saved me when I was a little girl going to the Sunday school. The teacher often spoke to me about being saved, but somehow I could not understand it. I remember one evening she was speaking to me, I told her that I did believe on Jesus. Then she said that I was saved. I said I could not say that. She said I was making “God a liar” (1 John 5:10), for He said,
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” John 3:36. That annoyed me very much.
A short time after this conversation with the teacher, I was alone in the house and the thought came to me,
“This would be a good opportunity for asking the Lord to save me.”
I prayed, and asked the Lord to reveal Jesus to me. I remembered the teacher said she was converted through Romans 10:9.
“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.”
I said, “I do believe that Jesus died for me, and that God raised Him from the dead, so I must be saved; for the verse says, ‘thou shalt be saved.’” I got down, on my knees and thanked the Lord for saving me. I said I am going to believe what God says, no matter how I feel.
But somehow, I felt there was something wrong. I had a book called “The Traveler’s Guide.” I thought I would get it and see if there was anything in it that would help me. The first place that I read was what a Japanese Christian convert said:
“Believing that Jesus died would save nobody; it is simply a matter of history. Believing that Jesus died for me—will save anybody—this is an act of faith.”
There and then I saw for the first time that it was taking Jesus for my own personal Saviour. Believing that He suffered for my sins on the Cross that would give me everlasting life, and at that moment I did rest my soul on His “finished” work (John 19:30) and was saved. I can say, like Paul, “He loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
Now dear children, like Minnie, take God at His word, “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.”
He loved you, He died for you, He was raised for you, He lives to save you. Take it all to yourself. Make Him your own Saviour, and like her, you will have the assurance of salvation. Put Him to the test even now.
Add to this testimony of one little known the witness of one well known—Frances Ridley Havergal—and see how they agree. Miss Havergal wrote: “If Jesus has paid my debt, and borne the punishment of my sins, I simply accept this, and believe Him, and it is all a true and real transaction. I did this—I believed it, and cast myself, utterly hopeless and helpless in myself at the feet of Jesus, took Him at His word, and accepted what He had done for me. Result? —Joy and peace in believing, and a happy, PULL trust in Him, which death cannot touch.
Now it is a reality of realities to me—it is so intertwined with my life, that I know nothing could separate me from His love.
I could not do without Jesus. I cannot and I do not live without Him. It is a new and different life.”
ML 09/24/1922