July Message 2007

Dear Friends,

Spurgeon tells the story of a poor woman who received a visit from someone who wanted to help her with a generous gift of money. He knocked at the door in vain - the door did not open - so he went away again. Some time later he met the lady he had visited and asked why she had not opened the door when he knocked. She asked him about what time he had called and apologised, with the explanation -"I thought it was the man calling for the rent!" Those who have lived through hard times will no doubt know exactly how she felt - but how mistaken she was.

How active the human conscience is! It reminds us of responsibilities we have to others; it keeps on and on about things that should have been done yesterday; it nags us when we don't behave properly; it brings to mind the commandments we have failed to keep; it makes us wriggle with discomfort if we fail to fulfil our promises; it often makes us rather prickly and defensive when certain subjects arise in daily conversation. It is just as if we had our own private judge and jury passing a verdict on our thoughts and actions, and finding us guilty!

How mistaken our reaction to the Christian message can be! We assume that in the gospel God is demanding something from us. We take it for granted that Jesus came to condemn us for our sins. We assume the worst of anyone who speaks to us about our need of Christ. All these assumptions are wrong! The gospel is a gospel of Grace - God's unbounded and undeserved love for guilty sinners! Jesus came to give the gift of eternal life to all those who put their trust in him.

If the woman in the story had simply opened the door she would have had enough to pay the rent. The gospel of Christ tells us how our sins can be freely forgiven - and how we can be free from the burden of sin!


Yours in the gospel of Christ

Eddie Jones ( Pastor) Back to top