In British measure a stone weighs fourteen pounds. One four-stone weight tied around a man's neck will drag him helplessly down beneath the waves.
Every child of Adam is born into this world with a sinful nature. He is constituted by nature an enemy of God. How much more desperate becomes his condition when by practice as well as nature he shows forth his lost, sinful state!
Child of Adam, your heavy weight, your load of sins, will surely sink you beneath the waves of endless woe into a lost eternity.
One sin is enough to sink your soul in hell forever! No long course of open wickedness is required to fit you for that awful place. No lengthy list of crimes must needs be laid to your account before your title to be reckoned among the hell-deserving can be established. God's holiness is so great that one blemish unfits you eternally for His presence; and sin is so awful in His sight, that one wrong deed will assure your condemnation and ruin.
BUT
In His Son, Jesus Christ, God has provided full salvation. "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 3:3636He 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 3:36).
One look in faith to Christ will save your soul forever! No long course of mere moral living can fit you for heaven. No lengthy list of good deeds laid to your account can give you title to be reckoned among the justified ones.
In God's sight the value of the blood of Christ is so great that this one plea, uttered in faith, will ensure your forgiveness and salvation eternally: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Men drowning, with only one four-stone weight to them, need saving as much as those with many such weights. Men of good character, such as Nicodemus in John 315That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15), need a Savior. How much more we with our many sins! But one heart-look to Christ saved the dying thief in spite of all his crimes. (Luke 23:39,4339And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. (Luke 23:39)
43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)). Saul of Tarsus, chief of sinners, has been saved. (1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)). The woman of whom the Lord said, "Her sins... are many," has been saved (Luke 7:3650). And the One who has saved such can save you, however heavy your load of sins may be. One look in faith will secure your eternal salvation.
"In whom (Jesus) we have
redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins.”
MARCH