“As I am leaving this neighborhood, Mrs. S-, and am not likely to see you again, may I ask you one question? It is this, Shall we meet in heaven?”
“Oh, I hope so, sir, indeed, but then we must pray for forgiveness of sins first.”
Where in Scripture do you read that a sinner must pray to be forgiven?”
“I cannot say, sir; but of course we must pray for it.”
“I know that many say so, but the truth is that God comes to you in the gospel, and tells you that Christ His Son has made such a just atonement for sin, that he can 'freely pardon, and save forever, those who accept Him as their Savior; that is, believe in Him, or come to God by Him. So that instead of your asking God to forgive you, He preaches peace, and proclaims forgiveness of sins to you. He says, ‘Unto you is preached the forgiveness of sins, and by Him all that believe are justified from all things.' (Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39).) So that instead of your beseeching God to be reconciled to you, God is in His gospel beseeching sinners to be reconciled to Him.”
“Believe then, what God says. Take Christ as your Savior, hearken to God's proclamation of forgiveness ' of sins to everyone that believeth, and then you will know peace with God, and we shall meet in heaven. Farewell! May God bless these few words to you.”