The Heaton File

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)

Twenty-Six Days

It is hard to picture life as a vapor. The scriptures say that life is a vapor. From ancient times, the people of God understood the brevity of life as but a vapor. David said that life is as handbreadths, and his age before the Almighty was nothing. At best, every man is but vapor (Psalm 39). David further illustrates that life is like the destruction of a moth that consumes or destroys priceless possessions. Life appears for a little time, but then it goes away, vanishing into the midst of eternity. Everyone has an appointment with death. No one can escape the sting of death.

Moses saw the brevity of life as days to be counted. He appealed to God to teach him how to number his days to gain wisdom. Moses lived to be 120 years of age with his strength not abated and his eyesight clear, but he still died. Methusaleh is recorded as having lived 969 years and died. Tombstones bear the testimony of age with a day of birth and a day of death. The question is not how long a person lives but how many days they have left on earth. James’s appeal to remind the saints of life as a vapor was to show how short a time everyone has before eternity begins.

In a brief moment of time, my son went from a vibrant forty-year-old preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to being carried by angels twenty-six days later to the bosom of Abraham. It was sudden. There was no warning. Everything that could be done was done without success. Thousands of voices lifted prayers for his health. Hundreds of churches carried his name before the Father. He told his mother, “God said no.” His death was peaceful. He only had twenty-six days left. No one knew the time. He preached a final sermon and two days later joined the heavenly cloud. Twenty-six days.

Death is not measured by a calendar. Very few people know when they will die. The irony of life is that death is certain, and yet the world lives as if there is no death. Everything is focused on the day-to-day toiling after the things of the world, recreation, pleasures, plans, and future. No one thinks they will die. And then a tragedy strikes, a diagnosis is made, and life comes to an end. Plans made for today and hopes for tomorrow vanish. All the expectations of life to do this and go there and accomplish this and see that – ends in a last breath. The lesson God tries to show the world is that no one knows what will happen tomorrow. Life is nothing but a mist, a thin vapor that appears for a little time – and – then – vanishes – away.

How would you spend your final moments if you knew you had only twenty-six days left to live? Everritt spent his days glorifying God with trepidation and hope. He has vanished from sight into a world of eternal glory that is beyond description. The vapor of his life is gone, but the joy of his hope is fulfilled. For the living, the lesson must be driven home that all will die, and few know when and how long their time on earth remains. But never doubt the reality of death. The old must die, but the young can die. Jesus did not take death away, but He answered death by bringing life to the world through His blood. Death brings grief and sadness. Eternal life brings hope and joy – and it never ends.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:47-50)

The Divine Dragnet

Jesus taught in parables, using worldly stories to convey divine lessons. Many common, everyday occurrences became teaching platforms that Jesus would weave into divine applications. The purpose of parables sought to strike the hearts of those seeking truth. Many heard His parables, but because of their hard hearts, they went away without understanding the meaning. No parable could be as clear as the story of the dragnet.

A fishing dragnet is a large net used to catch large quantities of fish. It is typically dragged through the water, allowing the net to trap fish in its mesh. Fishermen like Peter, Andrew, James, and John used this technique to fish the waters of Galilee. After Jesus arose from the dead, He found His apostles fishing and told them to cast their net on the right side of the boat. The catch was so large they had difficulty drawing it into the boat. John said there were 153 fish caught in the net. Dragnet fishing is an efficient way to catch fish, but it can also lead to unintended catches. The fishermen dragged their net to the shore and sifted through their catch, throwing the undesirables back into the water.

Using the backdrop of a common picture of New Testament fishing, Jesus explains the last day or the judgment day. The kingdom of God is like a man who fishes with a dragnet. A day will come when God brings the world to an end. Angels will come forth, where the wicked will be separated from the righteous. All men will be gathered before the Lord. No one will be left out or escape the judgment of God. There will be a great division where most of the generations of people will be cast into the furnace of fire for refusing to acknowledge God and obey Him. Those who share in the covenant of Christ, cleansed by His blood, will enter the portals of eternal life to dwell with God forever.

