One night I was preaching in Chicago for another pastor. At the close of the service, the minister came to me and said, “I have a young man in my congregation who wishes to be a minister. I would like to have you talk with him.” I replied, “Bring him to me after the after meeting,” and he brought the young man to me. He had one of the cleanest, finest, most open faces I ever saw in my life. I looked into the face of this young man and said, “Your pastor says you wish to enter the ministry.” “Yes, I do.” “Well,” I said, “let me ask you a question. Are you a Christian?” “Of course, I am a Christian,” he answered, “I was brought up a Christian, and I am not going back on the training of my parents.” I said, “Have you been born again?” He said, “What?” I said, “Have you ever been born again? God says, ‘Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Have you ever been born again?” He said, “I don’t know what you are talking about. I have never heard of that before in all my life.” I said, “My friend, see here; do you know that you have committed the greatest sin that a man can commit?” “No,” he said, “I never did in my life. You don’t understand me. I have been very carefully reared. My life has been a most exemplary life. I never committed the greatest sin that a man can commit—never!” I asked, “What do you think is the greatest sin a man can commit?” “Why,” he replied, “murder, of course.” “You are greatly mistaken. Will you please read what Jesus says about it?” and I opened my Bible to Matthew 22:37, 3837Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. (Matthew 22:37‑38), and asked him to read.
He read, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” “Which commandment is that?” I asked. He replied, “The first and great commandment.” “If this is the first and great commandment what is the first and great sin?” “Not to keep this commandment.” “Have you kept it? Have you loved God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind? Have you put God first in everything—God first in business, God first in politics, God first in pleasure, God first in study, God first in everything?” “No, sir,” he said, “I have not.” “What have you done then?” “I have broken this commandment.” “Which commandment is it?” “The first and the great commandment.” “What have you done then?” He replied, “I have broken the first and greatest of God’s commandments. I have committed the greatest sin a man can commit, but I never saw it before in all my life.” And so have you, though, perhaps, you never saw it before in all your life.