The time of mercy is running out—the precious time which was purchased for us by the precious blood of Jesus. Our time is a gift of God to us, which is given for one purpose only, and this one purpose is to secure eternal life for ourselves. The first chance we all have lost, and in His great love towards us, God, with supreme sacrifice, granted us a second chance. If we now take hold of this opportunity, we can be restored to the original condition and to eternal life.
“Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.
“The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342
In the time of Noah, God gave time and opportunity for everyone to save themselves from the flood. For one hundred and twenty years, Noah invited the people to come into the ark of safety. He gave them warnings of the coming destruction, but sadly people were not interested; they did not even believe the message of Noah.
Today the same thing is happening. Jesus said, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37–39
In the time of Noah, no one could say that they had no chance; the door was open to everyone.
Also today, every person in the world can have salvation, but how few accept it. Jeremiah writes, “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” Jeremiah 3:14. In the Bible, the word “family” includes a larger number of people than a city. It means a tribe, all related to one another.
Isaiah writes, “Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uttermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord God of Israel.” Isaiah 17:6
Many do not see the value of how we spend our time, even that our salvation depends on time only. When our time is over in this world, then also our chance for salvation is over forever.
Yet many do not see the value and purpose of the time that God has given them. There is a saying, that people want to kill time; and for that they use amusements, drugs, and alcohol.
Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 that time is given for everything. He writes “time” in the singular form, because there is only one time given to each person.
There is a time to be born and a time to die, and between these two things there is time to laugh, weep, and mourn; also a time to hate and a time to love. Also there is time for salvation, which billions of people are ignoring and neglecting.
If people would show love to each other, this would bring happiness to many lives. Children sadly look to their parent’s graves, regretting that they showed so little love to them when they were still alive. Also we have time to love God and to love His truth. Paul writes, “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:10. Many professing Christians go to churches, expecting salvation and eternal life, but the truth that they try to obey for that purpose, they do not love; therefore they perish in the end.
Jesus said, “Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.” John 12:35. Jesus, “and when He was come over He beheld the city, and wept over it. Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.” Luke 19:41–44
The time of God’s visitation is not the whole lifetime. The time of the Jewish people to be the church of God was over when they rejected Jesus. Any one among them who rejected Jesus committed the sin against the Holy Spirit, which is the unpardonable sin. One visit of a canvasser or missionary can seal the destiny of the people. Jesus said, “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.” Matthew 10:14–15
To reject to hear God’s messenger is a greater sin than the sin of Sodom and Gommorrha. Therefore Jesus said, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14
Job said, “For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.” Job 33:14
Every person in the world will hear the invitation to salvation, they also have time for it, but very few will accept it and save themselves. Many children of Christian parents delay their commitment to the future, and ignore the invitation of God and often they never reach salvation.
Our time is short, the door of mercy is closing, and one day all will be too late. Then millions of professing Christians will give a bitter cry, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” Jeremiah 8:20
Our short time is worth more than millions of dollars in money—should we waste it, kill it, or use it foolishly?
“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of “refreshing” and the “latter rain” to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation, therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God.” –Early Writings, p. 71
May the Lord help us to use this precious time wisely, and to fulfill the purpose of it. Not one of us needs to be lost; God’s mercy is so great. Then let us all take hold of it. Amen.
Timo Martin