In a large city in the South, the mission hall on Skid Row was crowded that night. In this very hall a few weeks ago the sports editor of a large daily paper was known to have bowed before the throne of grace and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior. He had believed that the mighty work on Calvary was full payment before God for his life of sin and of negligence of His Son. Since that time, he had made a complete "about-face" and was now using his time, his talents, and his strength to speak well of Christ.
Tonight he was scheduled to speak at this hall on the present value and eternal good of believing God and receiving His Son through faith in His shed blood. Consequently, sports' fans from all walks of life were present, seeking to see or hear this reporter so well known to them by his unbiased and pungent paragraphs on subjects dear to their worldly hearts.
At last the speaker entered the hall from a side door. As he stepped up on a little platform facing his audience, the boisterous talk common to such a crowd slowly merged into a gentle murmur of comments and criticisms from those who were there. Primarily, some of them had come to question and heckle one who dared thus to face so many avowed enemies of the CROSS of Christ.
The erst-while reporter and editor stood quietly awaiting silence. Shall we too look at the faces before him? On some, the long years of denial of the rights of the God who had bought them, and their subsequent lives of abandonment to the "pleasures of sin" showed in their defiant eyes. Others expressed bitter rebellion to any question as to their "right" to live for self. On some could be seen the hardened awareness of years of deliberate refusal of Christ and His Word while a few scattered individuals sat with bowed heads and downcast eyes, as though humbly acknowledging the low estimate of self to which their lives of worldliness and sin had brought them.
The eyes of those now fixed on the lone figure on the platform held varying expressions: stony cynicism from the narrowed eyes of outspoken skeptics; defiant rejection of any possible infringement of personal right to choose a life of sin against God and scorn of His dear Son; smiling derision of an attempt to justify a belief foreign to the one already acceptable to the listener; and in a few instances, the puzzled questioning of an honest "I don't know."
Strange to say, complete "down-and-outers" appeared to be in the minority. On these few faces could be seen the bleary eyes of the habitual drunkard, the pin-point pupils of the dope addict, and the uncertain, shifting gaze or poker-face of those who lived by the exercise of their wits. Among the majority were those whom one might call the "up-and-outers"—the "good mixers," the "jolly good fellows," those who claimed boastfully that they "would try anything once."
Among the latter was a red-headed, red-faced, devil-may-care type, known to many as "Bruce our Buddy." He had indeed tried practically every vice at least once. In the pursuit of these "pleasures of sin" he had gone to such lengths that he had lost all that the natural heart most values: a loving wife and two young daughters; his comfortable home; social position, and well paid profession. Indeed, Bruce, everybody's Buddy, had dropped so low in his own estimation that he felt he could claim but one real friend: the dollars he sometimes won with cards or dice, or the uncertain results of dealings at the race track or bets on other sports events. It was with these easy earnings and profligate spending of them that poor Bruce, in a come-easy, go-easy way of life, had won the doubtful honor of his title, Buddy. Tonight, through the forthcoming discourse from one whom he had once admired but now considered a renegade and traitor to other up and-outers, Bruce hoped to get a "lead" on a more lucrative way of life.
The first words of the speaker were in a plea for reverence as he bowed his head in prayer. Bruce listened intently then and throughout the ensuing address for a hoped-for suggestion of the monetary advantage in being a Christian. Not a word as to such gain was spoken. Rather, this gifted writer astounded Bruce by humbly proclaiming with the Apostle Paul, "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
"No advantage there," thought Bruce. "Maybe there was physical gain."
He had heard of faith healing; and surely such practitioners would charge plenty. But listen, that man was really preaching! "You derelicts back there! What are you doing with the lives the Lord gave you? Why is your soul stunted and shriveled like a rotten apple? How can there be health and strength of spirit, soul, or body when you yourself abuse them with such profligate living?"
"Hey," shouted a squirming old man. "You said God loves us and will save us to the uttermost. Do you take that back?"
"No," came the positive answer. "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses from all sin. God's love to poor lost sinners is eternal, and for the contrite heart His forgiveness never fails. God does love and God will forgive; but mark my words, you'll not get off Scot-free. Old Mother Nature will collect." This was said most emphatically.
So, it wasn't faith healing, then, with possible fees to enrich him.
At last, really puzzled and anxious for true light, Bruce joined the men in an after-meeting. With this smaller group the sports editor seemed more at ease, and was more fluently able to present the love of God and the claims of Christ to their souls. So eloquently did he show forth Christ and His death on the cross, explaining that, while we were yet enemies, "Christ died for the ungodly," the hearts of these hardened old sinners could not but respond. Bruce, as well as others, saw himself as a helpless, lost sinner, with no hope in either this world or the next. In despair he cast himself at the Savior's feet. Drawn by the constraining love of Christ, he obeyed the tender invitation: "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28.
Friend, have you seen yourself as God sees you? Do you say, with Job, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes"? If you have indeed reached the end of the line, as it were, you are now where the Lord will take you up. "Your extremity is His opportunity." He is always ready, willing, and able to "save to the uttermost them that come unto God by Him."
"Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses." Psa. 107:6.