When the writer was acting as surgeon in the—infirmary, among the patients was one named John, who had been suffering from disease of the knee-joint for a long time. To save his life it was decided to remove the part.
The day before the operation he sent for me. On arriving at his bedside I said,
“Well, John, how are you today? Are you in pain?”
“I am in great pain, sir,” he replied, “but that is not why I sent for you: I wish I were as happy as you are.”
“Why are you not happy?” I asked.
“I wish I knew that I was saved,” he answered.
“Why don’t you know it? Jesus tells us,
“If you are really believing and trusting in Jesus as your Savior, He says that you have everlasting life. He does not say, If you make long prayers, or turn over a new leaf, that you will get to heaven some day, but He says,
“‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.’ “
I quoted also many other passages on the subject, but John did not grasp the truth, and I failed to see what hindered him from so doing, till at length he said,
“I wish I could feel that I am saved.” I replied,
“God does not tell us that we must feel some difference in ourselves in order that we may know we are saved, but He tells us that if we believe in Jesus, then we are saved.”
“But,” said John, “I read somewhere that we must be born again (John 3:77Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:7)). Surely I shall feel some difference in myself when I am born again.” I replied,
“There is a difference, but Jesus Christ does not say that we shall feel it. He says,
‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.’ “
John, however, was not satisfied, and as he still thought he ought to feel some difference in himself, I said to him,
“‘The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.’ Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). Won’t you accept the Gift which God is offering you, and make it yours?” Still he could not see it, so I said,
“Supposing you were heavily in debt, and had no money to pay what you owed, and a rich friend of yours, knowing that you were hard up, wrote to you saying that he would at once place $500 to your credit in a certain bank if you would wire back saying that you accepted that sum, and that, on a fixed day, you could go to the bank and draw the money. If you believed your friend, you would at once telegraph to him, saying that you thankfully accepted his gift, and then on the appointed day you would go to the bank to draw the money.
“On the way there you meet a friend, who says to you, ‘What is the matter, John? I have not seen you looking so cheerful and happy for a long time!’ You would reply,
‘I have good cause to be happy, for I am going to the bank to draw money to pay all my debts.’ Your friend might say,
‘Well! I am glad to hear such good news, but, tell me, how has this come about?’
“Your answer would be that a friend of yours wrote saying that he would place $500 in the bank for you, if you would have it, and you were now going to get the money. You knew your friend meant what he said, and therefore you were sure that that amount was awaiting you in the bank. The money was yours because, having faith in your friend, you accepted it as his gift. You, in fact, received the money by faith. In the same way, close with God’s offer of eternal life and make it yours.”
Still he did not see it, so I said,
“Look here, John,” and taking a pencil from my pocket, showed it to him saying,
“I will give you this—will you have it?” He replied,
“Yes,” so I put it on his bed, and he was going to pick it up, but I said,
“Leave it where it is for a minute; now whose pencil is it?” He answered,
“It is mine.”
“Have you had it in your hand? Or, have you felt any difference in yourself to assure you that it is yours?” I asked.
“No.”
“Then how do you know that it is yours?” I asked.
“Because you said you would give it to me, if I would have it, and I said I would,” he answered. Then I said,
“John, you have accepted that pencil by faith, and you know it is yours. Won’t you just look up to God and accept the Gift which He is offering you, and thank Him for it, just as you received the pencil from me?” He thought for a few minutes, and then he said,
“Thank God, I see it now,” and then and there he accepted God’s Gift through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The next day he was operated upon, and made a good recovery. Before leaving the hospital he told me that he hoped to go to work for God among his friends in D.