FROM the time I can first remember I was taught to "say my prayers" and to reverence the Bible. At times I longed to be "good," and like many others, I tried to make myself fit for heaven. Sometimes, doing good deeds, I felt quite proud of my efforts. Other times, my own miserable failures cast me into despair.
So I continued until I was twenty-one. Then a brother dear to my heart was taken from me by death. To comfort myself in my loss I filled all my spare time with a series of "good works" and felt that I must be earning God's approval.
More and more I longed to be pleasing to God. Day after day I asked Him to make me good, to make me feel that I was better.
One night I could not sleep. I took up a little book, "God's Glad Tidings," thinking it would be dry enough to put me to sleep quickly. It was a simple little book, but soon I found I could not put it down.
As I read I came to a quotation from Scripture: No flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Cor. 1:2929That no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Corinthians 1:29).) This stopped me, and I thought it over. If this were true, how could I attain the degree of goodness that would be acceptable to God?
I read on: But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus. What? Didn't I have to do anything? Light began to dawn; for the first time I saw the value of Christ's work on Calvary.
With wonder I now read: Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Now I saw that the whole work was Christ's, and if I believed it was for me and received Him as my Savior, God viewed me as in Christ Jesus. Only in Him would I glory, and through Him as my righteousness I would find acceptance with God.
How simple, but how deep! My soul reveled in it then, and throughout the passing years it has grown more and more precious to me. In Christ I have found complete satisfaction and perfect rest for time and eternity.