Come, Do Not Delay

"How do you know if you feel your misery enough to be saved?" I'm sitting diagonally across from my friend in my living room as we discuss salvation and am suddenly reminded of the scriptures God had directed me to several years ago regarding this topic. 

"Hold on a second! I can try explain it to you, but God's Word is so much more powerful and I know I have a whole list of scriptures of who can come to Christ that I posted on my blog awhile back."

I reach for my phone and quickly scan the archives. Sure enough it doesn't take long for me to find the one I'm looking for and I spend the next little while sharing the truths with her.

Come

November 18, 2014

Port au Prince, Haiti

As I lay in bed last night all these verses were pieced together in my heart. This morning they were still there, so in the grayness of early dawn I slipped out of my bed and wrote them down. 

Who can come to Jesus for salvation?
Well, are you a child? Or do you feel burdened? Or do you thirst for righteousness? Do you have nothing to bring? Are your sins like scarlet? Or do you simply want to come? The Bible says you may. Jesus says 'Come'. This is the glorious gospel. The good news; Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Isaiah 55:1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 

Revelations 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

John 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
                                                                                                                                                                     

"So the Bible doesn't talk about a certain level of understanding of your misery or lost condition that needs to be reached before you can come to Christ." I tell my friend now.

Charles Surgeon explains in this way:

"If I start up in a fright, and find my house on fire, I do not sit down at the edge of the bed, and say to myself, "I hope I am truly awakened! Indeed, I am deeply grateful that I am not left to sleep on!" No, I want to escape from threatened death, and so I hasten to the door or to the window, that I may get out, and may not perish where I am. It would be a questionable boon to be aroused, and yet not to escape from the danger."

"Our awakenings are not to help the Saviour, but to help us to the Saviour"

"Are you willing to remain an awakened one, and nothing more? Are you not eager to be at once forgiven? If you would tarry in anguish and dread, surely you, too, must be a little out of your mind! If peace is to be had, have it at once! Why tarry in the darkness of the pit, wherein your feet may sink in the miry clay? There is light to be had; marvellous and heavenly; why lie in gloom and die in anguish? You do not know how near salvation is to you."

"It is not what you feel that will save you, but what Jesus felt. Even if there were some healing value in feelings, they would have to be good ones; and the feeling which makes us doubt the power of Christ to save, and prevents our finding salvation in him, is by no means a good one,  but a cruel wrong to the love of Jesus. "
(Around the Wicket Gate, Charles Spurgeon)

A child may have very little understanding of how truly lost they are without Christ, but still Jesus tells them to come. Your sins may be horrendous, but still He tells you to come. You may be hungering and thirsting for righteousness, as you struggle with your failures and shortcomings, and so He calls to you to come to Him. Your life may be full of burdens and struggles to great for you to bear or you may simply have the desire to come. Either way, don't delay, "Come, Come," He says "and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37)

"To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation." (Hebrews 3:15b)