If only you knew . . .It’s never too late

After a talk when the Christian gospel had been explained a middle aged man came up to the speaker and said,

“There is no point in telling people like me the Christian message as I am well past that point. If you knew the things I’ve done in my life you would understand.”

Another woman wrote saying something similar,

“God will never be able to forgive me for the sort of things I’ve done.”

For people to talk like that is to show they have totally misunderstand the Christian message. Jesus came for just such people.

God, who has revealed himself in Jesus, longs for the salvation of all people. Paul wrote ,

“ . . . God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men.” 1 Timothy 2:4-5

The prophet Ezekiel explained the gracious nature of God, saying,

“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their wicked ways and live?” Ezekiel 18:23

God is saying that no-one need be hopeless. There was a group of prostitutes in Hong Kong who were interested in the Christian message and went along to a local church. One of them got talking to the minister and explained that they could never change because of their poverty and social situation. However hard the minister tried to explain that forgiveness and power were available to all, this group of girls just could not believe it. Then one day a visiting speaker came to that church. His appeal was very different. He explained that God had chosen some bad people to become his in order to demonstrate his power. He illustrated this by reviewing the sort of people God had chosen in the past.

1. Jacob – a deceitful dishonest man who cheated his brother Esau of his birthright and lied to his father, Isaac to gain his blessing, yet God chose him to be changed, he became Israel and the father of the children of Israel.

2. Joseph – an arrogant self-centred young man who God chose to take out of prison to lead Egypt and save his brothers and their family although they had rejected him and wanted to kill him.

3. Judah – a promiscuous man (Genesis 38) yet he became the ancestor of King David and of Jesus.

4. Gideon – a doubting apprehensive young man who God chose to free his people from the Midianites.

5. Abimeleh – an outlaw and murderer of his seventy brothers but God chose him to become one of the Judges to lead his people.

6. Jepthah – his mother was a prostitute who was exiled by his brothers and became and outlaw who God chose to lead his people.

7. Samson - a headstrong promiscuous bully, but God chose him to lead his people.

8. Paul - a murder and persecutor of the early Church, but god chose him to become one of the most effective church leaders.

Jonah

Jonah was told by God to explain to people in that evil city of Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, that God knows what they are like and will destroy them if they do not repent and follow him. Jonah was aghast at this idea and decided to take a trip to Spain instead! He was a believer but not a follower! God intervened and Jonah recognised that doing what God wants is the best thing anyone can do. He then went to Nineveh, told them God’s message, and was amazed and even irritated when they responded and turned to God.

Jonah was like many Christians today who think that they are upright, alright and safe but refuse to pass on God’s message to others. They think that those others are not the right sort for God! How easy it is to misunderstand what God is like. Jonah didn’t think the Ninevites should ever be acceptable to God so he didn’t want to tell them about the God of grace.

“But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. He prayed to the LORD, ‘O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’” Jonah 4:1-2

The Bible emphasises that God is more concerned for the prodigal than for the nice comfortable moral older brother who stays at home but is ungracious and disobedient. Could this be one reason why many churches are not being blessed by God today? Jonah came to realise that:

“Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.” Jonah 2:8

Our forms of religion, even if based on orthodox theology, can be our ‘worthless idols’

It is likely that the prophet Ezekiel understood the message of the book of Jonah,

“When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to try and dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.” Ezekiel 33:8-9 and 3:18-19

The preacher finished his short talk by saying,

“If God is calling you, you will know it because you are drawn to him and deep down you want to start again with God. He has chosen you. Whatever your past please do not turn your back on the one person who loves you so much and has chosen you to be one of his people.”

The apostle Paul said later in his life,

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15

He recognised the truth of this from his own experience. Why did God choose such a despicable man as Paul?

“But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:16

It was this understanding that caused the Hong Kong prostitute to ask Jesus into her life, to ask him to forgive all that she had done wrong, and to empower her to live as one of his people. The miracle is that she became a godly woman as well as an influential team member in her local church.

God knows all about us, no-one is too bad and it is never too late, not even for that thief on the cross. Jesus still longs to welcome us back into his kingdom so we can enjoy his friendship for eternity.

BVP

October 2022