Two men, one a ship-building foreman, the other one of the carpenters under him, were standing on the deck of a steamship then on the stocks in one of the ship yards.
"Well, Sam," said the foreman, "I have been anxious to have a conversation with you. I'm told you are one of those who say they know for certain that they are saved. Is that true?"
"Yes," said Sam, "quite true. Thank God, I know I'm saved; in fact, there is nothing I'm more sure of, than that I'm saved."
"Well, now," said the foreman, "that is something I cannot see through, how any man can say that he is saved as long as he is in this world. I think it is rather presumptuous for anyone to say so. I used to attend a certain place of worship a good many years ago, and several of the leading men in it pressed me to join them, but I could not, for I knew I was not a Christian, and told them so. In fact, I was disgusted with them. I knew so many who went to that place, and pretended to remember the death of Christ. I knew they were just as bad as I was. I left them, and have never gone to any place since. I concluded the whole thing was a sham, and that there was no reality in Christianity at all."
"Well," said Sam, "I'm not at all surprised at you, but there is a reality in being saved, in being a child of God, and in knowing it. What is the breadth of this waterway?"
The foreman, astonished at the apparently sudden change in the conversation, said, "Why, fourteen inches all around, to be sure; what makes you ask that, when you know?"
"But are you quite sure it is to be fourteen inches?" said Sam.
"Certainly."
"But what makes you so sure?" asked Sam.
"Why, I'm going by the book!" And as he said so, he pulled a book out of his pocket, in which were marked the sizes and position of the various things on the deck. "I'm sure it is fourteen inches, for it is in the book, and I got the book from headquarters."
"Oh, I see," said Sam. "Now look here; that is exactly how I know I'm saved. I'm just going by the book. It came from headquarters—it is God's Word. I found in here that I was a lost, condemned sinner, worthy of nothing but the lake of fire; but I also found that 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
"I took God at His word, and I'm saved; and you too may be saved if you will, simply as you are, a lost, condemned sinner. Believe in Jesus; that is, trust Him as your Savior, and you are saved; and then you can say without presumption, 'I KNOW I'm saved, for I'm going by the Book.' "
Can you say, on the authority of God's Word, "I know I'm saved"? Profession without the new birth will never take you to heaven. Before it is too late, hear the voice of Jesus calling, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).