The Salvation of an Old Drunk

By Harold Smith

My story today is about a man named Jack Ashwood. He was the toughest and the worst drunk in a little village in Belfast, Ireland many years ago. The bartender that used to serve him said he was the worst man who ever came into his bar. He never feared too many, but he feared Jack Ashwood. 68 times he'd been in jail, mostly for drunkenness. The last time he was in jail was for 6 months. As he lay in jail he thought, "All this drink is getting me into this trouble, I must quit drinking". So he prayed to God and asked God to help him to quit drinking. And he did quit drinking, but Jack still wasn't saved, because giving up bad habits won't save you. But one day, he was standing in his own doorway, listening to an open-air meeting, and some men giving testimonies about how the Lord had saved them. There were four men that had testified that they were drunks, that they used to fight, that they used to be thrown in jail, but the Lord saved them and forgave them of their sins and saved them from all their drunkenness. Jack thought a while. Then he went in the house and he looked, and he prayed, but still, he couldn't get what they had. Then one day, he was reading in a little book, and at the close of the book it said, "Decide now where you are going to spend eternity. Christ died for your sins and you must realize that, and trust Him as your Savior". The moment of decision had arrived. Jack trusted the Savior. He said, "I take thee Lord Jesus to be my Savior", and he was gloriously saved! Little did he know that two months from then, he would be in eternity. Jack was sick, and some men came in to visit him one Wednesday afternoon, and they sang together, "When the roll is called up yonder I'll be there". Jack could say, "Praise God, I'll be there, because Jesus died for me". The very next day, Jack Ashwood passed into eternity knowing that he was going to be in Heaven because his name was written there. Have you received the Lord Jesus, and the gift of eternal life? Is your name written in Heaven? Do you know Him like Jack Ashwood, as your personal Savior? Let Him come into your life as your Savior today!