The parable of the dragnet is not a myth. As certain as death is the certainty of the judgment. At the end of the world, all men will stand before a righteous and loving God who will execute His judgment according to His righteousness. Jesus taught that most people will be lost. How sad those words. Knowing the judgment of the Lord should lead men to accept His will and obey Him. The final great division is permanent. No one cast into the lake of fire can escape. Those in the presence of God will glorify Him in the eternal ages. There is a great division coming. The question remains whether one will be thrown aside or embraced forever.

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

He Is Made Like Us

The sacrifice of Jesus was deity becoming flesh to experience every aspect of the human story. It is impossible to fathom how great a sacrifice Jesus made when He submitted to the will of His Father to become one of His creations. Man was made a little lower than the angels, and Jesus would become a man made in His own image, a creation lower than the angels who served Him. He was conceived in the womb of a woman to grow for nine months in the order of creation. As a small baby, Jesus would be totally dependent upon His earthly parents to care for Him and protect Him. They would teach Him how to read and write.

Jesus would learn to walk, chew His food, and help in Joseph’s workshop. The word of God was read to Him. This was the same word He inspired many generations before. Joseph and Mary told Jesus about the creation and the terrible flood that destroyed the world in the days of Noah. Jesus would learn the story of Moses and the history of the Hebrews through the teachings of the word. At the age of twelve, Jesus amazed the teachers at the Temple with His perception and inquisitive mind of the Law. Luke shows that Jesus was subject to His parents, growing in favor with men and God.

The life of Jesus was not unlike that of all those in Nazareth. He spent many hours in carpentry work like Joseph. Mary had four other sons and at least two daughters, who would be Jesus’s half-siblings. Seven children grew up together in the city of Nazareth. A family united in the love of God and keeping of the Law of Moses. Jesus was like His brethren in every way but one. The oldest son of Joseph and Mary never sinned. There was never an occasion where He broke any of the laws contained in the Law of Moses. He endured the temptations of the flesh and the eyes and faced the pride of life, but He never wavered.

Luke records that Jesus was thirty years old when He began His ministry. The gospel writer emphasizes that Jesus was like His brethren. How can a deity be thirty years of age? Jesus was before time began and is everlasting. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Yet He spent thirty years on earth like His brethren and died three years later on a cross outside Jerusalem. Every part of Jesus’ ministry revealed His nature as a man. He grew weary, thirsty, hungry, and on occasion expressed anger at the heart of the rebellious people. In all this, He never sinned. The highlight of His experience to be made like His brethren was the scourging and crucifixion. He felt every part of the human story. The soldiers offered Jesus medicine to dull the pain, and He refused. His desire was to be made like His brethren and suffer in every way like His brethren.

There is joy and comfort to know that Jesus willingly became like His brethren that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. The hope of eternal life is anchored in the love Jesus had to be like His creation. As a High Priest, Jesus knows and understands the plight of man and shows mercy and love for the frailties of the challenges of life. His faithfulness is the beacon of light in a dark world, giving hope that death is only a sleep between this world and eternal rest. His death is how He propitiates the sins of all humanity through His blood. Everyone who comes to God can know that Jesus died for them because He became one of them. What joy. Thank God for Jesus to be like His brethren.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)

That You May Know

Man is a fallen creature. Everything about his nature is defined by sin. The magnitude of the life of Jesus was that He came in the flesh and lived without sin. His dedication to the will of the Father is unmatched, as the sinless perfection of His life paid the debt for sinful man. Faith gives assurance of God’s grace, but men struggle with understanding how a loving and great God could and will forgive sin. Often, the magnitude of sin overwhelms the mind of the humble heart to accept the hope that God would save such a sinful creature. What makes the human story so difficult is that the nature of sin continues throughout life. It’s not a matter of a few sins, but the multiplicity of sins, even when the Spirit seeks strength not to sin. How can God forgive sinful man? The answer is found in Jesus Christ.

John was one of the dearest friends of the Son of God. He shared a relationship with the Lord that allowed him to be in the inner circle of Jesus’ life. Of all the apostles, he alone died of natural causes. His gospel declares the glory of the divinity of Jesus, and his epistles unfold the love of God found in Jesus Christ. John was a sinful creature, like all men, yet he wrote about what the child of God can know. This knowledge was not a maybe, per chance, or perhaps. John was affirming the hope that should dwell in every Christian: that eternal life is not a chance promise but a blessed assurance.

