Hudson Taylor, Part 2

One of the things that first made me interested in reading more about Hudson Taylor was the story of his conversion. He was brought up by parents who loved the L and had a sister who also deeply loved the L. But up until around the age of 17, he had always rejected the L. Then one day he was reading a small gospel tract and "while reading it was struck with the phrase: 'The finished work of C.' 'Why does the author use this expression?' I questioned. 'Why not say the atoning or propitiatory work of C?' Immediately the words, 'It is finished,' suggested themselves to my mind. 'What was finished?' And I at once replied, 'A full and perfect atonement and satisfaction for sin. The debt was paid for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.' Then came the further thought, 'If the whole work was finished and whole debt paid, what is there left for me to do?' And with this dawned the joyful conviction, as light was flashed into my soul by the Holy Spirit, that there was nothing in the world to be done but to fall down on one's knees and, accepting this Savior and His salvation, praise Him for evermore" (Spiritual Secret of Hudson Taylor, 11-12). Finished. What better news can there be than this? This has been such an encouragement to me. It seems every day my biggest battle is to simply rest in this beautiful fact. So often I am prone to wander into worry because I feel like I don't understand everything about what JC did and exactly how he saved me. But the marvelous truth is, when he died, my salvation was finished! His resurrection secured all he accomplished for us in his life and death and proved G was satisfied :-) Horatius Bonar in his book, "The Everlasting Righteousness" says this: "The propitiation and righteousness finished on the cross, and there exhibited as well as presented to me freely, are such as entirely meet my case: offering me all that is fitted to remove dispeace and unrest from my heart and conscience;" That's what we must feed our souls with each day - the gospel. When we do, we will be willing to do as those before us, such as Hudson Taylor who laid down his life to share the blessed news with the Chinese people. Of course not everyone is going to be called to foreign missions like he was, but you don't have to be called to another country to lay down your life for people. We can do that anywhere. But we must be grounded on the Rock before we will be willing. Oh L, make us all bold and confident in You!