33 The Proper Time!
The Proper Time!
"The Holy Spirit says, Today!"Hebrews 3:7
Matters of importance, as they demand — so they should have our first attention. As nothing is of half so much importance as the salvation of the soul — then nothing should be attended to so promptly, seriously, and diligently. And yet the generality of people are for putting off the concerns of the soul to some indefinite period in the future. Many of our young people hope to be converted at some future time; they intend seriously to consider divine things by and bye — but they are for putting off. They say with their tongue that it should be done; but they say by their conduct — not now! My dear young friends, I beseech you to give a few minutes to this solemn subject. You must be saved — or lost! You may be saved now — but if you put the subject away from you at present — you may perish without hope. "The Holy Spirit says, Today!" What do you say? Consider.
1. WHO it is that speaks to you. It is the Holy Spirit, who is the author of scripture, the giver of life, and the glorifier of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is a person. He thinks, speaks, works. He is a divine person — naturally, essentially, and eternally divine. One with the Father and the Son; equal to the Father and the Son in dignity, majesty, and glory. He is a present person. His eye is upon you while you read these lines. He notices your thoughts and feelings. He is observing whether you will treat this message with respect — or whether you will ignore his counsel, and reject his word. He demands attention, he deserves reverence, he expects obedience. He is deeply interested in your salvation — therefore, he speaks to you, strives with you, impresses the truth on your heart, convinces you of sin, prompts you to prayer, pleads with you by his servants, and is grieved when you resist his operations. His nature is love, his work is absolutely necessary to your salvation, his grace is sufficient for you, and he is ready to help you. You will sin against him — if you refuse to listen to and observe his loving word — but it is peculiarly dangerous to do so. He now speaks to every sinner who reads this book, and he says, "Today!" Observe then,
2. WHAT he says. He says, "Listen to God’s voice, bow before his throne, yield at his command, accept his invitation, embrace his beloved Son — and so flee from the wrath to come!" And he says, "Do this now, today, this moment!"
What a contrast there is between the counsel of the Holy Spirit, and the advice of Satan — he says, "Tomorrow, next week, at some convenient season." Between the admonition of the blessed Comforter, and the solicitations of sin, the present evil world, and your own carnal heart — these all combine to induce you to postpone the matter, to put it off, and put it off again, and so continue to put it off — until the door is shut, and God swears in his wrath that you shall not enter into his rest!
How different also, do some professors talk. If they speak of the conversion of sinners, their icy hearts send forth in freezing strains, the expression, "It will be in God’s time." If they speak to sinners, it is with a tone and manner which would lead one to imagine that they are not serious at all! My young friends! Do not be mislead! Avoid that temptation which has so often overcome you and led you astray; escape that snare which is laid in your path by the enemies of God and your soul’s salvation; choose whom you will serve. Who shall be your Master — Jehovah, or Satan? In what service will you employ yourself — holiness, or sin? Which path will you take — the narrow way to Heaven, or the broad road to Hell?
Young woman, today refuse that solicitation to be the companion of the ungodly, the friend of the enemy of Christ, the associate of those who are hastening to perdition. Procrastinate no longer. You have often been convinced that you are wrong — you have felt impressed with a sense of the importance of the things of God — you have purposed that you would repent and turn to God. Decide at once. Go alone, throw yourself on your knees before God, give yourself to the Savior at once! Delay no longer. Frame no more vain excuses. Let not Satan again lead you captive at his will. Say not, "Tomorrow," for the Holy Spirit says, "today." My dear young friends, it is a solemn thing to trifle with the Holy Spirit when he speaks to you, and he speaks to you now.
"Today if you will hear his voice — harden not your heart." To do so is to provoke God, therefore the apostle adds, "For some when they had heard, provoked him." "They rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit: therefore "he was turned to he their enemy, and he fought against them." (Isaiah 63:10.) What a fearful case! What a solemn warning! You must now submit, or refuse to obey — yield yourself to God, or rebel against his authority. You are shut up to this alternative. There is no escaping. Which, then, will you do? To whom will you listen? To Satan? To the evil world? To vain companions? To your own depraved heart? Or, to the Holy Spirit? Who is wisest? Who is kindest? Who is most deserving of your regard?
Today, the Holy Spirit says, "Come and take of the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17.) Tomorrow, he may say, "It is a people of no understanding, therefore he who made them will show them no favor." Today, he says, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Tomorrow, he may say, "My people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. SO I GAVE THEM UP unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels!" (Psalms 81:11-12.)