A servant of God was speaking to a woman about this great salvation, and seeking to show her the completeness of the work of Christ for sinners. But she still had doubts as to her own salvation.
"I do believe in Him," she exclaimed, "and I am sure He died for me, but I would not like to say I am saved.”
"Are you sure that He died to save you?" was then asked.
"O yes, He came to save sinners, and I am one of them. There is therefore no doubt that He came to save me, but to say one is saved appears like presumption.”
"If you said so and based it on some merit of your own, it would be a great presumption, but if the Lord says so because of what He has done, then all depends on the value of His work and the faithfulness of His word.”
"Still I would not like to say I am saved," she responded.
"Is it what Christ will do, or what He is now doing, or what He has done, which can save you?”
"It must be what He has done, for it is His death alone that can save," she replied.
"Think of that grand fact, that it is what Christ has done that saves, the work He accomplished on the cross. It was there that sins were atoned for, it was there the power of Satan was broken, it was there all the claims of God's holiness in regard to sin were met, and it is that work alone which saves. When He had borne the divine wrath against sin, in triumph He cried with a loud voice, It is finished,' and gave up the ghost.”
"That is all true, but I would not like to say I am saved.”
"If you desired the apples gathered off that tree, and your husband did it, and came and said, 'I have finished picking the apples,' would you say it was done, or would you be afraid to say so?”
"If my husband told me he had done so, I should have his word for it, and so I should know it was done.”
"So you would believe your husband, but when the Son of God has said that He has done the work that saves, you hesitate to believe him.”
"O, I see I have doubted His word. He has done the work, and He says so, and I believe His word. How simple and plain! I thought I did believe Him, but I see now I did not. He finished the work that saves me, and I believe in Him who has done it, and therefore know from His word that I am saved. His work did it, and His word gives me the knowledge of what He has done.”