1. How Jesus Christ launched His ministry. Ask this question to the proverbial ‘man-in-the-street’ and you’ll be surprised at the variety of answers you’ll get. The historian (or student of Biblical prophecy) might probably say that He announced Himself from the back of a donkey during a ‘Jubilee parade’ through Jerusalem’s streets; whereas the derelict drunk or intrepid alcoholic might probably retort with, “He changed water into wine!”
Be
that as it may, I believe that Jesus Christ began His ministry with this
clarion call and message: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came
into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying,
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and
believe the gospel.” [Mark1:14-15].
This He then followed up with this grave
warning: “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins:
for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your
sins.” [John8:24].
2. The King’s Message is urgent. The
Holy Spirit calls people to repentance today, because tomorrow may be
too late; when I thus see the way in which atheists waver and nonchalantly
dismiss the Biblical call to repentance
I shudder at the thought of the dire consequences for such cavalier
attitudes. Here we all are, being catapulted toward Eternity at the breakneck
speeds of 107 000 kph (the
velocity of Planet Earth in its orbit around the Sun); 828 000 kph (the Solar System on its way around the centre of
the Milky Way Galaxy); 3 600 000 kph (the Local Group of
Galaxies’ speed toward the ‘Great Attractor’) and 1 404 000 kph (the Earth’s speed toward the ‘Great Attractor’ using CBR (Cosmic Background
Radiation) as frame of reference. The
Bible says:
►“For He is our God, and we are the people of His
pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if you will hear His voice, harden
not your heart, as in the day of strife, as in the day of testing in the
wilderness … “ [Psalm95:7-8].
►“But exhort one another daily, while it is
called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin … while it is said, "Today if you will hear His voice, harden
not your hearts, as in the provocation … He again marks out a certain day,
saying in David, ‘Today,‘ (after so long a time). Even as it is said, ‘Today,
if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.’ “ [Hebrews3:13,15;4:7].
3. Objections. Objections to the call to repentance are manifold, but, in all honesty, one cannot say that one does not believe in a ‘God’ that one ‘cannot see’ and in the same breath go and hide in the basement from a virus one cannot see … does one? Be reasonable.
“Show us the evidence!”, they say.
‘Evidence’ is embarrassingly abundant; every time I open my eyes and ears I
see the beauty and hear the music of Creation playing out like a majestic
(albeit sometimes mortifying and humbling) symphony. Writes C.S. Lewis: “Really,
a young atheist cannot guard his faith too carefully. Dangers lie in wait for
him on every side … I gave in and admitted that God was God ... perhaps that
night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.“ [excerpts
from ‘Surprised By Joy’].
4. Charles Spurgeon
on delaying repentance. He
writes:
“No man would refuse to enter a lifeboat because he did not know the specific gravity
of bodies. Neither would a starving man decline to eat until he understood the
whole process of nutrition. If you will not believe until you can understand
all mysteries, you will never be saved at all. If you allow self-invented
difficulties to keep you from accepting pardon through your Lord and Saviour,
you will perish in a condemnation that will richly deserved. Do not commit
spiritual suicide through a passion for discussing metaphysical subtleties.” [‘The
Anointed Life’].
5. No ‘Regret Revote’ in Eternity. There can be no second chances, ‘regret revotes’ in Eternity. The Bible says: “If the clouds are full of rain, they will pour out on the earth; if a tree falls toward the south or the north, wherever it falls, there it will lay.” [Ecclesiastes3:11 ISV].
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