Skip Heitzig: Atheism Has Slain Its Thousands, But Procrastination, Its Tens Of Thousands
Atheism has slain its thousands, but procrastination has slain its tens of thousands. “One day I’m going to receive Christ.” “One day,” they say, but it never comes.
In Acts 24, Paul appeared before a Roman governor named Felix. And something interesting happened.
“And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’ …Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him” (vv. 24-26).
The word reasoned means to think through something, to resolve the issue. And Paul reasoned. He worked it through with him. But what’s interesting is that Felix was afraid. It was a role reversal. Paul was the prisoner, but the man in charge was afraid.
Why? Felix may have wanted to only talk about philosophy. But Paul told him how to get right with the living God. That’s what righteousness means: how to be right with God. Paul reasoned with Felix about self-control; that probably shook him, because he had lured Drusilla away from her first husband. And Paul reasoned with him about the judgment to come. He probably told Felix he would stand before God’s throne one day, facing certain judgment from a holy God.
Think about this honestly. Is it unloving to tell people that there is a hell awaiting them if they reject Christ? Or is telling them the truth about eternity the most loving thing you could ever do? There is a God who loves them, and there is a heaven waiting for them if they turn to Christ. But if they reject Him, there will be judgment.
Jesus Christ, the Lord of love, warned about hell more than anybody else in the Bible. So is it unloving to tell somebody about judgment? I think it’s loving when it’s done with a sweetness and a servant’s heart—maybe even with weeping.
There is a trend to soft-pedal the gospel and avoid talking about judgment, the cross, or heaven and hell, and to just make people feel positive about who they are instead. I think the most positive thing you could ever do for someone is to keep them from facing God’s judgment. Friends don’t let friends go to hell.
Now, Felix’s response is sad. He procrastinated. Yes, he continued to talk with Paul (v. 26), but in the end he was replaced as governor, and he left Paul in prison (v. 27).
In Acts 16, the Philippian jailer asked Paul, “What must I do to be saved?” (v. 30). And he said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (v. 31).
But there’s another question. “What must I do to be lost?” Answer: absolutely nothing. Don’t turn to Christ. Don’t make a choice. Put it off. That’s why I say atheism has slain its thousands, but procrastination, its tens of thousands.
Sometimes at altar calls people will tell me, “This is the first time I’ve heard the gospel message.” But oftentimes they’ll say, “I’ve been coming for a long time, but I’ve just put it off.”
The choice that Felix made was to not choose. He chose to put it off. Oh, he trembled. Tears may have welled up in his eyes. But there’s no record of transformation.
Evaluate your own life and your own choices and ask yourself, “Have I believed? Am I leaning upon—trusting in—the Lord Jesus Christ and nothing else?” If not, don’t put it off.
