The Right Time is NOW
“For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.”
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)
I saw a bumper sticker one day that reminded me of this verse in 2 Corinthians 6:2, stressing the immediacy of the moment in making a decision for Jesus. It read: “He who waits until the midnight hour to repent usually dies at 11:30!”
Another way of saying that is - “Hell is paved with good intentions.” One of the devil’s foremost deceptions is to convince us that we can put off our good intentions to trust Christ. For most of us, he knows that denying the existence of a loving God is too much. So, he comes with subtle affirmation that we need to receive Christ as our Savior sometime, just not right now. Now is not a good time. If we listen to his lie, we lose the gift God offers today, the gift of knowing Him and experiencing His love and forgiveness. Sound familiar?
After three years of ministry in the city of Corinth the Apostle Paul was concerned that there were many who professed the grace of God but failed to really possess it. In 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (NLT) he writes, “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.”
This is the gift of one day – today. Today is the day of salvation. The right time is now. Paul was urging them not to ignore the grace of God offered to them right now. The immediacy of the moment is echoed in Isaiah 55:6 (NLT) as well, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.” The clear assumption here is that we may not have tomorrow. Yet, when we do rack up enough tomorrows, we are lulled to sleep. We neglect the grace that God offers today and soon our hearts become hardened until we ignore His offer altogether. How tragic!
If this describes the subtle influence the enemy of your soul has had on you, I have some good news. You can change that, but you must do it now. Don’t put off for another moment what you know you need to do right now. Open your heart to Christ and receive His grace. Today really is the day of salvation when you say Yes to Christ. The right time to receive Him is now. From your heart say, “Thank You loving Lord Jesus for giving Your life for me on the cross. I turn from my sin and receive Your grace to save me and forgive me. Thank You for this blessed salvation I receive today.” In Jesus name, Amen!
I want to celebrate that decision with you at our Winter Baptism this weekend at Woodlands Church. Baptism is a simple step of obedience that shows on the outside the significance of the commitment you’ve made in your heart to Christ. It’s a picture of your identification with His death, burial, and resurrection. You can register online to attend. Baptisms will follow each of our services on every campus. I hope to see you this weekend!