Jesus told the woman at the well that God must be worshipped in Spirit and truth. The church has done a fair job of establishing the need for truth and accuracy of the word of God. What the church has lacked so often is the teaching of the Spirit of God. While the religious world lacks the teaching of truth and embraces the Spirit, the church lacks the Spirit while establishing the truth. Too many Christians go through life hoping that they will go to Heaven when they die. They doubt their salvation. Fear lingers in the mind of whether God would save them.

The Holy Spirit declared that the promise of God is clear, demonstrative, and real. There is no condemnation to those in Christ who walk according to the Spirit. Those who believe in the name of the Son of God have life. They can know they have eternal life. This knowledge is a promise God has made. God cannot lie. Why would the child of God doubt the word of his heavenly Father? There must be a renewal of the Spirit of God within the hearts of God’s people and the teaching of the church to give the church family the promised hope of eternal life. The caveat of obedience is accepted, and one must continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. But let every child of God know that if they walk in the light and share the covenant of blood with the Son of God, they can know they have eternal life.

Paul said he had a crown waiting for him. He looked forward to eternal life. The Holy Spirit did not give that promise only to Paul. He gave it to all who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. No one is perfect, or the sacrifice of Jesus would have been useless. All men are sinners. This is why Jesus died. Those sinners who obey the gospel of Christ are saved. He that believeth and is baptized is not maybe saved – they are saved. Everyone who names the name of Jesus can know – believe – cherish – acknowledge they are saved, and eternal life is there. Know eternal life. Embrace the grace of God and accept His divine mercy. Praise God for eternal hope.

There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5)

Death At The Tower

The Bible is filled with stories without a background to explain their origins. Jesus tells two stories without historical references. Luke mentions the Galileans whom Pilate murdered while they were making sacrifices. Nothing in scripture or history explains the story, but those to whom Jesus is speaking know it. Jesus also mentions eighteen people who were killed when a tower in Siloam fell on them. This event is also silent in scripture and history. In the context of Jesus telling those present at that time, the tragedy at Siloam was an event in recent history they could relate to and understand.

Jesus explains to those present that those whom Herod killed were not killed because they were sinners. They may have been evil people engaged in idolatrous worship, but the fact that Herod slaughtered them was not because they were sinners. Why did the tower at Siloam fall? Nothing is said. Sadly, eighteen people were killed. Were these people killed because they were worse sinners than others? The question is whether the tragic death of the Galileans or those killed by the tower was caused by their deserved it through the agency of sin. The answer is no. Jesus is teaching the need for repentance from sin as a result of individual choice. Everyone suffers the consequences of sin, but men are not born blind because of the sins of their parents, nor are they killed for being the worst sinners in the world.

Every day, righteous people die tragically. Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, fire, earthquakes, and accidents kill thousands of people every day, whether they are good people or evil. Many evil and wicked people live wicked lives for many, many years without any apparent consequences for their lifestyle. Why do bad things happen to good people? The same reason good things happen to evil people. The world is filled with the tragedy of disease, accidents, and death because the world is a fallen place. Jesus came to save souls. He did not take away tears, sorrow, or death. In the past two thousand years, disease killed millions, wars massacred millions upon millions, and death has taken every generation in the billions.

Life is not about the here and now but the world to come. The greatest challenge the world faces is accepting the reality that life has nothing to do with what is experienced now. Jeremy Taylor correctly observed that life is short and yet upon this short life eternity depends. Life is filled with tragedy. God sent His Son to prepare the world for eternity, where there is no tragedy. The world is filled with sorrow. Jesus died to show the world that the answer to sorrow is eternal life with His Father. God will wipe away tears, but that will not be fully realized until after death. Sorrow and death are experienced in this life, but through the grace of God, the heart can find peace and solace.

Why do people get sick and die? The world is a fallen place. It is appointed for all men to die, and many die earlier in the day than others. That becomes hard to understand, but their death is not because they are worse sinners. They live in a world that has fallen through the consequence of sin. The joy of Jesus Christ is finding a path of light in a world of darkness, knowing there is hope in sorrow, joy in tears, and eternal life in Jesus Christ.

