“We lived in the country. Our garden led into a large field, and the gentleman who owned the field gave us permission to play there. On the further side of the field was a hedge, and beyond that a market-garden, where our parents bought fruit and vegetables. A few yards over the hedge was a young apple tree, bearing several fine apples.
These had such rosy cheeks, and looked so nice! How I should like to have some, I thought; and, little boy as I was, I reasoned thus: There are not many on the tree; perhaps the gardener will not miss them, or mind much, or if he should, my father knows him, so there cannot be much harm in my taking them.
So confiding in the little daughter of a neighbor living near, we crossed the field and came to the hedge over which the apples could be seen. Clambering over a weak part of the hedge, I was soon up the tree, and transferring the coveted apples to my pockets, all the while peeping timidly about to see if anyone was looking.
Had anyone detected? No eye but that of the all-seeing God, who has said, “Thou shalt not steal.”
But no sooner were the coveted apples in my pocket than they had lost their charm. I was as anxious to be rid of them as before I had been to get them, and fearful and wretched ran back home trembling across the field. I dared not taste one of them, but gave them all to the little girl, hoping never to see or hear more about them. Nor did I, but I could not forget my sin, as you will read by-and-by.
Years passed by, and the sin just rated was but one of many others. But I was not happy; I had a guilty conscience knowing that I was a condemned sinner. At length I tried to reform so that God might accept me, and in anxiety to make amends for all wrong doing of which I could think, one Sunday I remembered stealing the apples. I found out the gardener, and told him what had happened years before, and paid him for them. He was perfectly satisfied, as you may believe, but I had to learn that paying the price of apples to my neighbor in no way relieved me from the weight of the sin as in the sight of God.
It was some time after this that I found from the Word of God that what Jesus did upon the cross satisfied God about sin. Jesus by His blood paid the penalty for the sins which we have committed. And the Bible says, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” And by Jesus there is forgiveness of sins, and all who believe are justified from all things.
Now I know that all my efforts in striving to obtain peace with God are unavailing, for all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and what we never could do, God has done by giving His dear Son to die for sinners on Calvary, when He made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)); when, though sinners with sin in us, we simply believe in God’s own Word about the value of the death of His Son, God no longer reckons sin against us, but justifies us from all things. The blood of Jesus has paid the penalty, which no efforts of ours could ever pay, and from which no tears of ours could ever save us.
ML 05/24/1959