The train was waiting at the station of a large city, ready to start on its transcontinental journey of nearly 2900 miles to the Pacific coast, and the train crew were all standing at their posts, ready to start the moment the signal was given. Every now and then passengers would arrive and hurry to take their places on the train.
Just as the train was about to start, a Young man came strolling along the platform, seemingly in no hurry, and asked an official standing near, "Which is the train for Vancouver?" The official pointed it out to him, and added, "You will have to hurry, sir, for it is due to leave at this moment!”
Instead of hurrying, the young man continued his easy going pace, and arrived at the spot to find the train moving away. Then, and not till then, he seemed to awaken to a sense of his predicament, and he made a wild dash for the moving train,—but was unable to catch it, and was left behind.
As he returned crestfallen and disappointed, he drew out his watch and remarked that according to it, he still had two or three minutes, and that his watch had always been reliable, and had never failed him. The official to whom he spoke, remarked that the trains ran according to railroad time, and no other, and pointing to a large clock in a prominent place, drew his attention to the fact that the time of departure was already several minutes past.
"How very foolish," you might say, "of that young man, not to have hurried; he really deserved what happened to him!" and you would be quite right.
How very much better if he would have been ten or fifteen minutes too early, rather than one minute too late! And why was he late? It was because he was relying upon a source of false information, that was telling him that he had plenty of time, whereas, as a matter of fact he had nothing of the sort.
The reliable source of information, the railroad time, said one thing, and his watch said another, and by trusting to the unreliable source he missed his train.
There is a time coming, and it may have arrived before these words are read, when the door of salvation, which has been open for so many years, will be shut, and when shut, it will not be re-opened to those who may be left behind. The great and reliable timepiece, God's Word, says, "Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Your information may be to the effect that there is plenty of time, but, let me tell you, my friend, any such information is false. God says "Now" and He means "Now" and anything to the contrary can only emanate from the evil one, your enemy and mine. You may think to yourself, "I have plenty of time, some other day I will take the matter up seriously," but all such procrastination in a matter so vitally important to you, as the security of your never dying soul, cannot be other than the work of Satan. It has been said, and truly said, that, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions," and this may be the sort of "pavement" you are laying down for yourself God's Word tells us, "Ye know not what shall be on the morrow." James 4:1414Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14). Are you different from anyone else in this respect? You know you are not, so cease laying this kind of dangerous "pavement," and come to a decision now and at once. It will be well worth your time to heed God's Word, and to act now—at once!
Second, the record is, that God has given us eternal life, in His Son (Verse 11).
Third, that whoever has the Son has life, and whoever has not the Son has not life (Verse 12).
Fourth, he that does not believe this God-given record has made God out to be a liar (Verse 10).
Is this your position, my friend? Think it over, seriously, carefully, and as being in the presence of God; and then may God grant that you wait no longer in your dangerous position, but by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal and only Savior, you may find yourself included among those within the scope of verse 13, that ye may know that ye have eternal life.
"GOD SO LOVED
THE WORLD,
THAT HE GAVE
HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON,
THAT WHOSOEVER
BELIEVETH ON HIM
SHOULD NOT PERISH,
BUT HAVE
EVERLASTING LIFE."