MANY YEARS ago Mr. Close was holding some meetings in western Nebraska, preaching the gospel, the story of God’s love toward sinners and how they can be saved. John Scanlon attended almost all the meetings and listened carefully. Mr. Close wanted to find out whether John was saved and he decided that the only way he could talk to him was to go out to the farm where John lived and to talk with him while he worked.
In those days farmers used horses to pull their plows for tractors had not yet been invented. When Mr. Close went to the Scanlon farm he found John plowing in the corn field, loosening the soil and cutting down the weeds. Although Mr. Close was a gospel preacher he also knew something about farming so he took hold of the plow and kept it going straight while John guided the horses.
“Johnny,” he said, as they walked along, “there are three questions I want to ask you.”
“All right, sir.”
“First, Johnny, there is something that has come into the world and ruined everybody. What is it?”
“It is sin,” Johnny answered.
“That’s right. Now there is one thing and only one thing in the whole universe of God that can wash away sin. What is it?”
“It is blood,” and of course, he meant the blood of Jesus, which He shed when He was crucified.
“But, Johnny, our sins are here on earth, and the Bible tells that the blood of Jesus speaks in heaven. What can bring these two things together and make that blood do its work on my soul? In other words, what must we sinners have in order to get the benefit of that blood?”
“Faith!” John Scanlon answered.
The three questions were answered by three little words. SIN tells of our ruin before God for it is against Him we have sinned. The BLOOD of Jesus tells of God’s wonderful remedy for sin. FAITH, believing what God has said and what the Lord Jesus has done, — FAITH is the mighty link that binds the first two together and gives us peace with God.
The man and the boy walked back and forth across that corn field in silence. At last Mr. Close ventured to ask another question.
“Johnny,” he said, “do you have faith?”
“Yes, sir!” John Scanlon answered immediately. The happy smile on the young man’s face gave proof that he had indeed believed God and that his sins were washed away. John Scanlon will never go into a lost eternity, into hell, for God has said, “The blood of Jesus Christ... cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7).
ML-12/02/1962