The gospel had been preached for several successive evenings in a village. After the last meeting, the old servant of God who had brought before his hearers the good news of salvation by grace, spoke a few words to a young girl as she was going out. She had attended the meetings regularly but, to all appearance, without having received any impression from them.
“Annie,” said he, looking seriously at her, “the blood of Jesus Christ only, can make you pure before God.”
Annie felt somewhat hurt by this personal notice, and more still by the strange words which had been spoken to her. They continued to ring in her ears as she returned home. She said to herself,
“I lead, anyway, an honest and prudent life, and although I do not doubt that I have my faults, most people are much worse than I am, why then can I only be purified by the blood of Jesus Christ?”
But the Spirit of God who had directed Annie’s attention to these words, did not allow her to rest. What she had heard the last evening came back vividly to her mind and began to trouble her.
“All have sinned,” the preacher had said, “and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). Was it not true?
“Yes,” she was obliged to answer; “for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:1010For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)). There then came before her that other passage of scripture which says: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. 3:1010For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Galatians 3:10)). “Ah!” said the poor girl, “all these passages of the Word of God condemn me!”
Thus, the Holy Spirit recalled to her mind, one after the other, the passages which convinced her of her true state before God. The light had shone into her soul, and she saw a vile and condemned sinner who deserved death and eternal separation from God. In passing from darkness to light, this light as yet but revealed her misery. However, God did not leave the work unfinished; He had begun with Annie, and He would show her the remedy, the only remedy for her state. She saw, in the light of God, the meaning of the words which had been addressed to her:
“The blood of Jesus Christ only, cleanses us from all sin.”
She understood that Jesus had given His life for us, that He had suffered the judgment of God in our stead, and in consequence of that, God had been able to forgive all our sins.
“Yes,” she said to herself, “the blood of Jesus Christ only, can purify me from all sin.” She laid hold of this precious truth in her heart, and God spread abroad peace in her soul.
As she came home, the happy girl felt impressed to go to the bedside of her sick and aged father.
“Father,” she said, “the blood of Jesus Christ only, can purify you before God.”
The father was a pious professor, who, in the presence of eternity, had long been occupied with serious thoughts, but who was still far from a settlement of the question as to how he, a sinner, would be able to meet a holy and righteous God, and to dwell in His presence. He opened wide his eyes on hearing his daughter speak thus, and asked her for an explanation of her words. Annie recounted simply what she had heard, and what had occurred to her. She told her father that God has declared in His Word that all are sinners, and as such are unable by themselves to enter the glory of God in heaven, but that God, in His love for us, has given us His Son for a Saviour, who has borne on the cross the punishment due us for our sins.
“Then,” she added, “the Word of God says that the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanses from all sin those who put their trust in Him.”
As for the young girl, so also for the soul of the aged father, these truths so grand, and at the same time so simple, were sweet and precious. He also found by faith the efficacy of the blood of Jesus, the pardon of his sins, and peace with God. He was able thenceforth to celebrate with a happy heart, the riches of the grace of God, who has prepared so great salvation for lost man.
The following day his son Charles came to pay him a visit. The sick man reached his hand to him and, by way of salutation, said:
“Charles, the blood of Jesus Christ only, can make you pure before God.”
Charles was astonished and touched. He listened to the words of his aged father, whom he loved tenderly, and who now announced to him the marvelous fact of the love of God, and bore witness to the peace which he had found in believing in the value of the blood of Christ.
That was a decisive day in the life of Charles. A great change began to take place in him. He was troubled in his soul at the thought of his sins, and turned to Jesus, the Son of God, who invites all sinners to come to Him. He proved the truth of the words of the Saviour, who said:
He believed in the efficacy of the blood of Christ to cleanse from all sin before God. Thus, in a short time, the daughter, the father, and the son found pardon, peace, and life, in believing in Jesus, and the perfect work of salvation accomplished by Him on the cross; a new proof that “the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.” The father and his two children became witnesses of life by faith.
In the blood of Jesus there is a full and sufficient response to the agonies of a troubled conscience; there only, can rest for the soul be found.
Whoever you may be, reader, may you thus put your trust in Christ, in the efficacy of His sacrifice for your salvation. However exemplary your character may be, there is not for you any other ground upon which you can be received by God, and enter into His glory, than by the blood of Christ.