The teaching of this chapter is that faith alone in Christ can save.
Prepare a large black card with the words "My Sins" painted upon it.
Hold it up before the audience so all can see it, and remark: "My
sins are dark and terrible. The Bible tells me they are like a thick
cloud. (Isa. 44:22.) Note the first letter of sin is an S, which
resembles a serpent in the act of striking its deadly blow. You
cannot pronounce the letter S without hissing as a serpent. Sin is a
deadly thing. It is poison for the heart and will. Sin is like a
monster serpent coiled around our soul, and will at last crush out
its life forever. I must get rid of my sins, They will not only ruin
my own soul but will smite others also. Some years ago some
scientific men made an investigation as to the cause of a contagious
disease which had spread over a great city.
"It was discovered that a young man had been stealing goldfish which
he put into a little tank in the floor of his room and covered it
with boards to hide its secret place until he could sell them to
another man.
"Soon after a great contagion sprang up in that vicinity, indeed in
that very room, It began with him at first, and he was left crippled
and blind and went limping along on crutches, a suffering permanent
invalid. The contagion spread to others, and upon examination made by
scientific men from Warsaw and Berlin they found out these fish had
died in the tank, and were of such a nature as to spread at once a
contagion which became of a most malignant type. A scourge overspread
the land and carried away tens of thousands of innocent people. Sin
acts just like that. Every act of evil deposited in a heart given
over to disobedience to God breeds a miasma, the fumes of which go
out on the silent air, poisoning the life of others as well as that
of the sinner.
"I _must_ get rid of my sins for the sake of the other man as well as
my own soul."
"How can this be done? What will take away my sins? Let me _show_ how
my sins can be all taken away."
Prepare another card about an inch smaller all around it. Paint on it
the word "Working." Shall I work? Shall I do penance? Shall I suffer
bodily torture? Will these works obtain my deliverance? Now place
this card over the black card "My Sins," and you notice it does not
cover my sins. They still are visible. Working cannot save me. The
"working"' card is not big enough to do it.
Now prepare a card with the word "Weeping" upon it, making that two
inches shorter on all sides, and place it over the "My Sins" card,
and you notice it does not cover the black card. It is too short.
Weeping will not wipe away my sins. Weeping will not wash out my
sins.
Weeping will not save me;
Though my face be bathed in tears,
That could not allay my fears,
Could not cleanse the sins of years;
Weeping will not save me.
After this prepare a card smaller still on which is painted the word
"Praying." Place this against the black card "My Sins," and again
this card does not cover the "Sin" card. Praying for deliverance from
sin is essential, but we must act as well as pray. We realize our
lost condition, and hear the voice of God say, "Come unto me." We
must do something more than just cry, "Save, Save." We must _do_. The
Prodigal Son would never have left the far country if he had merely
cried out in fervent prayer, "I have sinned against thee." But he
_arose_ and _went_. That was his way home. It is our way too.
Praying will not save me;
All the prayers that I could say
Could not wash my sins away,
The debt I owe could never pay;
Praying will not save me.
Prepare now a card only half as large as "My Sins" card, painting on
it the word "Feeling." Try now to cover the black "Sin" card with
this card and it will not half do its work, Waiting for "feeling" is
useless delay. It would never save you if it should come. All the
feeling that is needed is to "feel your need of him."
Feeling will not save me;
Though I may so happy be
As to think God's pardoned me,
Feelings change continually;
Feeling will not save me.
At last prepare a red card about an inch larger all around than the
sin card on which you have painted the words "Faith in Christ." Now
put this over the black "Sin" card, and you will perceive that it
covers completely all your sins. It hides "My Sins" forever more.
They are all taken away to stay, and as you say this remove the black
"Sin" card and let it fall behind the desk, or cast it back of you,
for this is what God does with our sins when he forgives them for
Christ's sake. He casts them behind his back. Now lift up the red
card, and the black has been taken away--and--taken away to stay.
That is what faith in Christ will do. They are rolled away as a thick
cloud forever.
Faith in Christ will save me!
Let me trust thy gracious Son,
Trust the work that he has done,
To his arms, Lord, let me run,
Faith in Christ will save me.
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