Have you ever asked a person an important question that required a response? Not like a text or a tweet or a Facebook message or even an email…but a significant question of profound import that affected you and your decisions? You ask; the person knows it’s important and he knows that you want a response.
And then he does nothing.
You ask again.
Still, no response.
Again you ask – this time you reiterate the significance, importance and impact of the question hoping that he’s simply been overcome with some important issue that has caused him to delay an answer. You do pretty much all you can to make sure that he knows the stakes.
Still, he gives no answer.
Has that made you mad? Seriously, you know a situation like that just boils your blood. You think (rightly) that it is common courtesy to give an answer in general and, in this specific instance of heightened importance, you’re past common courtesy. A failure to respond is rude and wrong.
Richard Baxter explains that in like manner, your failure to respond to God’s invitation to believe and follow Christ increases the wrath of God. In fact, our blood boils when we are treated that way because God’s anger breaks out against all of those who repeatedly ignore or refuse His gracious invitation to eternal life. Here’s Baxter:
And as sin increases daily by delay, so consequently the wrath of God increases and you will run further into his displeasure and possibly you may cut down the bough that you stand upon and hasten destruction to yourselves. When you live daily upon God, an are kept out of hell by a miracle of His mercy, methinks you should not desire yet longer to provoke him, lest he withdraw his mercy and let you fall into misery.
The Bible says (Hebrews 1:1-2),
Long ago, at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world.
How long will you let God’s invitation to you to turn from your sins and rebellion, trust in Him and receive an abundant life the likes of which you can scarcely imagine? Why do you still wait? Turn to Christ and live.
Pastor Gabe
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Bent World 