Message
Years ago, somewhere in Western Nigeria, there was a man who had become wealthy through evil means. However, God showed Him mercy by sending a preacher to tell him the Good News. The preacher told him that Jesus had paid for all his sins, regardless of how terrible they were, but the man refused the offer of salvation. He told the preacher, "Thank you; I've heard everything you said. My children can follow Jesus. As for me, it's too late." The preacher replied, "As long as you are still breathing, it's not too late." He, however, refused to be convinced, saying that he had spent most of his life with the devil and would like to end it with him. Unfortunately, he died a few weeks later, and in death, it is too late to repent. God offered him mercy, but he rejected it. If you are yet to surrender your life to Jesus, God is offering you mercy today; please do not refuse it.
In today's Bible reading, a rich young ruler came to Jesus because he knew that something was missing in his life. Apart from being rich, he also had a prominent position in society, yet he felt dissatisfied with his life. He wanted eternal life, so he came to Jesus with a simple but profound question, "What can I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 18:18). When Jesus told him that it was not enough to keep God's commandments and that he needed to let go of the idol in his life by selling all he had to follow Him, the man returned home sorrowful. Divine mercy was offered to him, but he refused to accept it because his riches mattered more to him than eternal life. God's mercy is new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), but He will never force anyone to accept it; it is a choice that everyone must make for themselves. Unfortunately, some people say that they will repent later. This is a dangerous position to take because no one knows the exact time Jesus will return (Luke 12:40), and as we see in Luke 12:20, God can demand their souls at any time.
Beloved, if you are still living in sin, I invite you today to call upon God while He can still be found; don't wait until it is impossible to do so (Isaiah 55:6). No matter how terrible your past has been, He is telling you today that He will wash them away and make you whiter than snow (Isaiah 1:18). Let Jesus into your heart today (Revelation 3:20) before it is too late.