My first serious thoughts of Eternal matters began when one of my brothers, who had just been saved, spoke to me of his conversion. He told me he was saved and as sure of being in Heaven as if he were there already. This was strange news to me as I could not understand how anyone could have such confidence. Reference was made to the Scriptures and I learned that his confidence was founded upon the Word of God which is forever settled in Heaven. (Psalm119:89, Proverbs 30:5)
Sometime later two other Scriptures were brought to my attention. One of these was John 3:3 which reads, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." The other was Romans 3:23 which declares, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." I had never experienced the first but realized the truth of the second, because of my own sin.
Shortly after this I was taken to Gospel Meetings. The first impression that was made upon my mind was the unity of a few Christians, composed of different nationalities and classes of people, gathered around the Holy Scriptures and having a common interest in the same. The impression was more forcible as I considered that in Europe in the great World War these people were at enmity between themselves. I saw the truth of John 13:35, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another".
I continued going to Gospel Meetings and my impressions were deepened into anxiety as I learned upon the authority of the Word of God that I was not saved. I also realized the fact that I was traveling the broad was that leads to Hell and the Lake of fire. My anxiety was turned into trouble and sorrow sometime later when I attended a meeting in the City of New York. The preacher spoke of the Coming of the Lord from the Book of Revelation chapter three, and the 25th chapter of Matthew. The presence and power of the Spirit was so manifest in the meeting that it would not have surprised me if the Lord had come before the close of the meeting, (l Thess. 4:17). Had this happened, I knew the judgment of God awaited me.
This last fact caused my trouble and sorrow to be turned into fear and the result was that I became greatly burdened about my sins. One night I was suddenly awakened by the ringing of the fire bells of our village. As it was during the war, the police and firemen had agreed that if anything unusual happened they were to be called together by the ringing of the fire bells. My first thought was that the Lord had come for His own people. One can hardly imagine the distress and anguish that filled my heart as I thought that I had missed the Salvation of God, and must spend Eternity in the everlasting burnings. My fears were somewhat calmed when I learned that my brother was in his room and not taken to Heaven, as I supposed. I continued in this state of soul until one night I found peace by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
On this particular night I started out to attend a Gospel Meeting in the City of Paterson, NJ. Having reached the R.R. Station, I waited for the train, which arrived in a short time; but instead of getting aboard, I stood on the platform as the train departed. Being greatly convicted of my folly I retraced my steps home. Arriving at home, I began reading some Gospel tracts with a deep desire to be saved and have peace with God. Among the tracts there was one entitled, "How Can I Be Sure Of Salvation?" This was the very thing I wanted to know and I read it with much earnestness. The tract brought to my attention a Scripture from the Exodus 13:13 which says, "Every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem". The story in the tract continued telling of an Israelite coming to the priest of the Lord with a firstborn ass. He asked the priest if there could not be an exception to the commandment of the Lord. He said, "I am a poor man and I cannot afford to lose this little colt". The priest answered, "the law of the Lord is plain and unmistakable: 'every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck'. Where is the lamb?" "I have no lamb," said the poor man. "Then go and purchase one and return, or the ass' neck must be broken." The poor Israelite answered, I am far too poor to buy a lamb". As the conversation proceeded, a third person joins them. After hearing the poor man's story he said kindly, "I can meet your need. We have in our home on the hill one little lamb without spot or blemish. This lamb will I bring." Soon the lamb and the ass were standing side by side. The priest binds the lamb to the altar, its blood is shed and the fire consumes it. The priest then turns to the Israelite and says, "you can take your little colt home in safety - no broken neck for it now. The lamb has died in the ass' stead and the ass goes rightly free."
After reading this account of the redemption of the ass, the way of salvation was made plain to me. God in His Word declares that "man (is) born as a wild ass' colt" (Job 11:12). The ass was born condemned already and the Scripture says, "He that believeth not is condemned already" (John 3:18). Thus I was in the same condition as the ass. But as there was redemption for the ass, so there was also redemption for me. In the case of the ass, the lamb died as the substitute; it died in the stead of the ass and the ass went free. So in my own case, there was a Substitute for me, One to die in my stead. My Substitute was the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scripture says of Him, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1Peter 3:18). The Epistle to the Romans states that He "was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification".
Through this simple story and the Scriptures here quoted, I was led to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. John the Baptist spoke of Christ as "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world".(John 1:29).
I was able to see and understand that Christ upon the cross was the sacrifice for sin. When He suffered there He bore the judgment due to my sin and stood in my place, the same as the lamb did for the ass. The work of the cross was made so plain to me that I trusted my soul to Christ and was saved for time and Eternity. I believed the report that God gave of His Son how that He died for my sin. As I look back to that night when I first trusted Christ, I can say with the people of Israel when they were redeemed from Egypt that "it is a night to be much observed" (Exodus 12:42).
I am able to say with the apostle Paul, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15).Friend, are you saved? If not, flee from the wrath which is to come.
Harvey B. Greene