“I was once in a little town where many people were getting what you call ‘converted.’ In fact, I was within a toss of a coin of being converted myself! But it all wore off, and I have never been troubled with such feelings since.” So said an elderly woman to a friend.
How sad to be so close to such blessing and yet to miss it! If that thoughtless woman dies without accepting the Lord Jesus as her Savior, the memory of those flippant words will bring her unending remorse for eternity.
“Within the toss of a coin of being converted!” Whatever her words might have really meant, they left the heart-saddening impression that she had at some time been among the “almost persuaded,” but there had been no real work of grace in her soul.
Felix, a Roman governor, “trembled” when he heard of Jesus, but it only made him want to get away from the searching light of God’s truth. “Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee” were his words. We are not told that he ever “trembled” again under the Word of God or ever found the “convenient season” he counted on.
Near to the door, and the door stood wide;
Close to the port, but not inside;
Almost persuaded to give up sin;
Almost persuaded to enter in;
Almost persuaded to count the cost;
Almost a Christian-and yet lost!
A man, discouraged and desperate, had spent all his money and was down to his last coin. How should he spend that? In misery and despair, he was seeking a way “out of it all.”
“You have just enough to pay the bridge toll,” whispered Satan. “Pay the toll, and jump from the bridge into the river. That will end your misery!”
Yielding to the suggestion, he paid his last coin and walked out to the center of the bridge. “Do it end your misery.”
“But wait,” whispered another voice, “will it end your misery? ‘After this the judgment.’ Jumping into the jaws of death will not end your misery.”
That was enough. He felt that God had spoken! He ran from the bridge, his soul was ultimately saved, and he became a rejoicing Christian. He was, in the words of the foolish woman, within the “toss of a coin” of eternal damnation. Through God’s grace, he missed it and obtained eternal salvation instead.
Are you aware that you are getting perilously near-not, perhaps, to your last coin, but to your last gospel opportunity? Remember, as a general rule, people die as they live, and salvation missed is damnation reached.
Almost persuaded; come, come today!
Almost persuaded, turn not away!
Jesus invites you here,
List to His voice so clear
Now falling on your ear;
Come, wanderer, come!
Almost persuaded, harvest is past!
Almost persuaded, doom comes at last;
“Almost” cannot avail!
“Almost” is but to fail!
Sad, sad, that bitter wail:
“Almost”-but lost.