"I may as well be frank with you. I am not in the least interested in these things.”
The speaker was a man nearing middle age. He and several others were seated on a train recently. To this man a gospel booklet entitled, "A Preacher of the Old School," had just been handed.
"I am an agnostic," he boasted. "You can understand why it does not appeal to me at all," he continued.
"I very much appreciate your frankness," said the man Who was distributing the tracts. "It is so much better than false profession. Now since you have been good enough to declare your stand, will you allow me to ask you one question?”
"Certainly," he replied, "ask what you will." "Are you really happy?”
"Well," he replied, hesitatingly, "tolerably.”
"Which means, to be frank again, that you are NOT!”
"That is so," he admitted.
"May I ask another question? Have you any hope of future happiness?”
"None whatever," he replied. "The only thing I am certain about is that sooner or later all must die.”
"Then I would like you to consider that in a few words you have admitted three sad facts about yourself: you have NO GOD, NO JOY, and NO HOPE. It certainly does not commend agnosticism!”
The agnostic seemed inclined to listen, and his questioner continued: "Let me tell you what, through the grace of God, I have received through the gospel. First I have knowledge of God—God Himself revealed in Christ His beloved Son—as the living and true God. Then in this knowledge I have a true and deep JOY which increases as the years go by. This joy will last forever! Beyond this I have a sure and certain HOPE through the atoning work of Christ on Calvary. Believing that His precious blood was shed for me, and has cleansed me, and made me fit for heaven itself, I am assured of a blissful eternity with Himself. That is what Christianity is to me! And all this is offered as a free gift to you if you will receive Christ as your Savior.”
He winced and tried to evade the issue; but after a few minutes silence he said: "I will read your book. I think you Christians ought to speak to people. Indeed, you are responsible to do so!”
The train drew up at the station. The professed agnostic departed, leaving the Christian to continue his happy work. Who can say but that the encounter was ordered of God to awaken true repentance toward Him and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ in that dark, unbelieving heart? Surely the day will declare the results.
Dear unbelieving friend, may God grant that the scales of darkness, doubt, and unbelief fall from your eyes. May you be brought to know Him as your GOD, to possess present and eternal JOY, and have that HOPE "both sure and steadfast" as the stay of your soul in life or in death.