I was talking to some little boys, the other day, telling them of the “great salvation,” Which God is now offering them, and I tried to explain to them the meaning of the three words, which are at the head of this paper,
Reject! Neglect! Accept!
“Supposing,” I said, “that I should invite you boys to tea with me, next week, and some of you were to say,
“We don’t care about your old tea, and we don’t intend to go.”
“That would be to reject my invitation.”
“But,” said one of the boys, “we would not say such a thing.”
“No,” I replied, “I am sure you would not, and I hope that not one among you is treating God’s offer of salvation in such a manner; and yet, though you would not reject my invitation, you might be so taken up with your lessons, or your play, or some other thing, as to forget to come on the right day; that would be neglecting, and would lead to the same consequence as rejecting, for in neither case would you have the good of the tea.
Now, that is what so many children and grown up people, too, are doing. They are putting off accepting, what God is offering, until a more convenient season; while always intending to come to Jesus, and have their sins forgiven someday. They neglect doing it now. Weeks, and months, and years pass on, and at last they find it is too late. But it is not too late yet, there is yet time to accept; to come to God, and confess your sins, for the sake of the One who has died for you upon the cross.”
Then the little boys repeated sonic verses to me,
“How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation” and
“Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.”
“I have one more thing to say to you, I do want you all to come to tea with me next week.”
Do you think they rejected or accepted my invitation? Well, if you had heard them all shout and stamp, and laugh, you-would not have doubted their acceptance, and moreover, they said,
“We’ll all come.”
Now one little chap left the room that afternoon, without making quite sure that he knew the day, and the hour, and just where my house was.
Now, the children were in earnest; they wanted to come. Are you in earnest, little boy or little girl who may be reading this paper? Do you really want to be saved, to know that all your sins are put away? Do you say,
“I would like to accept but I do not know how?”
Well, how did my little boys accept? Why, they just believed what I said, and can not you believe what God says, when He tells you that the Lord Jesus, His Son, has been punished instead of you; and so He can freely forgive all your sins?
When the day came for our little tea, I missed one boy. He had not been present when I invited the rest, so I had sent him a message, still he did not come. “Where is Freddie,” I inquired and the answer I received was a very sad one.
“I gave him your message, but he said he did not believe it.”
O, dear little children, I am giving you God’s message today, a message of pardon, and peace, and joy, will you not believe it? Remember, God says in His Word,
“If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful.”
Now, one word, before I finish; I want to tell you how the dear little boys who accepted my invitation, showed that their hearts were full of love and gratitude to me. Do you ask if they came and told me so? No, that was not the way. They did not talk about it, but they put all their pennies together, and brought me a pretty present. Do you think I was pleased? Yes, indeed, I was, for you know we all like to feel that those we love and care for, love us in return.
And you, dear children, who have accepted what God is offering; who have received from Him the forgiveness of your sins; who in some measure have learned to “love Him who first loved” you, are you loving only in word, or is it in “deed and in truth,” as the Apostle John tells us? Are you trying day by day to please Him, or do you think first of pleasing yourselves? Do not say, “I am too young and ignorant to please Him now.”
He has told us something that even a child may do to please Him, it is very wonderful, but it is true, for He has actually written it down in His holy Word.
ML 05/30/1943