On the banks of the river Mary in Queensland, Australia, lived a “scrub” farmer named Sam.
He had lived a wild life—working hard, drinking hard, farming, butchering and doing other things by turns. He had made a lot of money, but spent it as fast as it came. Alcohol had been his downfall.
Riding home through the bush at night he had had many hair-raising escapes. Again and again he had been thrown from his horse and dragged by the stirrup at imminent risk of death. One morning, following a night of carousing, he awoke lying head downward on the side of a water hole within a foot of the water, where he had been thrown some hours before.
But time did not pass lightly over Sam, and the life he had led took a heavy toll. Now he lay upon his bed, a human wreck, slowly dying.
Conscience, too, was beginning to make itself heard. His career rose up before him like a dark cloud, and the future filled him with dread.
Visiting him one day, a Christian said to Sam: “Sam, do you know what a debt is?”
“Yes,” said Sam.
“And what a receipt is?”
“Yes, I’ve plenty of them in my time too.”
“Well, let’s suppose you were in debt and could not possibly pay. And let’s suppose a friend came forward and paid your debt and gave you the receipt. Would you be afraid of your creditor after that?”
“No, the receipt would settle it anywhere.”
“Your sins then, Sam, may be compared to a debt, and God demands the debt must be paid. Payment must be rendered to Him or you cannot escape hell.”
“Ah! but can a receipt be had for that debt?”
“Yes,” said his visitor, and he read him Christ’s parable of the two debtors: “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both” (Luke 7:41-4241There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? (Luke 7:41‑42)). “But, Sam, your debt must be owned, and you must acknowledge that you have nothing to pay with. Own to God that your debt is much, and your assets nothing, and then, God says, you will be freely forgiven everything you owe.”
“But the receipt—what’s that?”
“Well, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1 Timothy 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)). His blood and His death are what paid the debt. Afterwards, God raised Him from the dead, so declaring to all that He, the Creditor, is satisfied with the payment made by His Son upon the cross. Yes, God took Him up to heaven and gave Him a place at His right hand. This is the receipt, Sam—Jesus risen and ascended and seated at God’s right hand.
“The Holy Spirit has come down from heaven, where Jesus now is, to testify that God is satisfied with the work of Christ. He has caused it to be written in this Book, the New Testament. This Book is like a written receipt. Any poor sinner who has owned to God his sin and helplessness may hold this Book in his hand and say, ‘This is my receipt!’ It gives peace and security to the heart—it can neither lie nor change.”
Sam grasped the truth as a drowning man grasps a life preserver.
He believed and was at peace.
On his next visit, his Christian friend thought that he would test Sam. He reminded him of his sins and of the holiness of God. He talked of the impossibility of a sinner earning the favor of God. He pictured the hell that awaits all such.
Sam’s quiet attention gave way to excitement. Raising himself on his elbow, he reached out to touch the New Testament which lay unopened on the visitor’s knee. He said, “Well, I can’t read, but in that Book you’ll find that Jesus died for sinners!”
Happy Sam! He had the receipt, and he held it steadily to the end.
Are your sins forgiven? Is your debt paid? Be assured that what God did in grace for poor old Sam, He will certainly do for you. Do not rest until you can say from your heart: “My indebtedness to God is cancelled by the blood of Christ, and in the unchanging words of the Bible I have the receipt.”