“And as Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.”―Acts 24:2525And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:25).
SCRIPTURE is silent as to whether the convenient season that Felix looked forward to, ever came. Present surroundings seemed to have a greater power over him than eternal things, and he let the golden opportunity slip.
“Procrastination is the thief of time;” it is also the devil’s prime minister, as has often been said, in carrying down souls to the dark domains of hell. There are thousands now in that place of endless woe and unutterable anguish, who never meant to be there, but who listened to Satan’s whisper, “Time enough yet, you will get a more convenient season someday.” They put their soul’s salvation off, until they found themselves beyond the reach of mercy. There the gentle, loving call of Jesus, “Come unto me,” is heard no more, and shut up in hell, eternal misery is their portion, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”
Reader, perhaps you may be one of this class who believe the Bible to be the Word of God and know much of the letter of it intellectually. You may know, too, that it is only by believing in the finished work of Christ that a soul gets salvation, but careless and heedless you say, “Oh it’s only by believing, I can do that at any time; I fully intend being saved, but not just yet; I mean to enjoy life a little first; I will trust in the Saviour by and by.” Dear reader, I do earnestly entreat of you not to trifle thus with eternal realities by giving heed to the evil suggestions of Satan. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked.” “Beware lest he take thee away with a stroke, then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.” I do affectionately pray you, be not so foolhardy as to put off your soul’s salvation another moment, it is dangerous to delay. “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.” Before another sun may rise, Death, with its cold and icy hands, may lay hold upon you and claim you as its victim, and if unsaved, you shall wake up in hell, duped by the devil, then
“What horrors shall roll o’er thy godless soul,
Waked from its death-life sleep;
Of all hope bereft, and to judgment left,
Forever to wail and weep.”
There is another event which may take place at any moment―The Coming of the Lord. He is coming soon to take His people home. Should He come and find you still a procrastinator, the door of mercy will be forever closed for you. “They that were ready went in, and the door was shut.” Then you will cry in right earnest, “Lord, Lord, open to us.” Oh! how will you receive those withering words, “Depart from me, I never knew you?” The day of grace will then be over for you, and for all who have heard the gospel, as we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-1210And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:10‑12), “They received not the love of the truth that they might be saved, and for this cause, God shall send strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” But thanks be to God it is still the day of His grace. “The long-suffering of the Lord is salvation, He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Oh! come now to the Lord Jesus, and own the truth of your condition to Him, and He will in no wise cast you out. Think of what He endured on the accursed tree, when all the waves and billows of God’s righteous, holy wrath went o’er His blessed spotless head when He stood in the sinner’s place. “He looked for some to pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but there were found none;” deserted by all His trusted followers, He was abandoned by God, whose delight He ever was. What a scene to gaze upon! The One by whom the worlds were framed, and by whom all things consist, taking such a place, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, and all in order that poor sinners might be brought to God, and have His place in everlasting glory. Will this awful scene, dear reader, not move your heart? if not, it must be callous indeed. Oh! what love thus to take such a place for such rebels as we. And having met all the righteous claims of God’s holy throne, and vindicated His character, He cried, “It is finished,” and bowed His head in death. God, to show that He was infinitely satisfied and glorified too, in the work which He accomplished, raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory.
Now, dear reader, the question remains to be answered, Are you satisfied with this finished work? To be satisfied with it is to be saved eternally, seeing that God and you are at one about it. Delay not one moment longer, I pray you, but “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” And instead of looking into the future with fear or dread, you can say in triumph―
“Death and judgment are behind me,
Grace and glory are before;
All the billows rolled o’er Jesus,
There exhausted all their power.”
O.