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)

Everyone Needs The Gospel

Jesus entrusted the preaching of the gospel to twelve men, who, on the Day of Pentecost, would change the world. After He arose from the dead, Jesus spent forty days with the eleven, teaching them about the kingdom. The most pivotal moment in the history of the world was laid on the shoulders of the apostles to take the gospel to the whole world and to every human being to hear the eternal plan of salvation. Jesus did not die for a chosen few. The Son of God was not sent to the world to save only the Jews or only the Gentiles. His mission was to embrace people of every nation and touch every heart with the good news of God’s redeeming grace.

God is not a respecter of persons. He created all men in His image as divine beings. Adam and Eve had no nationality. They spoke one language, as did the whole world. As the world was populated, there were tall people and short people. Some were skinny, and some were not. Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a farmer. Jabal was skilled in making tents, and his brother Jubal liked music. God expected all men to believe in Him. After the tower of Babel, the world became a place of nations with different tongues. The good news of God’s grace spread throughout the world in different tongues. Everyone needed the message of God. Noah and his family believed in God when the rest of the world did not. Abraham and Sarah served the one true God.

From the beginning of time, God has expected all men to serve Him in the same manner. The law of God has remained unchanged in principle. God’s law for Adam and Eve was obedience. Cain and Abel were expected to worship in spirit and truth. Cain refused. The world of Noah plunged into wickedness because they refused to listen to God. When the Lord established the nation of Israel, He did not reject the Gentiles. The Law of Moses was given only to the Jews, but the rest of the world (Gentiles) were expected to obey God’s will. Jonah preached to the city of Nineveh, demanding repentance. The inhabitants of Nineveh were Gentiles, and they heeded the preaching of Jonah. When God spared the city of Nineveh, Jonah was angry because he refused to accept God’s grace toward the Ninevites. He failed to understand that everyone needed the news of salvation, including the people of Nineveh.

Jesus brought the gospel of salvation to the whole world, uniting Jews and Gentiles under the banner of God’s grace through the blood of Jesus. When the Lord sent out the apostles into the whole world, He did not want them to decide who could hear the gospel and who could not. Three thousand devout Jews obeyed the gospel on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit goes to great lengths in the book of Acts to remind readers that men and women obeyed the gospel. A man from Ethiopia needed the gospel, as did a Roman centurion and a Philippian jailor. Educated men and women and those not so learned obeyed the gospel. Wealthy and influential men and women obeyed the gospel. The poor heard the gospel and obeyed.

Everyone needs the gospel because all men are created in the image of God. The plan of salvation is to save all men. There is no respecter of persons with the gospel. The heart of a hardened sinner who has lived a tumultuous life of sin can receive the grace of God. Paul wrote about people who, at one time, were fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, drunkards; who obeyed the gospel and were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel saves all who repent and are washed in the water of baptism to wash away their sins. God loves all men and desires for none to be lost. The gospel is for the whole world. Praise God.

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. (Acts 12:1-3)

Why James?

Luke does not elaborate on the death of James, but it had an impact on the family and friends of James. Sons of Zebedee, James and his brother John, were fishermen called by the Lord early in His ministry. They were also business partners with Peter and Andrew, who were fishermen in the region of the Sea of Galilee. Chosen by the Lord to be an apostle, James became part of Jesus’ inner circle. Peter, James, and John accompanied Jesus to the mountain where the Lord was transfigured. At the healing of Jairus’s daughter, only Peter, James, and John were permitted to go in with Jesus. The Lord had private meetings with the three apostles. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, He allowed only Peter, James, and John to join Him.

Nothing is said about James in the beginning of Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles. He is mentioned with the eleven when Matthias is chosen. Then he is mentioned as the one Herod chooses to inflict harm upon the church. King Herod wanted to harass and persecute the early church because he knew it would please the Jews. It is unclear why he chose James, but he seemed to believe James was influential enough to impact the church. Peter was not the first choice. Herod wanted to afflict the church in a big way by choosing James.

