An evangelist one day was visiting in the homes in a small village. He came to the cottage of a woman of over seventy years, and was invited to enter. Having sat down, he asked whether her soul was saved.
“No; that's just what I want to know," replied she in tones of great earnestness.
"How are you going to be saved?”
“That's just what I want to know.”
"Well, let us look then, at what God says in His Word.”
Immediately she reached for her large Bible off the table. Putting on her spectacles, she sat down near the window to get the light.
“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.”
“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.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me HATH everlasting life.”
She read them slowly aloud, one after the other, gazing at them intently for some moments. All at once she looked up into her visitor's face and said, "Well, that IS strange. Here I've been hoping and striving, and sometimes thinking myself a castaway, and it's all as plain as that! Well, that IS strange—how stupid I have been!”
“Well," replied he, "that is God's Word; the words of the Son of God.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“And the verses are in your own Bible.”
“Yes, there it is.”
“Have you eternal life then?”
“Well, yes, I must have it; says so there!”
“What does it say?”
She read the Word again and said, "Well, I do believe; and of course, there it is in my own Bible! It's all plain." She was joyfully resting upon the newly discovered truth of these precious verses. Making a few more remarks, the preacher knelt down before he left, and with her praised the Lord for His goodness.
At a subsequent visit a few days later, he found her still rejoicing in the truth the Lord had made known to her the week before. After speaking for a few moments on its simplicity she said, "Here I'd been puzzling over it, me and my daughter, many a time, and nobody to help us. Now it's all as plain as that. I sat up till midnight, after you'd left, sir, going over and over those scriptures. They were so plain and so precious. I can see it all plain now, thank God!”
She lives on, happy and bright, rejoicing in her Savior and her Lord, in whom she now knows she has eternal life. Following Christ in simplicity, she looks with joy for the moment when He shall claim her as His own—the purchase of His own blood—to be forever with Him in glory.
How, reader, is it with you? A free and full salvation is to be enjoyed now by all who repent and believe God's Holy Word. The work of Christ is a finished work. He is the perfect Savior for everyone that believeth, and He says, "He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47).