Now is the Time

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the evil days come

and the years draw near of which you will say,

'I have no pleasure in them'. . ."

Ecclesiastes 12:1 ESV

People often think they can put off coming to Jesus, that there will be plenty of time to live in relationship with Him later.  Things are going fine, they reason, I'll just wait 'til I need Him, after I've lived a little.

Why wait?  How long is my life?  How much time do I have?  No one knows.  Therefore, now is the time for repentance from sin that leads to salvation (2 Corinthians 7:10).  Now, when things are good, living is carefree and I'm in my prime.  Otherwise, I'll discover I've wasted my life!

Voluntarily.  He always knew God was there calling his name.  Instead of responding, though, he waited, placing God on hold where he could deal with Him later, when the time was right.  Then came the accident when he lost his sight.  No longer could he live as he once did, and the blind man knew God was giving him a wake-up call.  Hello!  I'm here and I want to be part of your life!  You are headed toward destruction!  Turn around and come toward Me where you will find life (Matthew 7:13-14, John 10:9-10, John 14:6)!

While salvation through faith in Jesus Christ is powerful no matter how and when I come, how sweet it is to come freely and of my own volition.  While ultimately it is God who is drawing me to Christ, it is up to me to respond or to resist, to cooperate or to defy, to give in or to stand firm in my destructive ways.  I can either wait until I hit rock bottom when I've tried everything else and failed to find peace and love, or I can put my faith in Jesus Christ now, giving Him my whole life.  The first is looking for proof or a guarantee while the second is taking God at His Word.  If I give Him a try I'll see how much better living with Him is (Psalm 34:8). 

Instead of trying all there is and coming up empty or waiting for a crisis to hit that will wake me up from my ignorant slumber, what a blessing it is to come to Jesus voluntarily.

Whole Life.  When I observe those who came to Christ early, who wholly submitted to Him at a young age, I grieve for all the years I lost to the sowing of fleshly oats.  Instead of the privilege of giving all my years to Him, I only have what is left.  When my body was young and before I had family responsibilities, who knows how God could have used me, what adventures I could have had while serving others in the name of Christ?  While I can't go back, I can warn others not to waste their lives on foolish pursuits that seem so important now but in the end, when standing before a holy God in the face of eternity, will not amount to anything (John 15:5-6).

There is another consideration regarding the timing of repentance.  The earlier I submit to God's plan for my life, entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, the sooner reconstruction can begin.  There is much to transform in my life, and this sanctification is a lifelong process (Romans 12:2, Philippians 1:6).  It brings me great joy to see young people growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, knowing how special it is to experience His presence for all their days (2 Peter 3:18).

Instead of working against God until my final days, what a blessing it is to offer a lifetime to Jesus!

Preparation.  It's easy to see the United States and the world at large is headed in the wrong direction.  The mass slaughter of innocent babies is legalized and socially acceptable.  The name of Jesus Christ is a dirty word, often relegated to the use as a curse word.  Prayer to the One true God is considered an affront to a people who arrogantly and hypocritically claim tolerance.  Deviant sexual behaviors are celebrated and labeled as alternative lifestyles.  Identity has ceased to be a God-given trait and is now seen as self-assumed; I am whatever I want myself to be.  Self has clearly replaced God in this culture.

With things headed in such a destructive direction, how easy will it be to live for Christ in the days to come?  It may become a criminal offense to worship Jesus Christ, to mention His name, to proclaim His truths.  The days to come will only get worse for those who follow Christ.  Therefore, it makes sense to grow in my faith now in preparation for the days to come.  If I wait until tomorrow to make a decision about what I'll do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will I give my life to Him when the cost is higher than it already is?  Should I risk the fact that I may balk at giving up the security of this life in order to attain the eternal life offered by Jesus (Luke 9:24-25)?  Better to turn to Him now while the opportunity is here.  It may be too hard to repent later, when I'm rooted in this world and it turns even darker.  

Instead of waiting until it's physically dangerous to turn to Jesus, what a blessing it is to follow Christ in freedom now.

It's easy to sweep my sins under the rug, pretending not to hear Jesus as He knocks on the door of my heart.  Instead of putting Him off, however, there is much blessing to be found in giving my life to Him now.  I can willingly turn over my life in my prime so I have my whole life to serve and grow.  Then, when times become more caustic, my faith will be strong enough to stand the test.  Now is the time to turn away from my selfish ways and put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14).  I will never be sorry I did.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can stop resisting and start cooperating with Jesus.

How am I defiant to God?

When do I resist His advances, balking at His desire to come closer?