John Spencer was born and brought up in the lap of luxury. His parents were professing Christians but he had never really accepted Christ as his Savior and Lord.
At his mother's death he gave up all pretentions of being a Christian, and professed to be a Skeptic and a Socialist. For years he never entered a church, and if he saw any one preaching in the open air, he would cross the street lest his conscience might be troubled by what he would hear.
Eventually he got into financial difficulties through speculations, and he saw nothing but poverty and destitution ahead of him. This his proud spirit could not stand, and his skepticism afforded him no comfort.
One Sunday evening he went into a park, determined to commit suicide. But God had His eyes upon him, and had something better for him. As he considered it too early in the evening to accomplish his purpose, he took a walk. As he passed a theater he was asked by a Christian worker if he would come to the gospel service that was being held in it. At first he refused, but eventually consented.
The preacher, a well-known evangelist, was specially struck by the appearance of the man, and felt as if the message he had that night was for him. At the close of the service he sought to converse with any who were anxious about their souls. On reaching the seat on which Spencer sat, he perceived that he was deeply troubled, and was trying to conceal his emotions. At that moment he rose and left, but the evangelist followed him, and said,
"My dear fellow, how do matters stand between your soul and God?"
Spencer's heart was too full for utterance, and shaking his head, as the tears ran down his cheeks, he pulled his hand out of the preacher's, and rushed down stairs. Then he took the middle of the road and ran till he reached the park, and there he wandered about all night. But all thoughts of self-destruction were gone. The night was spent bemoaning his past life of sin and folly, and wondering if God would save such a wretch as he.
He went to the meetings again, and there learned God's way of salvation. The blessed fact was shown him in God's Word that, in spite of his innumerable sins, God loved him and was desirous of saving him, that He so loved him as to give Christ to die for him on Calvary; that the work of atonement was completed; that God's justice was satisfied, and all who believe on the Lord Jesus are saved and have eternal life.
"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 5:2424Verily, 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 5:24).
He saw these blessed facts, he believed them, he received them, he believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and obtained salvation—full, free, and eternal.
If the reader is not saved, you may be saved even now. You may be respectable, moral and even religious, but if not, you must be saved in the same way as any other sinner.