IN a little room with low ceiling, upon a small humble cot, Mrs. M—had spent many a weary month of painful illness, her poor body racked with pain, for she was a paralytic and utterly unable to help herself. All the skill of a physician had been exerted, but without avail, and at last her case was abandoned as hopeless. It was just then that I visited her, and it was with joy that I found her resting peacefully in the knowledge of her sins forgiven and her eternal security in Christ. She had been led to see, by the Word of God, her helpless condition as a lost guilty sinner before Him, and had fled to Christ for refuge, and was now rejoicing in the Lord.
“Ah, sir," she said, "it is my Savior that has made me happy, for He has died for me, putting my sins away there upon the cross, and why should I not be happy? He has suffered for me, the just for the unjust'; and risen from among the dead, all to bring sinners like me to know Him, and to be with Him forever. To know Him, and to be like Him, this is peace and glory indeed.”
“How did the Lord Jesus bring you to know Himself as your Savior?" I asked.
“I see altogether different now," she replied, “from what I used to do. I once was a Sunday school teacher, doing my best to earn salvation, but it was useless. I was conscious that I was not right before God. I was a guilty sinner, had sinned, and come short of his glory' (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)); but I now see that it is not in doing any more, for the Lord Jesus on the cross has done everything.”
“How do you know you are saved?”
“Ah then," I said," you know that your sins are forgiven you, because through this man (Jesus Christ) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things' (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)). And again, 'I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake' (1 John 2:1212I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. (1 John 2:12)).
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life' (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)). It is not in any feelings nor experiences of ours, but by the Lord Jesus having made peace by the blood of his cross ' (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)), hence, " being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ' (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). Blessed be His name. You know it, because God says so in His Word.”
Turning to her husband, she said, “It is all right, Guy, The Lord has laid me upon this bed for some good reason, and he doeth all things well.' I know the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, and it is all right, Guy.”
Poor man, it was not all right with him, because he had not yet believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Dear reader, is it all right, or is it all wrong, with you? There is no middle ground. You are either saved or unsaved. There will be no hiding behind wealth, social rank, or position, however powerful, famous, or cultured you may be, in the Day of Judgment spoken of in Rev. 20:11, 1211And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:11‑12). In vain will be the pleas for mercy then. Judgment is coming, and how will you meet God? Christless professor, you that boast of your good works, you that trust in your own righteousnesses (which are as filthy rags in God's sight, Isa. 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)), you cannot stand before God in all His majesty and holiness in such a garb.
How will you do? Oh, be not deceived. It is the blessed work of Jesus upon the cross that alone puts away our sins. “His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)). His blood washes the sinner from all sins.
“By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight "(Rom. 3:2020Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans 3:20))." A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:2828Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)). “By him all that believe are justified from all things" (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)). Oh I poor guilty one, you who, like the prodigal in Luke 15, are guilty, like him own to God, as he did to his father, that you have sinned. Own what God says of you is true, “Sinned, and come short of his glory." The Father's heart yearns over you. It is for just such guilty sinners that Christ died.
“God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). Christ died, blessed be His precious name, for the "unjust," for "sinners," for the" ungodly"; and to you, poor weary, heavy-laden one, He says, " 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)).
Rest for your guilty conscience! Rest unto your souls Rest for your aching heart! Oh, such rest, eternal rest in Christ for evermore!
Again, dear reader, is it all right with you?
Have you taken refuge in Christ? If not, then “now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." “Flee from the wrath to come." “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)).
W. E. S.