IN ONE of the crowded courts of a large city a poor Irish lad was lying on his death bed. On his windowsill were a few bright red flower-pots, and the carefully tended flowers gave their pleasant smell to the evening air. His room was very clean; all was as tidy and as comfortable as his poor mother could make it, for now that her Mick was ill she had hard work to keep the home together.
"Michael, you are very ill; perhaps you may die, are you ready? do you think you would go to Jesus?" asked a Christian friend who visited him in his illness.
"Yes, yes," said he, "I am sure I should go to heaven."
"And why are you so sure, Mick?" she asked him again.
"Oh, ma'am," was his answer, "Jesus says, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you,' (and that's Mick) 'He that heareth My words' (and I do listen to His words) `and believe on Him that sent Me' (and I believe) `HATH everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life,' (and JESUS NEVER TOLD A LIE!)"
Here was his happiness, here his peace and assurance; Jesus was true, He could not tell a lie.
Mick knew that the word of the Lord Jesus was to be depended on. If Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you," Mick believed what He said; he did not trouble himself to reason on the words of the blessed Saviour, but received them as a little child. And thus the dear Irish lad had peace and was perfectly happy.
"He who believeth not God," saith the Scripture, "hath made Him a liar." "Oh! what a beautiful thing is a little grain of simple faith! By it the soul is saved forever, Jesus is glorified, all heaven rejoices and Satan is defeated."
Have you, my friend, the Irish lad's faith in Jesus? Is it quite enough for you that He who hung on Calvary a sacrifice for sin, who for love to such sinful creatures as we, gave up His life a ransom for us? Is it enough, I say, that He says,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." John 5:2424Verily, 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). Are these blessed words an answer to the troublings of your conscience; to the accusings of Satan? They are the words of Him who cannot lie, as He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6).
Messages of the Love of God 8/3/1958