A True Story
We were living in the bush in the North of Canada, and used to go about eighteen miles to town on Saturday nights for supplies.
One Saturday night I was talking to the grocer, a man of middle age, and he told me he knew he was on the wrong road—bound for hell instead of heaven—but he meant to make a change. Both his father and mother had been Christians, indeed, he told me, they were about the first Christians of a certain denomination up that way, and many a time his father had preached the gospel on the street.
Now they were safe home in the glory. Before they left this world, they had made him promise to meet them there: but he had not followed in their footsteps. He knew he was on the wrong road, headed for hell, not heaven where his parents were—He was lost and he knew it.
It was a real thing to the grocer as he told me his story, and the thoughts of that old promise made to a dying father and mother brought the tears to his eyes.
"I must make a change. I must meet them there," he said to me.
"No need to wait," I replied. "Come to the Savior, just as you are, tonight. It is not you changing, but the precious blood of Christ that takes away your sins and gives you a place in the glory."
"I'm not saved, and I must be saved."
"You can be saved, tonight, right now. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.'" Acts 16:31.
"I mean to be saved, but NOT tonight."
"Yes, TONIGHT! God's time is NOW. 'Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.' 2 Cor. 6:2. You trust the Savior tonight, and you are a saved man."
"Not tonight, but," stretching out his right hand, "I give you my hand on it, I will be saved next Saturday night."
I tried to press the matter further, for I knew right well "God is not mocked," and He does not promise any man a week of time, or that His Spirit will always strive with men. But all I could get from my grocer was, "Next Saturday, NOT tonight."
I went home sad, but the week soon passed, and we went up to town for supplies the next Saturday night as usual.
The grocer was standing outside his shop, talking to a customer, but I saw by his look he had no warm welcome for me. I waited until the customer was gone, and then asked him about his promise made last week. He waved me away saying, "I have no time to talk to you tonight. I made $35,000.00 in mining stocks one day this week, and I have no time."
"Then, I suppose, $35,000.00 is the price of your soul?"
The grocer was angry at this suggestion, and though years have rolled by since that Saturday night, I have never heard that he kept his promise to his father and mother.
Dear reader, what price is the devil offering for your soul? He has many offers to suit everyone who neglects or rejects God's offer. Some want pleasure, some want money or fame or learning. The devil does not care, he will pay your price, provided he gets your soul. Thirty-five thousand dollars for thirty-five years; or it might be thirty-five minutes, or less—and eternity in hell. That is a bad bargain, but it is the price some men set on their souls. Others sell their souls for a drink of whiskey, an automobile, or to indulge some lust.
Now God has a question to ask about this bargain: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36. That is a plain, straight question in profit and loss that the grocer forgot to figure. Have you figured it, reader? If not, just sit right down now and get that problem worked out. You will find it all loss and no profit.
But there is another who is bidding for your soul. He offers more than $35,000.00 for it too. He has not paid silver or gold, but the Lord Jesus Christ has given His own life's blood for you. Now, He is not asking you to give money, or good works in order to obtain salvation, but He has given Himself to obtain salvation for you, and all He asks is your simple trust in Himself and His precious blood.
What an offer! Why not take it NOW? Do not be like the grocer and risk eternity in hell for anything the devil offers you here. The work of Christ on the cross makes you safe, and the Word of God in the Bible makes you sure.
Dear reader which will you take, Christ's offer or the devil's? The choice is yours. "Choose you this day." Joshua 24:15.
"Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:15.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.
"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Heb. 2:3.