I Will Fear No Evil

 •  5 min. read  •  grade level: 8
TWO women sat talking together in a hamlet in the West of England, about the possibility of knowing the forgiveness of sins in this world.
One of the two believed it to be possible; the other did not. The one who did believe it endeavored, upon the authority of God's Word, to show her friend that God had laid upon Christ, when He was upon the tree, the sins of all who believe in Him, and that He put them all away forever before He left the cross; that He is now in heaven without them, and therefore that they are all gone, gone forever from Christ, and forever from all who trust Him.
Did not Jesus say to the woman in Luke 7 "Thy sins are forgiven"? And does not the apostle John, in 1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12), say, “I write unto you, children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake "? And do not Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7), “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” Col. 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14), “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins"; and Rev. 1:55And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5), "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed up from our sins in His own blood,” prove beyond doubt that all saved persons ought to know that their sins are forgiven them, and to praise God and the Lamb for it?
Annie W., a little girl of about twelve years of age, the daughter of the woman who believed, sat and listened to the conversation between her mother and her friend, and drank it all in. Anxious about her soul, she went upstairs, shut the door upon her, and kneeling down, asked God to forgive her all her sins, and to let her know it before she got off her knees.
Sweetly came the words of Jesus to her soul, “Thy sins are forgiven," which her young soul believed. She thanked Him for forgiveness.
Annie's mother was taken seriously ill, and for some months she remained in that state, and then it was that the young disciple waited lovingly and constantly upon her, and looked after the comfort of her father and the rest of the family. Love is unselfish, and is glad to seize opportunities of showing love to others, and especially at home in the family circle.
But soon Annie herself was taken ill, with an illness from which she never recovered, and that made long and sad work with the poor body. But as the lapidary's wheel takes off the roughness of the apparently ugly stone, and discovers exquisite beauties in it, so did the trying sickness bring out what God had wrought in Annie's soul, and show most clearly the beauties of the "divine nature” which had been implanted in her.
Many Christians visited Annie, by whom they were always welcomed; for she loved to hear them speak of Him who had loved her, and given Himself for her, and who had told her that her sins were all forgiven.
Whilst Annie was lying ill, a most gracious work of God's Spirit began in her neighborhood, and many precious souls were truly brought to God; and it was a very real joy to Annie to know that some of the young people with whom she used to associate were among the number of the saved. But it was a still greater joy to her that she was nearing home.
Jesus was becoming daily increasingly precious to her, and she had intense longings to see Him and be with Him.
The grace of God that had saved and kept her now shone brightly in her. She not only loved to hear about the blessed Lord, but she loved to speak about Him. When told she was dying, she smiled with joy at the thought, of so soon being with the Lord, and repeated, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me" (see Psa. 23).
Her mother said, “The valley is not dark, is it?”
“Oh, no! it is bright; it is beautiful.”
Yes; the Lord Jesus has been through the valley, and lit it up for you, my child.”
She said, “Yes; I heard the voice of Jesus say, Come unto Me, and rest.' I shall soon be at rest, at home. Jesus, blessed Jesus, Thou art precious unto me.”
As her sight grew dim, so that she could not see her kind devoted mother, she said, with a sweet forgetfulness of self, “Don’t you be afraid, mother; I hope I shan't frighten you"; and then, without a fear, murmur, or struggle, she sweetly fell asleep in Jesus.
A few days after, devout men carried her body to the grave, and around it we spoke of the positive, comparative, and superlative blessedness of being a Christian. The positive blessedness, living Christ (Phil. 1:2121For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)); the comparative, to depart and be with Christ.
Are you ready, dear reader? Oh, where will you spend ETERNITY? Will it be spent with Jesus, His saints and angels, in the peerless heights of everlasting glory, or with the lost in the fathomless depths of the lake of fire?
If you are not saved, I beseech you no longer to refuse the love of God. Reject not the Christ of God. Resist not the testimony .of the Spirit of God, but at once, where you .are, just as you are, and just now, believe in God, who delivered Christ "for our offenses,” and raised Him again "for our justification,” and you will be saved, and ready for death or Christ's second coming (see Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25); Heb. 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)
H. M. H.