Earlier this week I received a phone call asking me to pray for a man who went into cardiac arrest and was brain dead, that the Lord would raise him up again. You know me, I’m bold as a lion when it comes to praying for the sick, because Jesus told His disciples (and I’m one of them), “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give….” I’m one of those disciples of Jesus who take Him literally at His word, and strive to fulfill His commands. But I heard something in the spirit that I had never heard before when preparing to pray for one such as this: Judgment is set… So I took the time to inquire of the Lord what this meant in comparison to His instructions to heal the sick, raise the dead, etc. At that time I heard some more; This man rejected Me his whole life, and if I raise him, nothing will change, he will continue rejecting me. I have not set his judgment, HE HAS. Well, anyway, I called the family and prayed in faith for God to raise him up again, for I know God is a merciful and loving God, and His over-arching purpose is simply this: He is not willing that any perish, but all come to repentance. So I started out by reminding God of His mercy, His purpose, and His love. Remember when Jonah was sent to Nineveh to pronounce judgment and destruction on them? Because they repented, God withheld judgment for 150 years and did not destroy them. Why? Because He is merciful. So I know when the chips are down, to plead for the mercy of God. Well, I pleaded for His mercy for this man, but still I heard, Judgment is set.

Did that mean God did not want to show him mercy? NOOOOOOOOO! God showed him mercy by providing His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear the cross as payment for this man’s sins. Problem is, that man rejected the only salvation he would ever have opportunity to receive. How much more mercy could God have shown? Could He save him against his will, and still be the loving God who gives us free will? No. Can we blame God for a lost soul? No. All I could do was tell his widow, I’m sorry he chose to reject God all his life, but it’s not too late for you. The same sacrifice given by the Lord Jesus to pay for your sins still stands offered to you today. Will you also reject Him and die in your sins?  

The Bible clearly states, Today is the day of Salvation. Today if you will not harden your hearts, you can be saved. 1 Corinthians 6:2 states, “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” and Psalm 95:7-11, “For His is our GOD; and we are His people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: when your fathers tempted Me, and proved me, and saw my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, it is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: unto whom I swore in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.”

You see, it’s not about God’s choice, but YOUR choice. When we choose to reject God’s way, we set our own judgment. His choice is for us to be saved, and He even provided the payment in full. But the final choice rests with us. It’s not too late to choose life if you’re among the living. And of course, if you’re not among the living, you’re not reading this anyway.
Why am I making this plea? Because, just in case you aren’t saved, I’m telling you right now, you never know how close you are to eternity. I’m sure that if this man I wrote about knew he only had ten more seconds to live, he would have cried out to God for mercy, and God would have instantly granted that mercy and saved him. But he didn’t. Death sneaked up on him unannounced and took him away in his sins. I pray he did not die in vain. Let his death serve to urge you to make sure your life is right with God, right now, while you still can.

Then again, perhaps you’re one who is in a “backslidden” condition. You can’t change the past, but you can change your future. What do you do? “Slide back”. Return to God who loves you. He is quick to forgive. It’s not too late. Do it NOW!