The Urgency of the Gospel

A few weeks ago when I was doing some door-to-door outreach, I had the opportunity to witness to a particular lady, and I’m going to relay a lesson I learned from the meeting. Now I don’t know details, neither would I relate them to you if I did, but I could see that this lady definately wasn’t fully content with life. Many ill experiences had obviously left their mark, and it was evident to be seen.

Interestingly, she professed to know the Lord Jesus, and every now and then attended a Bible Study at the home of someone she knows. When speaking to her however, I wasn’t fully convinced that the root of the matter was there. At any rate, she obviously wasn’t walking with God, and I therefore urged upon her the neccessity of having a living relationship with Christ.

After a substantial conversation, I left. The following week however, I was told that she had had a heart-attack and was in hospital. It came as such a shock to me. I realised how sudden things can change. Within a few days, that lady was warned of her need to get right with God, and then struck down with something that could very easily have taken her life.

I did consider going to visit her, but the hospital is a seven hour drive each way. I hope I wasn’t neglecting the move of the Spirit when I decided not to go. I will be visiting her shortly though, as soon as I know she’s home.

The Lesson

When you’re speaking to people about Christ, is there an urgency in your presentation of the gospel? If you were to switch positions, do you think your presentation would convince yourself? Paul said,

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men
2 Cor 5:11

Shortly after he went on to also say,

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”
2 Cor 6:2

Everytime we present Christ to the sinner, there must be an urgency in what we say and how we say it. If we believe that the lost go to hell, then do we witness like that is the case? Do we shed a tear for the perishing?

Now I believe in the Sovereignty of God, but I am not so foolish to think that God delights in a witness which is contridictory to the message. If the message is urgent, so must be the messenger.

Allow me to quote the chorus of one of my sister’s songs:

Why are we waiting? The fields are white,
Why are we waiting? In faith we must fight.
There are many still straying, with no one to tell them;
Reach out dear brother, for close is the night.

There is not only coming a night when none of us can work, there is coming the eternal night, when the unrepentant will be forever separated from God. Do we conduct ourselves daily in the light of this truth?

Want to read other articles? Try these...

• The Strange Providences of the Lord
• Children’s work - Tough but rewarding
• How to Witness to a Close Family Member

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