Dont Wait...
How many times have you heard a friend or relative say, "I intend to obey the gospel someday, but I want to wait for a while"? Folks have different reasons for waiting to obey the Lord. But to those who know the truth and have put off their obedience to the gospel we say "don't wait"! Waiting could rob you of eternal life.
When Governor Felix learned of Jesus he said, "Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." (Acts 24:25) He did not have that convenient season! He waited too long, and he is lost!
King Agrippa listened attentively as the apostle Paul preached unto him Christ, who suffered and was raised from the dead. When Paul asked, "King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets?" And before the king could reply Paul said, "I know that thou believest." Then Agrippa said unto Paul, "Almost thou persuaded me to be a Christian." (Acts 26:27-28) He wanted to wait. Almost persuaded at that time, but so far as history, inspired or secular, reveals he was never a Christian. He waited too long! Oh, how Paul could (and perhaps did) cry unto him, "Agrippa, don't wait."
The preacher had studied with a couple on several occasions. Then one day the woman said, "I'm convinced that I am wrong. I am ready to obey, but I am going to wait until my husband is ready." The preacher pleads, "Don't wait." Many weeks, months and years have past...she is still waiting. Will she wait too long?
A young man had been taught the gospel all his life, but had never obeyed. He was going to wait until he was older. He wanted to have a lot of fun (???) before he became a Christian. While still a teen-ager his car was involved in an accident, and his life was quickly snuffed out. He waited too long! So sad.
A devoted husband and father, whose wife was a faithful Christian, had thought many times of obeying the gospel. On different occasions when I talked with him and tried to encourage him to obedience, he would say, I'm going to wait for a while. 0, my friend, don't wait too long.
A man, who was a member of the Lord's church many years ago, had his feelings hurt by some other member and forsook the Lord and the church. His wife continued faithfully, taught their children as best she could, and rejoiced to see most of them obey the gospel, but she had no help from her husband. He is going to be restored to the Lord someday, so he thinks. The years have past; the children are all away from home; he is a grandfather; his hair is graying, and his face is wrinkled with the years; he doesn't walk with the lively gait that he once did...he's way on the down hill side of life, but he is still waiting. Dear friend and brother, don't wait!
On and on the stories could go of those who were going to obey the Lord, but for various reasons they just kept waiting. Someone has said, "Hell will be full of people with good intentions." Friend, the Lord says, don't wait:
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Cor. 6:2) "Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." (Heb. 3:15) "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas 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. For that ye ought to say: If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that." (James 4:13-15)
While you are waiting Jesus is saying, "Come unto me...and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) If you wait too long you are sure to be lost. (See II Thess. 1:7-9) So, my friend, don't wait to obey the Lord, the soul you lose will be your own! —