His Last Word

"His Last Word" After Being Shipwrecked--Being Justified by Faith We Have Peace with God Through Our Lord Jesus Christ

A young man working on the Limehouse Docks once heard a clergyman named Henderson preach from the text: “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Being impressed, he had a conversation afterward with the pastor.

Next day he sailed on the steamship London, which became a total wreck. Months passed, and a sailor came to the clergyman and said, “Are you Mr. Henderson?” “Yes, I am.” “Then,” he replied, “I come to you with a message from the dead. I talked and prayed with a young man on board the London who had heard you preach from the text, ‘Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’

He was in earnest, but he did not seem to get into the light until a few minutes before the wreck. He and I were told to launch one of the boats and to help man her. While doing so, he said to me, ‘Mate, if you get to shore, be sure to tell Mr. Henderson that it’s all right; being justified by faith, I have peace with God.’

By some accident he failed to reach the boat when the rowers had to pull for their lives from the settling ship. The last thing I saw of that lad he was up in the rigging, waving his hat, and shouting across the waters, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.’”

---------The Dawn

From a sermon by Bill Butsko, Jesus - Our Peace, 12/2/2009