I was once on duty at an Army field hospital. One night I was called by a very sick soldier, a boy who looked hardly old enough to be in the service.
The boy looked at me hopefully and said, “I believe I am going to die. I am not a Christian. My mother isn’t a Christian. My father isn’t a Christian. I never had any Christian training. I never did go to church. I did go with a friend to Sunday school just once. A woman taught the class; she read us something out of the Bible about a man—a man who went to see Jesus one night. Jesus told this man he must be born again. The teacher said all people must be born again in order to go to heaven when they die. I have never been born again, and I don’t want to die like this. Won’t you please get the chaplain so he can tell me how to be born again?”
In those days I was an agnostic—at least, that is what I called myself. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t anything but a sinner. So I told the boy, “You don’t need a chaplain. Just be quiet now. Don’t worry, and you’ll be all right.”
I went on around the ward and in about an hour I came back to the boy’s bed. He looked at me out of such sad, staring eyes as he said, “If you won’t get me the chaplain, please get me the doctor. I am choking to death.”
“All right, I’ll get you the doctor,” I said. So I went off and found the doctor and he came and helped the patient so he could breathe just a little easier. I knew the boy was going to die; I had seen so many other cases just like his. The doctor and I went away.
In about an hour I came back, expecting to find the boy dead, but he was still struggling. He looked out of his eyes of death and said, “There’s no use, I have got to die and I haven’t been born again. Whether you believe in it or not, won’t you find the chaplain and let him tell me how to be born again?”
I looked at him for a moment and thought about how helpless he was and how little time he had to live. So I said, “All right, I will get you the chaplain.”
I walked away a few paces, and then turned and went back to the boy’s bedside. I said, “My boy, I am not going to get you the chaplain; I am going to tell you what to do myself. Now, understand, I am an agnostic. I don’t know whether there is any God. I don’t know whether there is any heaven. I don’t know whether there is a hell. I don’t know anything.
“Yes, I do! I do know something! I know if there is a heaven my mother is there. I know if there is a God my mother knew Him. So I will tell you what my mother told me. You can try it and see if it works.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
After repeating 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) with me, the boy closed his eyes and whispered softly, “For God so loved the world . . . He gave His only begotten Son . . . that whosoever—whosoever—whosoever believeth—believeth in Him—believeth in Him.” Then he stopped and said with a clear voice, “Praise God, it works! I believe in Him! I have everlasting life! I have been born again! Your mother was right. Why don’t you try it? Do what your mother said. It works! This thing works!”
As he drew his last breath he repeated, “It works.”
He was right! I did as he said and I found that it does work. Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but has everlasting life. It works! I Know it works!