I had said I “believed in Jesus” since I was seven years old, and it was assumed by my parents and Sunday school teacher that I was truly converted. When all who believed were asked to “put up their hands,” I held up mine, but deep in my heart I knew there was something lacking. The truth was, I had the theory of the Gospel in my head, I knew it and could state it perfectly, but I had not known my need of it as a sinner guilty before God (Rom. 3:19), or received Christ as my personal Saviour (John 1:12) made the discovery under the searching preaching of a faithful servant of Christ, who does not bolster up false profession, but exposes it. I was for weeks in deep soul distress, for I saw something of the guilt of sin, and its hatefulness to God. Then I learned—and O, it was a great deliverance to me; so unlike the earlier flippant profession— that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Cor 15:3), and that in His death God’s holy justice had been satisfied.
“That God the Just was satisfied To look on Him and pardon me.”
In my conscious guilt “I came to Jesus as I was,” and resting my soul upon His precious blood as my only plea, I knew He received me (Luke 15:2), and I had peace with God in believing on Him (Rom. 5:1). Years have come and gone, but my peace, and rest in Christ remain the same.
There is the greatest danger of those who have been accustomed to hear the Gospel, as I was from my earliest years, creeping in among the people of God and being regarded as Christians who have not really accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Saviour, and do not know that He washed the sins away from all who their trust in Him. But this will not do; to one and all the word is
“Ye must be born again.” John 3:7.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Acts 16:31.
ML 11/17/1940