Luke records that Herod killed James with the sword (beheaded). Herod arrests Peter and places him in prison guarded by sixteen elite soldiers. He intended to follow the same pattern with Peter and kill him with the sword. However, because of the Passover, Herod chose to wait before killing Peter. While Peter was imprisoned, the church prayed constantly for him. After Peter is released from prison by an angel of the Lord, the apostle finds himself at the home of Mary, the mother of John. Many were gathered, seeking the Lord’s petitions to save Peter from certain death. Peter was delivered, but James was not.

Why was Peter spared and James killed? The scriptures do not tell. There is little doubt that, when James was arrested, his family and the church felt great concern. The church prayed that James be delivered, but he was not. Realizing Herod’s intention, the church prayed fervently for Peter’s release. He was released. Seeking the answers to why God allowed James to die and why Peter was spared exceeds the wisdom and knowledge of man. Understanding why a righteous man like James was killed so early in the ministry of the church comes without answers. Peter did a lot of for the kingdom of God. The remainder of Luke’s Acts of the Apostles focuses on the ministry of Paul. James had an important role in the foundation of the church, and his death highlights the cruelty of man against man. Was it possible for God to deliver James? The only answer is a resounding “yes,” but it was not in the will of the Lord.

God has a greater plan unknown to men. When men try to understand the workings of the Lord God, they tread on ground that is holier than they can manage. The will of God is unknown to the mind of man. How He decides to have His will accomplished is not a matter of debate among His children, because no one can fully grasp the full picture of God’s will and determination for humanity. James died at the hands of a cruel and evil man. The gospel of Christ did not change Herod, nor did it keep righteous people (like Stephen) from being killed. Thousand died in the early church. Why someone dies and why someone lives are not important questions. What must be understood is how the glory of God is manifested in the lives of God’s children.

The family of James grieved his passing. They sought answers, but none were found. The human emotion of grief filled their hearts. What kept the faithful strong in the Lord was their faith in an Almighty God who knows and cares for all His children. How God manifests His work in the affairs of men is reserved for the heavenly sphere where God dwells. The mind of God is far above the mind of men. His will is always for His glory, and sometimes that glory brings grief to a family. It must always be remembered that the heart of the Christian dwells in the eternal comfort of God’s love, and that one day everyone will pass through the valley of death to their eternal home. Live in such a manner that death is nothing more than a brief sleep before the day of resurrection.

My apologies for the lack of posts over the past few weeks. Our son is in the hospital battling cancer, and we have been overwhelmed with caring for him. As time permits, the blog will return with articles. Thank for your kind encouragement and prayers.

kent

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. (Colossians 3:8)

Sins Of The Tongue

Some parts of scripture are difficult to digest and hard to understand. These studies require more diligence to glean the Holy Spirit’s meaning and purpose for the text. Many passages are crystal clear in their meanings. It does not require a Greek scholar to erudite a meaning or pontificate a principle. When the Holy Spirit tells the Christian to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy language, the meaning is as clear as the divine mandate demands. Trying to excuse the text only means the unwilling heart refuses to accept the teaching of the Lord and remove sin from the heart.

Anger is one letter short of danger because it always comes with its own set of problems. Words spoken in anger do not encourage, exhort, or enlist feelings of fondness. Anger allowed to boil becomes sin. Paul reminded the Ephesian church not to let the sun go down on their anger. There is a boiling point at which righteous indignation becomes sinful anger. The emotion of anger has destroyed relationships, marriages, and friendships and has brought irreparable harm to others. Uncontrolled anger is a sin. There is no excuse. It cannot be assumed that God approves of anger as a means of communication. Jesus became angry, but His anger was directed toward righteous indignation over sinful behavior. He never allowed anger to become sin. The Christian is not to be known as a person of anger. Getting angry at another motorist does not fit the mold of a child of the Holy God. Anger leading to shouting and screaming is not a holy relationship. The Holy Spirit demanded that anger be removed from the life of the Christian.

Wrath is similar to anger but more intense. It becomes a passionate spirit of fierce anger and indignation. When a person goes into a rage, they become filled with wrath. Jesus got angry, but He never experienced wrath. What value is there when a child of God exhibits wrath? Where is the glory of God when the emotions boil over into words of wrath and exhibitions of violent behavior? This has no place in the life of the Christian. The Holy Spirit condemns the wrathful spirit and labels it a sin.

