Do not wait: Today is the day of salvation
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
The best responses to Jesus are immediate and sometimes radical. It is not in our best interest to wait around and mull decisions for the Lord.
Perhaps the most important is responding to God’s conviction relating to salvation. That’s definitely not one we want to procrastinate on too long. It can mean life or death.
The Bible states that today is the day of salvation. If we wait too long to respond, we could miss Heaven and find ourselves in an eternal bind with no way out.
Obviously, that is the most crucial decision we’ll ever make. Our eternity hinges on it.
Other decisions we make through God’s directive will immensely assist us along the journey, as well. The quicker we respond, the better.
Some of these decisions involve major changes, but there’s no better place to be than in God’s perfect will.
In many instances, God requires us to answer the call, so to speak.
As a minister, I’ve made several locational moves through God’s direction. Looking back, I can see God’s hand through it all.
When I was first called to pastor, my wife and I sought the Lord about a move from beautiful Western Montana to the oilfields of West Texas.
God made it abundantly clear to make the move after we sought Him for it. We were content in Montana. I had a good newspaper job, we loved the church there, and life was grand.
West Texas and Western Montana are two distinctly opposite locales. One involves mountains, streams, glacier lakes, wildlife, and is very serene. The other has no trees, water, pumpjacks, and the most beautiful sunsets ever.
It was an easy decision to move to West Texas for the simple reason that God was in it. The peace we experienced when we drove to our new hometown was indescribable.
We have made many more moves since. No doubt, there was a purpose in each one.
When it comes to making sudden and radical decisions for the Lord, Levi in the New Testament comes to mind.
Levi was a tax collector who was basically despised by his people, the Israelites. He was hired by the Romans to collect taxes from the Jews, but he also became wealthy – like all of the tax collectors – by taking more money from his people than was required.
Levi was basically a traitor who became rich at the expense of his own people.
But when Jesus came by, something changed. Jesus said two simple words to Levi that changed Levi’s life for the better forever.
“And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.”
Just like that, Levi gave up his tax collecting and great wealth to follow Jesus. No doubt, there was great authority, love and purpose in Jesus’ directive toward Levi.
It was of eternal consequence. In a mere moment, Levi gave up what he knew to follow the plan for his existence – to worship and serve the Lord.
In the world’s view, the decision made no sense. But, oh, the peace and joy that flooded his soul when he gave up everything to follow God.
Jesus obviously had mercy on Levi and knew his heart. Though many likely still despised Levi, he was forgiven and a new creature in Christ.
After his decision to serve God, Levi held a feast in his palace with Jesus. Many publicans (tax collectors) and sinners attended. No doubt, some of those people likely came to the Lord, as well, following Levi’s example.
It was just the start of God’s purpose for Levi’s life.
He was among the Lord’s 12 apostles, and many know him by the name of Matthew.
Through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, he wrote the first book of the New Testament – Matthew.
He is the “Matthew” in “Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”
Those who read the New Testament start with a book written by a former tax collector who answered the call of God and never looked back.
