From the time I can first remember I was taught to "say my prayers" and to reverence God's Word. I personally knew nothing of Jesus as the Savior of my soul. 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 the "slough of despond.”
Thus I continued until I was twenty-one. Then God saw fit to send me a great sorrow. A brother, the idol of my heart, was taken from me by death. Since the Lord Jesus was a stranger to my soul, I had no source of consolation. 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.
About a year after my brother's death I had to leave my old home and go to work in a town some distance away. I was among strangers there, but the blessed God led me into a Christian home. Their Christianity shone out, and I soon saw the great difference between us. 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. How I missed the mark! Oh, 'tis ruinous to try and cover filthy sores of sin with rags of righteousness more foul in His sight. True wisdom is to strip them all off before Him, that His grace may make us whole.
"He delights in showing mercy
To a soul that owns its sin;
But the soul that thinks of earning,
Not a smile shall ever win.”
One night I could not sleep. Hoping to induce drowsiness I took up a little book to read. It was called "God's Glad Tidings" and I thought it would be "dry" enough to put me to sleep quickly! It was a simple little book, but it soon had my close attention.
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 pondered over it. Then how could I attain the degree of "goodness" that would be acceptable to God?
I read on: "But of Him (God) are ye in Christ Jesus." What? Didn't I have to do anything? Light began to dawn; and for the first time I saw the full efficacy of His work on Calvary.
With solemn 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.
What simple truth, yet how deep! My soul reveled in it, 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.