I heard another story of a lady who was influenced by her husband. She was attending a revival meeting and he was going with her every night. One night while they were dressing, she said something about going to church, and he said, “No, we’re not going to church tonight, we’re going to the show.” She replied, “I can’t go to a show. The revival is going on. You know that! I have to be over there!” He said, “No, we’re going to a show.” She kept on insisting that they go to church and he kept on insisting on going to the show. Finally he said, “Now, I’ve been going with you every night, and it’s only fair that you go with me tonight.” She still refused. Then he said, “If you don’t go with me tonight, I’m not going with you any more.” So she gave in.
On the way to town he stopped beside the road. His wife asked him what was wrong. He said, “I’m not going to the show. I just wanted to test you out. I was planning to obey the gospel. If this thing is as important as you and your preacher say it is, then you ought to have gone on tonight regardless of what I did. Before I accepted I thought I would test you out.” I admit that he treated her pretty rough; but after all, you can’t afford to let even the person whom you love best on this earth keep you from doing that which is right. It would be an act of unkindness. If you love someone, you ought not to let him keep you from doing right but you ought to go on anyhow and use your influence to get him to come along with you.
10. “There is plenty of time yet.” This one will probably take more people to hell than all the others put together. Procrastination is the thief of souls. I’ve never talked to but one person who said he planned to die and go to hell. Others say, “Yes, I’m going to change my ways. I know that I’m lost and I’m going to change.” But when? “Well, sometime.” A man who talks like that never gets it done. When I go into a man’s home, talk to him, and urge him to obey the gospel and he says, “Well, I’m going to think it over; I’m glad you came and I’ll think it over,” I go away without much encouragement. But if a person tells me, “Yes, Brother Dark, I’ll be over there next Sunday night and be baptized,” then I know something is going to happen. That is the only way to overcome the tendency to procrastinate.
I talked to some people at Madison one evening about 5 P.M. Immediately upon entering the room I learned that they knew what they ought to do. They had attended our meeting often and they knew that they ought to be baptized. They understood the plan of salvation. I remarked to them that one could get into the habit of procrastinating. I said, “Every time you repeat the act of putting this thing off this habit becomes stronger. If you aren’t careful, it may get you bound so tightly that you will never overcome it.” They came forward that night and obeyed the gospel, less than three hours after I had talked to them, and are now two of the most faithful members in the church. Afterwards the man told me that the remark about procrastination had prompted him to act immediately. He realized that he had got into the habit of putting it off. This habit was getting stronger and stronger. He had to exert his will power to overcome it.
None of these excuses are any good. They will not stand the test of the judgment. I doubt that you would even have the audacity to mention them before God. There is no excuse for failing, or for delaying, to do what you know God has commanded.
IV
The Best Resolution
The best resolution that you can make today, if you haven’t already made it, is the resolution to quit doing wrong and to begin doing right. It is preceded by faith; it is followed by baptism. The resolution to do right will naturally lead to baptism, for that is a part of doing right. Won’t you say at the beginning of this new year, “I’m going to resolve now that from this day henceforth I will live for God”? If that be your resolution, come forward and make it known while we stand and sing.
VIII
AN ERRING CHILD OF GOD
It is my purpose this morning to discuss the case of an erring child of God in contrast to that of an alien sinner. An alien sinner is one who has never been baptized into Jesus Christ, one who has never become a member of the Lord’s church, one who has never become a citizen of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The plan of salvation for such an one is clearly revealed in the Bible. It has been proclaimed from this pulpit numbers and numbers of times. It needs to be repeated over and over again, and to be kept constantly before the minds of the people.
Not only should those who are not Christians know the plan of salvation in order to become Christians, but those who have already obeyed the gospel ought to know what an alien must do to be saved well enough to teach others effectively. The alien must know the gospel well enough to obey it. The Christian must have a working knowledge of the gospel in order to help save others.