It was a cold and damp evening when we walked down Market Street in San Francisco and saw an elderly man selling newspapers. We stopped and bought a paper from him, feeling sorry that it was necessary for a man his age to be out on such a night selling papers. Having paid for the paper, we asked him if he knew the Lord Jesus.
He replied: “It is not good etiquette to ask such a personal question!” Then he added: “Would you ask me how much money I had in the bank?”
We, of course, told him that we would not, but this was something entirely different; there was no comparison between the two things. To ask about a person’s money would be merely curiosity and rude, but to speak of the Lord to others is of vital importance. The Lord’s command is, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-1615And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:15‑16)).
This man was disturbed by the question. Does it disturb you when you think of eternal things? If it does, it is a sign that things are not right between yourself and God.
We read in Isa. 59:22But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2) that “your iniquities have separated between you and your God.” This alienation is a very real thing, and it leaves a person in darkness, blindness and ignorance as far as the knowledge of God is concerned. This being so, we all need to be reconciled to God.
If your home was on fire, you would not mind it if someone who realized the danger hammered on the door and shouted at the top of his voice in order to awaken you. You would not complain about the etiquette of the matter! No, you would be very grateful to be aroused in time to save your life.
And this is not to be compared to the value of your soul. If your soul is slumbering—sleeping the sleep of death, as it were—you need to be awakened, and we would like to ask you the same question which we asked the elderly paper-seller: “Do you know the Lord Jesus?”
Several years ago we took a shortcut through a railroad yard. As we walked along, suddenly we heard a man shouting excitedly. Turning around, we realized the danger we were in. We were right in the path of a string of freight cars being backed up by a switch engine. We leaped to safety and wasted not one thought on the “etiquette” of the warning!
We knew of another man who also was walking along the railroad track, but this time out in the country. We knew the engineer of the express train who told the story of seeing the man on the tracks. The train was traveling fast at this point, but he blew the whistle while there was plenty of time for the man to get off the track. The man just turned around and kept walking as though there was no danger. The whistle blew the second time, but no attention was paid to it. When the third whistle sounded, it was too late and the man lost his life.
We read in the Bible, “God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not” (Job 33:1414For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. (Job 33:14)). It is a serious thing to turn a deaf ear when God speaks to us, or to put Him off and say in your heart, Some other time-not now. Wouldn’t you like to know that all is well with your soul?
You can know, here and now. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said it: “He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).