How Willie Got Saved

By Harold Smith

This is the story of a man who lived in Ireland many years ago, named Willie Thompson. Many people had professed to have accepted Christ as their Savior, and were rejoicing in His love. A wonderful work of grace was going on, the preaching of the Gospel. Willie Thompson, a young man who lived in the neighborhood, was deeply concerned about being saved. And he prayed, and he wept, and he tried to do all he could to get God's mercy and be saved. The more he struggled, the worse he seemed to get. He thought of his past life and his sins crowded in upon him. He thought of that great day of judgement, when God was going to call him before that throne, and he was going to be judged for all of his sins. In his distress, he often would cry, "What must I do to be saved?" But he never could find the answer. One day, he was so bothered, he couldn't attend to his business. So he took his Bible in his hand and he went out into a country spot and thought that there, he might find peace with God. In the quiet spot out in the field he opened the Bible to Psalm chapter 119 and verse 130, "The entrance of thy words giveth light." He knew from that verse that he had to find out from God's Word how to be saved. So as he was looking over another portion in Romans, chapter 5, his eyes came across this lovely verse - verse 6, "When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." He thought, "He died for the ungodly - that's me! I've been thinking all the time that I had to get good and get better before the Lord would save me, but this says He died for the ungodly, not for the good people - but for the ungodly!" So he took his place among the ungodly, and leaping in the air and clapping his hands for joy, he said, "Christ died for me, because I'm the ungodly sinner!" And oh, how happy he was, and oh, how happy he went on to live for the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for him and saved him. Have you come to realize that Christ died for the ungodly, that you're among the ungodly if you've never trusted Him? If you are, then why not trust Him today like Willie Thompson, and be saved, and saved forever. Trust Him today!