Is it ever too late?
The answer to that question is most assuredly yes. In Genesis 6:3 God says, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever." The notion that you can sin, resist, refuse, and put God off is a very popular one in today's culture. People assume that the opportunity will always be there to accept God's grace until you are good and ready to accept it. Friends, this is not the case!
The story of Esau in the Old Testament shows how a man can live a life profane in God's sight and put God off then when he decides to change he can't. He plead and cried out to God, shedding selfish tears, but he was not sincere and ultimately was rejected. And if we continue to live a life like this the same thing will happen to you or me.
Even Paul lamented his own concern in 1st Corinthians 9:27, "after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." The Greek word Paul uses here is "adokimos" meaning to cut off oneself, be permanently separated from the life of God on earth and destined with no possibility of parole to an eternity in hell. Every Christian knows the importance of working out your salvation with fear and trembling.
There is nothing that you and I can do to work ourselves into the kingdom of God. Good works can save absolutely no one but they are the evidence of someone that is genuinely saved. The Bible calls that "fruit" and Jesus says in Matthew 7:20 it is the way we recognize each other. A farmer who plants a pear tree will soon tear it up by the roots if in doesn't bear any fruit. And Jesus goes on to say in John 15:2 that "every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." All that to say with all biblical authority that you must wake up every day and live for Christ with urgent watchfulness while you still can. If we don't, we will reach the point where of refusal and find ourselves just like Esau, in tears, discovering that we didn't have a true, saving faith and having lived a life of tolerated unbelief, totally past the point of no return.
If you are going the wrong direction, it isn't too late. Turn around. Ask Jesus for the directions that you need. We all possess a Spiritual GPS in the form of the Bible and we all have a direct line to Jesus Christ. What is stopping you? What in your life is preventing turning it all around? What are you waiting for?
The answer to that question is most assuredly yes. In Genesis 6:3 God says, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever." The notion that you can sin, resist, refuse, and put God off is a very popular one in today's culture. People assume that the opportunity will always be there to accept God's grace until you are good and ready to accept it. Friends, this is not the case!
The story of Esau in the Old Testament shows how a man can live a life profane in God's sight and put God off then when he decides to change he can't. He plead and cried out to God, shedding selfish tears, but he was not sincere and ultimately was rejected. And if we continue to live a life like this the same thing will happen to you or me.
Even Paul lamented his own concern in 1st Corinthians 9:27, "after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." The Greek word Paul uses here is "adokimos" meaning to cut off oneself, be permanently separated from the life of God on earth and destined with no possibility of parole to an eternity in hell. Every Christian knows the importance of working out your salvation with fear and trembling.
There is nothing that you and I can do to work ourselves into the kingdom of God. Good works can save absolutely no one but they are the evidence of someone that is genuinely saved. The Bible calls that "fruit" and Jesus says in Matthew 7:20 it is the way we recognize each other. A farmer who plants a pear tree will soon tear it up by the roots if in doesn't bear any fruit. And Jesus goes on to say in John 15:2 that "every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." All that to say with all biblical authority that you must wake up every day and live for Christ with urgent watchfulness while you still can. If we don't, we will reach the point where of refusal and find ourselves just like Esau, in tears, discovering that we didn't have a true, saving faith and having lived a life of tolerated unbelief, totally past the point of no return.
If you are going the wrong direction, it isn't too late. Turn around. Ask Jesus for the directions that you need. We all possess a Spiritual GPS in the form of the Bible and we all have a direct line to Jesus Christ. What is stopping you? What in your life is preventing turning it all around? What are you waiting for?
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