Many years ago, my wife’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. At that time, there wasn’t necessarily the urgency around those things as there is now. She was told to wait, come back in six months and reevaluate. I’m not sure what it would be like if someone told me I had cancer and that I needed to “wait and see” – that would be a daily battle for me. Nonetheless, she waited and returned six months later.
The cancer had spread greatly, infected those areas of the body that make battling it too difficult, and she died four years later. It was a tragic and sad time for her and her family. (My wife, did, however, have many questions of God that eventually led her to trusting in Him for her salvation; God has a way of using death to bring life.) In the end, each day she waited, was a day that gave her cancer freer reign and access to her body. As a result, each day the cancer slowly grew and spread and once they tried to reverse its effects, it could not be done. Death came naturally as a result.
Richard Baxter points to a very similar action sin has in the lives of people who ignore it.
Moreover, the delay of conversion continues your sin and so you will daily increase their number and increase your guilt and make your souls abundantly miserable.
Are you not deep enough in debt to God already, and have you not sins enough to answer for upon your souls? Would you fain have one year’s sin more or one day’s sin more to be charged upon you? O, if you did but know what sin is, it would amaze you to think what a mountain lies already upon your consciences! One sin unpardoned will sink the sinner into hell; and you have many a thousand upon your souls already, and would you yet have more?
Cancer is a true analogy to sin: to wait and see will lead to more of both. Once present, no one really knows how much will kill the body, do they? True also, the Bible tells us that tomorrow is not guaranteed for any of us, so why not turn to Jesus Christ today? If you turn to Him and confess your waywardness and your rebellion, He will not refuse you – He will save you.
Pastor Gabe
Bent World 