Dick was a young farm boy. He had a friend who was an earnest evangelist. One day he spoke to Dick about his need of the Saviour.
Dick told his friend that he wasn’t such a bad fellow and added: “I have been doing a great many good things lately.”
“Well,” said his friend, “I have no desire to dispute that, but your good deeds will not earn you salvation, nor are they proof that you are a Christian.” Dick was quite surprised, but his friend went on.
“You own that horse over there, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Does he not do many good acts?” “Why, yes!”
“Is your horse a Christian?”
“Well,” replied Dick thoughtfully, “about as much as I am, I guess.”
He saw the point, and admitted that a good act in man or beast is a good thing, but nothing more. It is nature and not grace; mere virtue and not holiness. A good character is a good thing, education may be a good thing, clean thoughts and pure acts are a good thing; but these things, good as they are, will not carry a man to heaven. Until we turn to God and are cleansed from our sins in the blood of Christ, there can be nothing for God to put to our account.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” saith the Lord (Isa. 64:6); “and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.” Prov. 21:4.
What a sinner needs is the Saviour and the robe of righteousness which God Himself provides for all who come to Him in faith, owning their unworthiness but trusting in His mercy. All is found in Christ.
ML-10/17/1976