Herbert and Elaine were as nice young couple as you could wish to meet. Both of them had been brought up in a Christian home and they lived an outwardly good, moral life. Of course, they entered into most of the pleasures which are generally considered clean and respectable, always maintaining that there was no harm in them.
They attended a place of worship, and also read their Bibles occasionally, though they admitted they did not get much out of it. If you had asked them if they believed in Christ, they would have said "yes," but it would have been more to the point if they had said they believed about Him.
The facts of His life, His death and His resurrection they had never questioned, but as for their own need of Christ's redemptive work, of this they knew nothing. They thought they were good enough.
Elaine had at one time been concerned about eternal things, and had visited a religious leader in whom she had a good deal of confidence. He listened as she confessed her difficulties, and then assured her that she was all right as she was. He advised her not to take these things too seriously, that she was doing all that was required of her, and that there was no need for concern.
With this sort of false peace, Elaine went back to her old way of living. Her conscience was quieted somewhat, but she was still troubled from time to time.
About this time, Norman, Elaine's brother, was saved and he began to speak to his sister at every opportunity about God's way of salvation. He longed that she and her husband might know the peace and joy which he had found in Christ.
At last they were persuaded to attend a special gospel service, "just to hear the singing" as they said. However, the Lord ordered that they heard more than the singing. They heard the story of redeeming love told out in a freshness and power which they had never known before, and God by His Spirit spoke to their hearts. They saw themselves as sinners before a holy God and realized that they needed a Savior.
They found out that they were not "good enough" for God as they were, no matter what their friends might say or think. They knew now that they had to do with a God who measured sin by the standard of His own holiness, and not by the opinions of sinful men. Sin must be judged, for God cannot pass it over.
But they also found out that the very God against whom they had sinned had Himself provided a Savior—His own Son. They learned that God had taken up the question of sin at the Cross and settled it according to His holiness. They heard that those blessed words of the Savior, "It is finished," assure us that redemption has been fully accomplished, and now the One who did the work is seated at God's right hand in heaven.
Herbert and Elaine laid hold of this for themselves, and that very night they both accepted Christ as their own personal Savior. They had always believed about Him, now they believed on Him and on Him alone. They were saved, and they knew it, for God's Word says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31.
What peace, what assurance filled their hearts as they rested upon the infallible Word of God for their salvation. Before they retired that night they thanked the Lord from full hearts for what He had done for them.
During the next few days they began to realize more fully that old things had truly passed away. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5:17.
The worldly pleasures which they thought they could never give up seemed so empty now. They did not even want them, for they had found real joy and happiness in Christ. As they tell others of their new-found joy, their happy faces tell what He has done and is doing for them.
The Lord Jesus can do for you what He has done for Herbert and Elaine. Perhaps you do not realize your need of salvation, but it is your GREATEST NEED. Only Christ can save you from your sins, and this He waits to do. We urge you not to reject Him, for if you do you will find yourself among the lost in "everlasting punishment." Why not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today?
"He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already." John 3:18.