Almost Persuaded

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

Audio version at http://tinyurl.com/2quarr

More than a few times I have looked out over the audience as an invitation hymn was sung and wondered why some people had not yet obeyed the gospel. They know God and they love Jesus. They want to live a righteous life and they know the penalty for sin which is death or separation from God. Yet, somehow, they have not yet been convinced to obey the gospel and become a Christian.

Some have approached me after a sermon or after a Bible study and have said that they were impressed, but not yet ready to make a commitment to God. I haven’t had anyone yet who has actually said that they were “almost persuaded,” but in fact, I think many would fit that description.

Paul wrote of salvation through God in Romans 1:16 when he said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” That gospel is simple to understand and simple to obey. But some will remain unconvinced that they need to take action.

Philip Bliss was a renowned composer, who at the young age of 12 made the good confession and was baptized by a Christian Church minister. Through his life, which ended tragically in 1876, he remained very active in evangelism.

His powerful baritone voice and his ability to write lyrics and compose tunes caused him to be in great demand for revival meetings. He and his wife Lucy made the circuits especially around Chicago and he worked with many notable evangelists.

One Sunday night in 1870 he was waiting for a train and decided to slip in to hear a Mr. Brundage give his sermon. Brundage was reading from Acts 26:28-29 which says, “Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.’”

The preacher then added the following. “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved. But to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.” Upon hearing these words Bliss set about to write the famous song, Almost Persuaded.

When this song was first sung publicly in 1871, Lucy Bliss wrote that the entire audience was affected and both she and her husband realized the tremendous power of a well crafted hymn. They soon decided to dedicate their lives to working with evangelists to spread the gospel to all who would hear.

“Almost persuaded,” now to believe;

“Almost persuaded,” Christ to receive;

Seems now some soul to say, “Go Spirit, go thy way;

Some more convenient day

On Thee I’ll Call.”

Preachers will preach their hearts out. Parents and spouses will love, forgive, lead, teach and compel their loved ones to obey the gospel. Friends and others will show concern and ask directly, “what is keeping you from obeying the gospel?” Yet many will never do so. They are not yet persuaded that they must.

Paul writes a chilling account of what will happen to those who do not obey the gospel. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, he tells that “those who do not know God,” and “those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,” will be punished for eternity and will be separated from God.

No one would willingly state today that they want to go to hell or miss out on heaven. Yet so many are not quite ready to make the commitment to obey the gospel.

Why is that so? Who knows for sure? My speculation is that either they believe that they will be saved without obeying the gospel or that they have plenty of time to come to God after they have worshipped at the altar of sin for a while. Either way, they are not yet persuaded of the seriousness of this matter.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we spend a few extra minutes in prayer and specifically name those whom we know are not yet Christians. May we think of ways to help persuade them to come to Jesus and obey that precious gospel before it is eternally too late.

Our thought for the day: Mr. Brundage said, “He who is almost persuaded is almost saved. But to be almost saved is to be entirely lost.”

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.