Now Is The Accepted Time To Be SavedThe apostle Paul wrote: ". . . behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). There is no better time to obey the Gospel and receive the forgiveness of sins than NOW. It is impossible today to do anything yesterday, for that day is gone and will not come again. Further, it is too dangerous to put off salvation until some future day; none of us can be certain that we will live beyond the present moment. "Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that" (James 4:13-15).Now is the accepted time to be saved because all men have sinned. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). Now is the accepted time to be saved because it is possible to receive the forgiveness of sins. The Gospel message in the New Testament tells how to be saved: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). Summarized, the Gospel reveals: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved . . ." (Mark 16:16). Now is the accepted time to be saved because when life is over it is too late to be saved. The account of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 teaches that souls cannot change their eternal destinations after death. The rich man in this passage very much wanted to be saved and even more hoped his family would save themselves before they died. Now is the accepted time to be saved, but, dear Reader, are you saved? You can be saved if you will: (1) Hear and (2) Believe the Word of God; "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). (3) Repent of sins; "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). (4) Profess Jesus as Christ; "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10). (5) Be baptized for the forgiveness of sins; ". . . Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . ." (Acts 2:38). (6) Be faithful until death; ". . . be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life" (Revelation 2:10). |