Nails In The Post

by
M.F. Cowdery

From the Civil War Era

There was once a farmer who had a son named John, a boy very apt to be thoughtless, and careless about doing what he was told to do.

One day his father said to him, “John, you are so careless and forgetful, that every time you do wrong, I shall drive a nail into that post, to remind you how often you are naughty. And every time you do right I will draw one out.” His father did as he said he would, and every day he had one and sometimes a great many nails to drive in, but very seldom one to draw out.

At last John saw that the post was quite covered with nails, and he began to be ashamed of having so many faults. He resolved to be a better boy, and the next day he was so good and industrious that several nails came out. The day after it was the same thing, and so on for a long time, till only one nail remained. His father then called him, and said, “Look, John here is the very last nail, and now I’m going to draw it out. Are you not glad?”

“Yes”, sobbed John, “the nails are gone, but the scars are still there.” So it is, with your faults and bad habits, you may overcome them, you may be degrees cure them, but the scars remain. Now, take my advice and whenever you find yourselves doing a wrong thing or getting into a bad habit, stop at once. For every time you give in to it, you drive another nail, and that will leave a scar on your soul, even if the nail should be afterwards drawn out.

We must understand that we cannot take the nails out of the post for forgiveness. Only Christ can remove the nails. We cannot work our sin off. The reality of sin is that there is always a consequence or in this case scars. Some scars are deeper than others and some scars take longer to heal.

Thank God that our Lord does not keep account of wrong doings. Christ’s blood wipes out all our sin thus removing the nails from the post. 1 Cor. 13:5 describes how love does not keep account of wrongs suffered. If God did keep a log we would never qualify for heaven based on our own righteousness. Instead He forgives and forgets.

Whenever you find yourself doing a wrong or getting into a bad habit stop at once. REPENT! Even thou our nails are drawn out, and our sins are forgiven, there was a price. Remember, THE NAILS DRIVEN INOT OUR LORD!

John 20:24-29. Vs. 27 Reach here your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing.