I well remember the day when I was a little girl, I had a ride to school on the bar of my brother’s bicycle. It was hard work for him to pedal up the hill, but he did not let me off till we reached the top, where was the school corner. Here he let me jump off, and gave me a penny for my very own.
I went into Jerry’s candy store, and what a line-up of one cent candy I had to choose from! I can see them yet—black licorice sticks, white peppermints, jelly beans and gum drops. It was an important choice for a little girl, but I did not have much money and Mr. Jerry was not very patient with me.
“Here,” he said taking my penny and tossing me a package of peppermints which I had not chosen. I parted with my only penny for a big disappointment.
It seems to me, when I think of that day and the long glass case full of candy, that God sets before us only two choices—grace or judgment.
I came to that store with just one penny. In the same way I came before God with just my sins—my many, many sins. He offered me two choices —grace, free grace to pardon all my sins through the blood of Christ; or judgment, eternal punishment under the wrath of God if I refused His grace.
What has been your choice, dear reader? It does not seem like a difficult choice to make, does it? If I had to choose between candy or a spanking, it would not be hard at all. But when it is a question of your soul’s need, all the skill of Satan is at work to hide the truth and dress up the falsehood. He will tell you there are many pleasures in sin, many roads to heaven, many years to make the choice. But when your last opportunity for choosing is past, he will leave you to your doom.
Yes, dear reader, there are only two choices—grace or judgment—and the time to choose is right now. Will you not come with just your sins and receive, through the free grace of God, the pardon He offers to you? The Lord Jesus went to the cross to bear the righteous judgment which our sins deserved. He said, “It is finished” and now, as a risen and glorified Saviour at God’s right hand in heaven, He offers a full and free salvation to all who will receive it. If you refuse His grace, then you must meet His judgment.
“Jesus for your choice is waiting,
Tarry not, at once decide;
While the Spirit now is striving,
Yield, and seek the Saviour’s side.”
ML 07/18/1954