Through the faithful testimony of one who had been saved from a fast and worldly life, a number of the sons and daughters of city merchants and others were brought to the Lord. This caused no little stir, as true conversion ever must, because it means a turning to God from the vanities and trifles of the world, as well as the lower grades of self-indulgence and sin. When it became known that certain balls and private theatricals had to be cancelled, owing to many of the chief performers and leaders having been converted, the record concerning the gospel’s power in ancient Ephesus in the first century, became true near the close of the nineteenth.
The common talk at table and in visitation was the effects produced in the lives of certain well-known figures of that neighborhood, who had confessed Christ as their Savior and Lord, and were following Him as true disciples.
A young lady who had been under conviction of sin for several weeks, but had not personally confessed Christ to others, was on a weekend visit to her cousins in the country. The sound of the Lord’s doings had travelled there, and before she was an hour in the house of her friends, several slighting references were made to the “revivalists.” She was asked if she knew any of them, and what she thought of it all.
“I wish I were like them,” was her quiet but decided answer, which so astonished her cousins, that they immediately dropped the subject. The fact was, that the sneering reference to what she knew to be a work of grace, and had the power in her own soul, was used to bring her to take her stand openly as one who had truly believed on the Savior.
Like some of olden time, of whom we read in the Word of God, she had been up till then “a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear” (John 19:3838And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. (John 19:38)), of what might be said about her. But in that strange position, while in the house of her friends, she was first enabled to give a feeble yet true testimony as to where her heart and sympathies were, and before many days she was found openly and fearlessly “confessing with her mouth the Lord Jesus” (Rom. 10:99That 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. (Romans 10:9)), and taking her place among His redeemed people.
There can never be liberty to the soul, or the joy of God’s salvation in the life, apart from confession of the Lord Jesus. Faith in His person (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)), gives life, and trust in His finished work gives peace (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)), but an honest confession of Him as personal Savior and Lord brings light, liberty, and joy.