Today is the day of salvation

 

BIBLE THOUGHT

 

Genesis 19:16 "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth and set him without the city."

 

This Bible Thought is an easy one to remember. Some time ago Lot chose to live in a city that was very wicked. Now God has warned him  to leave Sodom before it is destroyed. God has sent  two angels to warn Lot of the impending doom and lead him to safety (Genesis 19). For whatever reason, we learn that Lot was reluctant to leave that wicked place. As we read this account, we are amazed that a man warned in such a fashion of impending doom, given the opportunity to flee to safety, would hesitate to do so.

 

But why are we amazed over Lot's lingering? It is a story repeated over and over today. For, you see, Lot has his counterpart in every place the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. His counterpart is even found within the church throughout the brotherhood. Men are faithfully told of God's goodness and of his severity (Rom. 11:22). men are warned to flee the wrath to come and they have pointed out to them the way to escape that wrath and be saved. Within the church, men are constantly being instructed as to what must be done in order to remain safe from the wrath (James 4:17; Matt. 6:33). Yet, multitudes of those both in the world and in the church linger in the valley of indecision knowing what they should do but delaying to do it.

 

Some, no doubt, linger because they are in love with the world, in love with material things, in love with the pleasures and amusements of the world (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Tim. 4:3-4; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:1-2; Matt. 6:19-21)

 

Some linger because they think they have time enough yet to obey. They say to themselves, "one day I will obey God but right now I am young, healthy and have many years left." These people make the same mistake the rich fool of Luke 12 made (15-21). These are the people who do not take into account the fact that there is but a step between life and death (1 Sam. 20:3) and it matters not what your age may be, young or old.

 

Lingering robs God of some of the best years of a man's life (Eccl. 12:1). Lingering can and often does influence friends, neighbors, husbands, wives and children to be lost eternally. Yet, still, many, like Lot of old, stand around lingering when it comes to obedience to God. Far too many are the people who live in tomorrow.

Charles Hicks