Today I had the privilege of "staying with the stuff" as a chaperone during a Camp Kedron outing at the beach. It was cool and overcast, a welcome change from the heat of late. After a pleasant bushwalk we arrived at Curl Curl to find the beach closed because of strong current. I noticed a lifesaver (Australian for lifeguard) heading out to the waves for a swim, and it wasn't to cool down on a hot day. He was checking the conditions of the surf. It wasn't long before the rip pulled him further and further left, and as a result the beach remained closed after he easily swam back in. The pros make it look so easy.
I wondered how the lifesaver would have reacted if I waded after him into the rip and grabbed him by the arm to "save" him. Needless to say it would have been an offensive and unwanted intrusion! Now if he was a drowning swimmer flailing in the rip and I was a lifesaver, it would have been a totally different situation. There would be nothing more welcome for someone fighting for life in strong current than a strong saviour. It reminded me how a person often needs to be at a point of desperation for help before they will gladly accept it.
A person must be convinced of their need for salvation before the Gospel has appeal. It is the Law of God which reveals the sin which damns us and our inability to meet God's righteous standard. Even that is not enough for some, as we read in Acts 24:25 concerning Paul's witness to Felix: "Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you." Felix trembled at the prospect of judgment, but even his inability to measure up to Christ's standard was not enough for him to humble himself before God or man. God was calling Felix, but Felix wanted to call Paul when convenient. A man who believes he is in imminent danger of death now would be ridiculous to ask for a more "convenient" time to be saved when today is the day of salvation. The sad truth is, deceived and dying men assume they have plenty of time left. Time usually runs out before such see their need to repent and be born again through faith in Jesus.
In sharing the Gospel with others it is important to do as Paul did - whether people respond in faith or not - and reason (not monologue) concerning righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. The righteousness of God is revealed in the Law, our guilt is clear through our lack of self-control, and we are all facing eternal judgment for our sin. The good seed of God's Word will always bear fruit when it falls upon prepared hearts. When a man realises his life hangs in the balance it often brings a crucial shift in perspective. Salvation is never convenient for anyone, but the Gospel is a labour of love both for Christ and His people. It is the Law and justice of God which reveals God's grace, and the promise of future judgment quickens a man to seek salvation today.
I wondered how the lifesaver would have reacted if I waded after him into the rip and grabbed him by the arm to "save" him. Needless to say it would have been an offensive and unwanted intrusion! Now if he was a drowning swimmer flailing in the rip and I was a lifesaver, it would have been a totally different situation. There would be nothing more welcome for someone fighting for life in strong current than a strong saviour. It reminded me how a person often needs to be at a point of desperation for help before they will gladly accept it.
A person must be convinced of their need for salvation before the Gospel has appeal. It is the Law of God which reveals the sin which damns us and our inability to meet God's righteous standard. Even that is not enough for some, as we read in Acts 24:25 concerning Paul's witness to Felix: "Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you." Felix trembled at the prospect of judgment, but even his inability to measure up to Christ's standard was not enough for him to humble himself before God or man. God was calling Felix, but Felix wanted to call Paul when convenient. A man who believes he is in imminent danger of death now would be ridiculous to ask for a more "convenient" time to be saved when today is the day of salvation. The sad truth is, deceived and dying men assume they have plenty of time left. Time usually runs out before such see their need to repent and be born again through faith in Jesus.
In sharing the Gospel with others it is important to do as Paul did - whether people respond in faith or not - and reason (not monologue) concerning righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come. The righteousness of God is revealed in the Law, our guilt is clear through our lack of self-control, and we are all facing eternal judgment for our sin. The good seed of God's Word will always bear fruit when it falls upon prepared hearts. When a man realises his life hangs in the balance it often brings a crucial shift in perspective. Salvation is never convenient for anyone, but the Gospel is a labour of love both for Christ and His people. It is the Law and justice of God which reveals God's grace, and the promise of future judgment quickens a man to seek salvation today.
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