CONVERSION, sir! I don't want conversion! It's the drunkards, and harlots, and thieves, and such like, who need converting. I go to my place of worship, and I'm sober and industrious, and I don't owe a farthing to any one ; and I tell you honestly, I don't believe in your doctrine, insisting upon every person alike being converted, as you call it, or going to hell when they die."
Facts are stubborn things, my friend, and, you see, neither your belief nor unbelief makes them true or untrue. There they stand—FACTS! God has spoken; that is enough. Your place is to listen and believe.
"Verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven" (Matt. 18:33And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3)). “Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:33Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)). Of what value, then, is your fancied goodness and self-righteousness, in the light of such weighty and solemn statements? Moreover, these are the words of the Lord Himself. Dare you say, I don't believe them? Supposing, now, we could take ten men, and suspend each of them over a precipice by a chain composed of ten links. Let us further suppose that one link in the first man's chain was suddenly to break, what would become of the man? He would be dashed to pieces at the foot of the precipice, of course. Suppose two links in the second man's chain were to break, and three in the third, and so on, until at last every link in the last man's chain broke, would not the effects be the same? Surely! Every man of the ten would be killed. Supposing, then, we take the worst person in your neighborhood and yourself. That man has broken every one of God's Ten Commandments, whereas you are very good and only break, say one, are you then nearer to God? In no wise! for we are taught by the Apostle James (chap. 2:10), that "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." That wicked man has broken the ten and no more. You have broken the ten and no less; and, dying impenitent, both will be shut out of heaven, though the punishment of one may be greater than the other when each is "judged according to his works" (Rev. 20:1212And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:12)).
What an awful thing to be rushing on to Eternity in the dark, knowing not whither one is going—whether to heaven or hell! Yet every unconverted soul is rushing straight to hell—spite of God's warnings and entreaties, spite of His calls of mercy, spite of the pleadings and prayers of friends who know their danger and long for their salvation. Yet onward they rush, stumbling on the dark mountains of sin, and soon, unless they repent, they will find themselves enveloped in "the shadow of death and gross darkness" (Jer. 13:15, 1615Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. 16Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. (Jeremiah 13:15‑16)). "I'm on the down-grade' and I cannot find the brake," said a poor dying man who had been a stage-coach driver, and whose life had been one of open wickedness and profanity. Alas! we fear there are many who will wake up some day when too late, to find they are "on the down-grade, and cannot find the brake," whose course will end in hell.
“God is no respecter of persons!" High or low, rich or poor, educated or ignorant, religious or profane, "ALL have sinned;" all need a Savior; all are welcome to receive the One whom God has provided, even His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; and all will be damned who reject Him (Mark 16:1616He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16)). There is only one place of torment in which all unbelievers must exist Forever—the Lake of Fire, which is the second death (Rev. 20:15; 21:815And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)
8But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)). The self-righteous religionist and the degraded sinner, however great the moral and social distance between them in this world, will spend eternity together in the lake of fire in the other world, unless they accept God's way of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood "cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Thank God there is mercy, there is peace, there is forgiveness, there is eternal life, there is eternal blessing for all who will receive them! "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." In this way alone can any sinner be saved. W. E