"I have faith. I have faith in God! I trust Him."
He then looked across to the floor and saw the open Bible at the base of a partly opened drawer. He got out of bed and picked up the Bible, but as he went to push in the drawer he saw an old book Connie's minister had given her. It was about the life of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church.
Something within him compelled him to open the book, and for some reason he began reading the words of the great preacher at the bottom of page 442:
"It remains only to show, in the fourth and last place, the use of the Law . . . Some there are whose hearts have been broken in pieces in a moment, either in sickness or in health, without any visible cause, or any outward means whatever; and others (one in an age) have been awakened to a sense of the 'wrath of God abiding on them,' by hearing that 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.' But it is the ordinary method of the Spirit of God to convict sinners by the Law. It is this which, being set home on the conscience, generally breaketh the rocks in pieces. It is more especially this part of the Word of God which is quick and powerful, full of life and energy, 'and sharper than any two‑edged sword.' This, in the hand of God and of those whom he hath sent, pierces through all the folds of a deceitful heart and 'divides asunder even the soul and the spirit;' yea, as it were, the very 'joints and marrow.' By this is the sinner discovered to himself. All his fig‑leaves are torn away, and he sees that he is 'wretched, and poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked.' The Law flashes conviction on every side. He feels himself a mere sinner. He has nothing to pay. His 'mouth is stopped,' and he stands 'guilty before God.'
"To slay the sinner is then, the first use of the Law; to destroy the life and strength wherein he trusts, and convince him that he is dead while he liveth; not only under the sentence of death, but actually dead unto God, void of all spiritual life, 'dead in trespasses and sins.' The second use of it is to bring him unto life, unto Christ that he may live. It is true, in performing both these offices, it acts the part of a severe schoolmaster. It drives us by force, rather than draws us by love. And yet love is the spring of all. It is the spirit of love which, by this painful means, tears away our confidence in the flesh, which leaves us no broken reed whereon to trust, and so constrains the sinner, stripped of all to cry out in the bitterness of his soul or groan in the depth of his heart, I give up every plea beside, Lord, I am damned; but thou hast died."
Jerry was wide‑eyed as he read Wesley’s words. He whispered,
"That's why I didn't see my need of Jesus Christ for so long. I didn't have the knowledge of the Law and therefore didn't understand the true nature of sin; that I had offended God!"
To be continued...
