Not An Uncommon Mistake

In a country village an old man was anxious to know how he could obtain that forgiveness of which he felt his need.

A servant of the Lord heard of the old man's case. He went to see him.

"How do you expect to be saved?" He asked. "Well, sir, I keep praying, and I hope God will have mercy on me."

"Because you pray?"

"Well, yes, sir; I cannot expect to be saved unless I pray." "Then your prayer is to save you?"

"Why, as to that, I suppose it is Christ who must save me; but I continually pray for forgiveness."

"That is, you must have a hand in it. But now, if I were to hold out a dollar in my hand and ask you to accept it, would you beg and pray me to give it to you, or would you take it?"

"Why, take it, of course," said the old man, smiling, at the apparent absurdity of such a question.

My friend," I said, "God Himself offers you full forgiveness of sin. he holds it out to you and bids you to believe Him. He declares that "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:9). "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God...He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:18,36) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

"Instead of taking what He offers and believing His Word, you keep on asking Him to give you the great Gift He has been offering you all these many years.

"He bids you look to Christ. You look to prayer. He declares to you forgiveness through the blood of Christ. You tell Him in return you don't believe Him, for if you did, you clearly would not ask Him to give you that which He freely offers you, but would simply take it as a gift of God. Thus, you make God a liar, and hope to be saved by doing so!"

The old man's eyes were opened. He was astonished at himself; his conscience was exercised; a real conviction of sin against God followed; and he believed and was saved.

Echoes of Grace