ONE day I was surprised by a person coming to ask for an account which I knew had been paid, and assured him of it.
“But I see it is not crossed off our books,” said he, “and, therefore I suppose it was not settled.”
“Well, it is no fault of mine if your books are badly kept. I am certain the amount was paid when applied for.”
“That may be so,” queried the man, with an air of doubt upon his countenance, “but of course, you will have no objection to my seeing the receipt?”
“Certainly not,” I answered, as I took down the file. Now I knew well enough that the account was settled—but words do not go for much in these matters. A sight of the receipt would do more than an hour’s talking about it. When I found what I wanted, I had no need to say a word, I merely showed the bill duly receipted by his clerk, whose handwriting he at once knew. That was sufficient, and after apologizing for the trouble he gave me, he took his leave.
This circumstance drew my mind to what the apostle says in 1 Cor. 15. “If Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your sins,” that is, if Christ who undertook to bear our sins—in other words, to pay what we were not willing or able to pay—if He died the Just for the unjust, and is not raised again from the dead, we have no divine receipt that all is settled. And this is what we call the foundation, that Christ having died for our sins, having paid the sinner’s wages, God is perfectly satisfied with what He has done, and in proof of it has not only raised Him from the dead, but set Him at His own right, hand, giving Him a name which is above every name.
And so the believer can say, He bore my sins in His own body on the tree, and in God’s sight they are gone—and gone forever.
And now with freed hearts, and purged consciences, we are privileged to praise Him and serve Him in any and every way we can, out of full and happy hearts.
So if Satan, or one’s own heart (for it is deceitful), casts any doubt upon the security of my soul, I go to where I know every doubt can be settled, and every difficulty explained—the Word of God—and I with joy hear what God says about the whole matter, and by faith I know where the divine receipt is—Christ in glory.
Dear young readers, is the matter settled for you? Are you sure you know where your receipt is?
Romans 3 tells me what a heavy bill was due against me.
Romans 5 speaks of the payment in full. 1 Cor. 15 shows me the receipt.
ML 08/06/1916