An old man who once lived in the Adirondack Mountains lay dying, and asked one of his old companions to go for the minister. It was a few miles to the minister's house, and he found that the minister was away from home, and would not be back that day. He told the minister's wife that his old friend was dying, and she said, "Well, is there anything I can do?”
"He wants to know how to be saved.”
"Tell him this: 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners' and if he comes to Christ as a sinner, He will never cast him out.”
"Ma'am," he replied, "will you say that again? I want to get it straight.”
" 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,' and if he will come to Him just as he is, he will not be turned away.”
The old man went away. As he was going up the hill towards home he said to himself, "I don't like that word 'sinners.' I don't think old Jack is such a bad man. He used to chop wood for the neighbors and go for the doctor when anyone was sick, and he's done a lot of good. When I get home I'm not going to tell it to him just like that.”
On his arrival at his sick friend's he said, "Jack, the minister wasn't home, but I saw his wife and she gave me the directions. She told me that Christ Jesus came into the world to save folks.”
"Didn't she say 'sinners'?”
"Well, I guess that's what she did say, but I didn't want to call you a sinner I thought 'folks' would be better -I stuck up for you.”
"Abe, don't talk to me like that. Since you have been gone, my memory has been at work and carried me back to the time when I used to work with old Job Bitterman. He was a Christian, Abe, and I remember he used to sing:
‘Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee,
Oh, Lamb of God, I come, I come!'
And I'm going to come just like that. Now if that is the message, I can die happy.”
There on his deathbed he remembered the message he heard years ago that he had to come to Jesus just as he was. Will you come to Him like that now? Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God was born in a manger, and went all the way to the cross of Calvary. There He died, the Just for the unjust, to bring us to God; and if you will only come to Him as a sinner, and receive Him as your Savior, you can say "He died for me.”
"All for me, all for me!
Lord, was it all for me?
From the throne to the manger,
From there to the cross,
Yes, it was all for me!”
"This is a faithful saying" will you not take it in? "Worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Are you a sinner who wants to be saved? Then come, before it is too late. Come now, just as you are, and where you are. Do not wait too late! Now the Lord is waiting to be gracious. Come, embrace this faithful saying, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
"Saved by grace alone,
This is all my plea;
Jesus died for sinners,
Jesus died for me!”
MAY