“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” John 6:35–38
Though he was brought up in church, when he left home, Joseph Hart turned away from God. He became an ardent opponent of Christianity. At one point he even wrote a pamphlet called The Unreasonableness of Religion. But when he was forty-five, Hart heard George Whitefield preach, and was converted. Joseph Hart spent the rest of his life reaching others with the gospel. Along with his sermons, Hart wrote a number of hymns, including these words:
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love, and power.
I will arise and go to Jesus;
He will embrace me with His arms;
In the arms of my dear Saviour,
O there are ten thousand charms.
There are people all around us who are trying to address issues of life and eternity and their standing with God in their own efforts. But the gulf between us and God created by sin cannot be spanned with any human act. The only hope of salvation is to accept what Jesus freely offers, coming to Him. Though He has promised not to cast out any who come to Him, so many refuse to respond to His gracious invitation. Instead they try to do good works, get involved in a church, avoid sinning, or follow the Golden Rule. None of these are sufficient for salvation. Only Jesus saves. Salvation is freely offered to all who will receive it—but we must receive it in faith. (Daily in the Word)
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346
