He was an old, old man, sitting in his cottage one Sunday afternoon. He had been reading in a large type New Testament, and rather abruptly I questioned him as to the state of his soul.
I asked, "Are all your sins forgiven you?”
"I can't say they are," he replied in a troubled voice.
Such an old, old man! Over the years his sins must have added up to a considerable score. And still unforgiven! With deepest pity I asked, "And how do you know they are not forgiven?”
"Well, you see, sir, I've been reading this Testament, but somehow I don't seem to understand it.”
Taking the Book I turned to Rom. 5, and pointed to verse 6: "Christ died for the ungodly.”
"Now for whom did Christ die?" I asked.
"Why, for all of us.”
"But was it for you? Look at this verse again. Whom does that last word mean—`the ungodly'? Are you ungodly?”
The word seemed to startle the dear fellow, and he began, like many others, to try to prove that he was fairly good.
"I'm not so very bad, sir," he declared.
Now, Scripture does not mention Not-so-very-bad! However the not-so-very-bads are to be found in every church, in every chapel, and almost every house. But there are none by that name in heaven, nor are they spoken of in God's proclamation of grace.
"You see, my friend, this verse says—`Christ died for the ungodly.' Is that your name? Own it, man, and receive the blessings obtained by Christ's death. 'Ungodly' is the person spoken of. The ungodly deserved punishment because of his ungodliness.
Though God hates ungodliness, He loves the ungodly. That He might show God's love, Christ took upon Himself the penalty of all ungodliness, that the ungodly might believe and be saved.