THERE IS AN URGENCY!

Jay Yeager

             Every minute of every day souls are entering this present life, while others are departing it for eternity’s shore. Solomon summed up that existence in capsule form: “A time to be born, and a time to die…” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). What is the distance between the two? Man is woefully incapable of answering that question. James wrote concerning the uncertainty of physical life: “Where as ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).

            That is why the word of God stresses the now – the today - , for any one of us may have – no other. Hear the scriptures, “For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2).

            Why the urgency? Because death brings consignment (Hebrews 9:27). Two seconds after death you will know where you are going to spend eternity (Luke 16:19-31). Now, hear it please! Despite the false hope given at virtually every funeral service, for the majority of those departed, that will not be a time of joy and happiness but anguish and torment. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

            “Well”, says one, “God is too loving to allow that to happen”. Friends, is that true? Then who is the author of Matthew 7:13-14? Can you see the absurdity of such reasoning? It is true that God is a loving God, the sending of His Son demonstrates the depth of that love (John 3:16; I John 4:8-9). Who among us would want to live or die if such were not the case?

            However, there is an ominous warning carried by this sense of urgency. Do not depart this life unprepared to meet God. Solomon, as he was inspired, put a bit of irony in this very serious subject. “For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion” (Ecclesiastes 9:4). The point being, while there is life there is hope, but death removes all opportunity to choose (Hebrews 9:27).

            Now – today – God has provided a means of salvation through Jesus Christ. That no matter what you are, or have been, today you can become a new creature (II Corinthians 5:17), by being obedient to the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16; Hebrews 5:8-9). The conditions of that salvation are neither difficult to understand or obey, you must believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (John 8:24; Acts 8:37). You must genuinely repent of your past sins and face a higher and nobler life (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). You must confess Christ before men (Romans 10:10), and be baptized to have your sins remitted (Acts 2:38; 22:16). As a result of that obedience, Christ will add you to His church (Acts 2:47), where you must faithfully serve Him until your time is no more (Revelation 2:10).

            There is an urgency! For if perchance your life ends before obedience is rendered, there is another side of God that no thinking person would want to encounter (Romans 1:18; Ephesians 5:6; Hebrews 10:31; 12:29). Now – today – you have an opportunity to serve God. Tomorrow? There may be no tomorrow!