I FOUND him in a cottage one Sunday 11 afternoon, and rather abruptly questioned him as to forgiven sins. He was old, wore a smock frock, and had been reading in a large type New Testament.
“Are all your sins forgiven you?”
“I can’t say they are,” he replied in a troubled voice.
Allowing one sin per day, I made a calculation that this aged sinner had added up a considerable score.
“Let us see, one sin each day is three hundred and sixty-five in a year, and you have lived — how many years?”
“But there has been more than one each day, sir.”
“And you do not know they are 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 Romans 5, and pointed to verse 6 — “CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.”
“Whom did Christ die for?”
“Why, for all of us.”
“But was it for you? Look at this verse now. Who does that last word mean — UNGODLY? Are you ungodly?”
This name seemed to rather startle the poor fellow, and he began, like many more, to try and prove he was fairly good.
“I’m not so very bad, sir.”
Now the text does not say anything about Not-so-very-bad, so if the old man was to be known by that name he certainly was not mentioned. The Not-so-very-bads are to be found in every church and chapel, and in almost every house. But there are none of that name in heaven, nor are they spoken of in the proclamation of grace.
“You see, my friend, this verse says— ‘Christ died for the ungodly,’ so own your name, and receive the blessings obtained by that death. Ungodly is the person spoken of. Ungodly deserved to be punished because of his ungodliness, ‘for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.’ (Rom. 1:1818For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:18).) But though God hates ungodliness He loves the ungodly, and that He might show His love, Christ took upon Him the penalty of the ungodless, that the ungodly might be saved.
The wrinkled face seemed to brighten up a little as I went on to explain how, as soon as the ungodly “believeth on Him (God) that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5).) He is no longer without God and ungodly, he is no longer unrighteous or without righteousness, but God counts him to be righteous because Christ died for sinners.
The dear old seeker into the Bible lifted his hand from his knee, and brought it gently down again, as he quietly said―
“I can see that. Thank you kindly.” It was so simple that he could not help seeing it when the Spirit of God opened his eyes.
Have I another of the family of “Ungodly” listening to me? If so, let me address a few words to him. In early days God brought “in the flood upon the world of the ungodly” (2 Peter 2:55And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)); and your life is uncertain, for the Book says, “the ungodly are like the chaff which the wind driveth away” (Psa. 1:44The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. (Psalm 1:4).); and by-and-by, when the Judge comes, it will go hard with you, for “the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.” (Psa. 1:55Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. (Psalm 1:5).)
Are you ungodly? Then your way is a way of death, for “the way of the ungodly shall perish” (Psa. 1:66For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psalm 1:6)), and that perishing will be with awful terror; for as all your family were destroyed in the old world, so “the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:77But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7).) “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” (Jude 1414And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (Jude 14)., 15.)
Ungodly, there is hope to-day! Let me repeat the good news I took your aged namesake. “CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.”
W. L,