Malice is an outgrowth of anger and wrath. It becomes an extension of uncontrolled anger leading to wrath. The behavior of the malicious heart is one filled with the desire to brood over slights and find ways to bring revenge on another. It is an insidious way to hurt others. The poison of a malicious heart gossips to destroy, maligns to discredit, and hopes for evil to come upon another. Blasphemy is when an evil heart reviles and speaks evil of others to destroy them. There is the obvious use of blasphemy against God, but in this text, Paul means how the hearts of men spew out poisonous lies about others. It is sinful to speak evil of dignitaries and those in positions of authority. God does not accept the heart that is filled with blasphemy, whether against Him or those He created.

The final admonition from Paul speaks generally of anything untoward in the language of the Christian. Filthy language or a foul mouth is not part of the Christian character. Cussing is unacceptable. Using crude language is sinful. Lewd jokes, indecent stories, and unseasoned speech meant to incite passions are sinful. The world must see and hear the voice of the Christian as one whose speech is seasoned with the salt of God’s grace. To speak otherwise is not just unwise but unholy. The admonition of the Holy Spirit is to warn against those things that will jeopardize the soul’s salvation. Warnings against idle speech are given to mold the character of the Christian to be an example of holiness in a world filled with perverse language. The filthy rags of unkept speech should not be part of the clothing of holiness worn by the child of God.

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16)

No Hesitation

The spirit of acceptance has always characterized obedience to God’s will without hesitation. When Ananias came to Saul of Tarsus, his message was for the persecutor to accept the will of God in his life and obey the Lord’s commands. It was a remarkable change for the man who violently challenged the early church, dragging men and women to prison, compelling saints to deny Jesus, and casting his vote for those condemned to die. Ananias exhorted Saul not to wait, but arise and be baptized, washing away his sins. Calling on the name of the Lord demands action. Saul responded immediately because his heart did not challenge the word of the Lord. There was no time to argue or fuss over whether baptism was necessary. Saul obeyed without hesitation.

Obedience to the word of the Lord demands acceptance without hesitation. God told Abraham to leave his country for a place unknown. Abraham obeyed immediately. When the son of promise was born to Abraham and Sarah, God tested Abraham, telling him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that the Lord would show him. Abraham rose early in the morning and set out on the three-day journey to the place where he would offer his son. There was no hesitation as Abraham came to the place that God had told him about and built an altar to sacrifice his only beloved son. Without hesitation, Abraham took a knife to slay his son, but the Angel of the Lord stopped him. Abraham obeyed in faith believing the word of the Lord without doubting.

Goliath confounded the army of Israel for more than forty days. No man dared fight him as he was the champion of the Philistines. All the mighty men of Israel were fearful of the giant. King Saul was dismayed and greatly afraid of Goliath. The army of God could do nothing but cower in their tents. It was David who immediately stepped into the valley of Elah to face the giant. There was no hesitation on David’s part to face the giant because the Philistine dared defy the people of the Lord. With the courage of faith and the resilience of trust in God, the young shepherd faced Goliath and killed him. There was no hesitation on his part to do the will of the Lord.

On the Day of Pentecost, Jerusalem was filled with devout Jews from every nation. The Holy Spirit came upon the twelve apostles to declare the good news of the resurrected Christ. Peter showed how Jesus of Nazareth was the long-promised Messiah who would take away the sins of the world. The Jews had crucified Jesus, but God made Him Lord and Christ. When the crowd heard the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, they were pricked in their hearts and begged Peter to tell them what to do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. The gift of the Holy Spirit would be given to them as a promise from the heavenly Father.

There was no hesitation on the part of three thousand Jews who immediately obeyed the gospel. They did not argue that faith alone saves or that grace saves them apart from baptism. Three thousand devout Jews immediately obeyed the word of the Lord. The examples of conversion in the book of Acts show the same kind of urgency. There were no debates, arguments, or long discussions. The Ethiopian eunuch responded, “Here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?” Hearts opened to the word of God do not argue with God. Ananias told Saul not to wait, and the man from Tarsus did not wait. Why do you wait?