All of Grace in Modern English: With Scripture Texts from the English Standard Version (ESV)

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

I was once afflicted with a horrible sense of guilt. My life was miserable; but then I heard the command, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” I turned, and in a moment the Lord justified me. I saw Jesus Christ, made sin for me, and that sight gave me peace. When those who were bitten by the fiery serpents in the wilderness looked to the serpent of bronze they were healed immediately. And so was I when I looked to the crucified Savior. The Holy Spirit gave me the means to believe and gave me peace through believing. I felt as sure that I was forgiven as I had previously felt I was condemned. I had been certain that I was condemned because the word of God declared it, and my conscience also condemned me. But when the Lord justified me, I became just as certain that I was no longer condemned, by that same word of God and that same conscience. The Bible says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned,” and my conscience believed that God could pardon me and still be fair. So, the Holy Spirit and my own conscience were in agreement. Oh, how I wish that my reader would accept God’s word about this. If they would, then their own conscience would soon come to peace in this matter.