THIS POOR MAN CRIED AND THE LORD HEARD HIM...
By Colin Maxwell
Although
brought up in a decent, hardworking home in Belfast where smoking and
drinking were frowned upon, I had little or no idea about the Bible
teaching of salvation. Like many, I assumed that doing good would
outweigh doing bad and so long as you did not harm anyone, then it
would be well with your soul when you died. I attended children's
meetings in local evangelistic churches. I am sure that I would have
heard the gospel proclaimed there, but I can never remember any serious
impressions being made upon me about the need to be saved. We did have
a Bible in our home, but it lay buried in a drawer and only very
occasionally referred to. I quit Sabbath School when I was twelve years
old and thus ended the last connections with the church for a while. My
interest lay in watching Irish League Soccer and following the fortunes
of English and Scottish soccer on the television.
When I was fifteen years of
age, I started to think about O level exams in school. Among others, I
decided to do metal work, but it obvious that I did not have the skill
required and even after three weeks, I began to fall behind. Unwilling
to go through misery for two wasted years, I opted to change and was
faced with a choice of either biology or Religious Education. Neither
was of any particular appeal to me, but a friend doing RE pointed out
that it was a small class and that the exam would be easy and so a
handy way of tucking another O level under my belt. I agreed. For six
periods each week, we studied the Bible. For four periods, we looked at
Luke's gospel and then for two periods we looked at "themes" i.e. the
Bible view on various ethical subjects. I found it enjoyable - far more
so than in previous years. Then, the teachers had been disinterested
and waffled. Now we had a teacher who actually professed to be a
Christian and who believed the lesson he was meant to teach.
I started to return to church
again. It was boring, but at least I felt a little better afterwards. I
could make reply to my conscience that I had "done my duty" Soon I
began to call myself a Christian, though somewhat discreetly. However,
there had been no real change in my life. I certainly had not been
"born again" which is so necessary to enter the Kingdom of God (John
3:3) I was just a religious pagan who had an interest in the Bible.
One day the teacher, almost in
passing, commented that no one had the right just to take the name
Christian upon themselves. This was a title reserved for those who had
experienced the new birth. I raised no reply, but it certainly shook
me. I knew that I needed to be a Christian. I certainly wanted to be
one, but was still in ignorance of the way of salvation. Another
professing Christian in the class challenged me one day over a game of
chess. He asked me if I was a Christian. I was equally straight in my
reply: "No, I'm not" He pursued the matter further: "Do you believe
that there is a place called hell?" We had already covered Luke
16:19-31 where the Saviour Himself spoke most decisively on the matter.
"Yes, I do" I replied, somewhat uncomfortably. "Do you believe that any
Christian will go to hell?" My theology was far from perfect, but I
knew that Christians were saved people and did not fear eternal death.
I replied in the negative. My friend pointed out the obvious: "Do you
not think it is about time you became a Christian?" I mumbled some kind
of reply and the matter was left there. I went home in a turmoil. I
knew not really which way to turn.
I decided to speak to my
minister about the matter. On the Sabbath morning, I hedged the issue a
little by asking him, how did he become a Christian? He told me to come
back again that evening as they would be having a good preacher coming
along. At this stage, let me assure the reader that you do not need a
minister or a preacher to get saved. But if you know a Bible man, do
talk with him. Although salvation is of God and not man, yet it is most
helpful to speak with those who know their Bibles. I did return that
evening and quite simply at the end of the evening meeting, I called as
a lost sinner upon the name of the Lord for salvation. The minister
turned me to Revelation 3:20 which records the words of the Lord Jesus:
Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
I saw myself as a lost sinner
in the sight of a holy God. I knew that I could nothing to save myself.
"Churchianity" could do nothing for me. I simply asked Christ to be my
Lord and Saviour. I claimed the promise of God contained in Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
With what joy did I return
home. The fear was gone. The burden was lifted. I told my parents -
still then unconverted - and they passed no real negative comments. I
think my mother was pleased inasmuch that it would likely keep a
sixteen year old out of any trouble! It did. I started attending good
evangelical churches early on in my Christian experience. I heard men
preach who really believed the Bible. My soul fed on their every word.
I began to read the Bible - not now for an exam as before - but as food
for my soul. I would pray quietly at night before I went to bed. I got
involved in evangelistic work. I gave up going to the soccer. It just
wasn't the same anymore. I hated it when people in the stand took God's
name in vain. I just didn't go back and got involved in tract
distribution and open air preaching instead. My mother and father -
both passed away now - later came to know the Lord as their Saviour
too. Both of them on the same night. How good is the God we adore! Soon
God led me into Bible College where I met my wife. He brought us both
down here to Cork to labour for Him as a full time missionary under the
auspices of the Free Presbyterian Mission Board.
It all hasn't been easy. The
day I was saved, I started to run a race. Not a 100 yard sprint, but a
marathon. I joined an army - not to sit idly in a barrack room - but to
fight a good warfare every single day. I became a labourer in a field.
A Christian! It is a grand title to have. Better to be a Christian than
the King of England. Christians have a kingdom that cannot be removed.
All my sins are gone -
completely removed. I have power for the present. Yes, I still sin, but
the desire of my heart is pure. I have a home in Heaven waiting for me
when I die, or if Jesus Christ comes back first.
What about you? Are you just
drifting along harmlessly? So was I. But I was still lost and needed to
be saved. Are you in bondage to drink or drugs or some other nefarious
deeds? Listen, Jesus Christ can set you gloriously free:
Wherefore
he [Christ] is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
(Hebrews 7:25)
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
May God bless you and draw you to Himself.
Colin Maxwell.