Transcript

G.W. Ravensbury was an itinerant preacher many years ago. He made his living preaching off of trains. He’d ride a train to one town, preach, get back on the train, and head to another town.

Ravensbury tells the story of a train ride he took that was different than the others. Ravensbury was sitting at the back of his train car, and he noticed that there was this young gentleman who was sitting a few rows ahead of him.

He had this cardboard suitcase stuffed real tight up underneath his seat. And he appeared very anxious. This man would get up, pace the car for a bit, and then sit back down. He did this every 10 minutes or so.

Finally Ravensbury decided that he would go have a chat with the young man. So he got up, asked if he could have a seat next to him, and introduced himself.

“Son, my name’s Ravensbury, and I’m a preacher. You seem like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Would you like to talk?”

Ravensbury said it was like opening up a faucet. The young man’s life story just came pouring out. “Me and my pa didn’t get along well at all when I was coming up. We’d fuss and fight. We’d get into it over nuthin’ at all.

“One day we were getting after each other real hard—I can’t even remember what about—when I said something like, ‘Well why don’t I just LEAVE!’ And my Daddy said, ‘Son, there’s the door, don’t let it hit you on the backside on the way out.’ I went to my room and packed everything I could fit into my cardboard suitcase and I left.

“Things didn’t go too well for me after that. I kept wandering from one town to another working one piddlin’ job after another, and I wasn’t doing too good.

“One night I was out drinking with some buddies, and we got this idea to try to rob a liquor store. When we got caught, I was sentenced to prison.

“But before I got out, I decided to write home to Mom and Dad. I told them I was in prison, and about to get out. I said I was sorry for how I left and for what I did, that I’d understand if they never wanted to see me again, but I’d be passing through town.

“You see, my house is just off the tracks here about 10 miles ahead. I told them that if they wanted to see me to tie something white out in the tree.

“And that if there wasn’t anything white, I’d just go on through to the next town and they’d never have to hear from me again.

“Mr. Ravensbury, if there’s nothing white hanging out in that tree, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’m at the end of my rope. I just don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

Ravensbury said that as they grew closer, the young man became even more nervous. Finally, the young man nudged Ravensbury and said,

“My house is right up around this bend. Do you think you could see if there’s anything white tied there for me? I just can’t look.”

Ravensbury said he pressed his forehead up against the window hoping to see something—ANYthing—that was white tied up in a tree. And he said as they turned that corner, it was the most majestic sight he’d ever seen.

That family had emptied their house of every towel, every wash cloth, every bed spread, every sheet, every pillow case, EVERYTHING in that house that was white was out there flapping in the trees in their front yard.

It was just a sea of white out there in that yard. Ravensbury called out to the boy, “Young man, LOOK!”

As soon as the young man caught a glimpse of the front yard, he grabbed his suitcase, rushed out the door, and leaped off the train car as quick as he could.

Ravensbury said that the last image he saw was of that young man dragging his cardboard suitcase up the hill, and an older couple bursting out of the house to come greet him. And to him, THAT was a picture of what God’s grace is like.

That the cross was God’s way of emptying Heaven’s linen closet of everything white so that it would be known for all-time that God wants us home. No matter what we’ve done, or where we’ve been, for us to please just come home.

That is the message in the accepted time, in this day of salvation. That heaven’s doors are open wide for any and all to be saved by grace through faith in Christ. That is the message we share.

2 Corinthians 6:2 reads, “(For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

In the context of being ambassadors for Christ we are assured of God’s help in this verse. In being workers together with God in verse 1, “He saith,” God tells us something here in verse 2.

Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8. The passage was addressed to the Messiah’s people, who represented Him, the nation Israel under the law. Paul quotes and applies it to the Body of Christ for today, those who represent Him under grace.

The verse shows that God is always ready to hear and to help. The Lord says “I have heard thee in a time accepted,” or “I heard you at the appropriate, approved time.”

“In the day of salvation have I succoured thee,” or “I helped you in the day of salvation, I helped and assisted in supplying your need in the day of salvation.”

This quotation from Isaiah emphasizes that God had heard and answered the prayers of Israel and had helped them in their times of need.

The reason Paul cited this quotation was to impress upon the minds of the church at Corinth that what God had done for Israel, He would do for them. If they turned to Him in prayer, He would hear. If they asked for His help, He would help.

The point is God strengthening His servants to do His work. We too must not receive the grace of God in vain but rather depend on God and call out to Him, and depend on His grace to empower us and help us to do the work of the gospel ministry in our ministry of reconciliation. Because it’s not easy. Fears creep up. It’s hard to be bold.

It’s easy to remain quiet. We all fail. We all let opportunities slip by us daily. We all need the Lord and His help to be a faithful witness of the gospel.

In the context of Isaiah 49:8, the next verse in Isaiah 49:9 shows that God strengthened Israel, “That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves.” The reason God helped Israel, was so that they might help others.

And this is why we are to call on the Lord and ask for His help here, so that we can tell those in spiritual prison and bondage to “Be free” in Christ, to tell those in spiritual darkness to come out of the darkness of sin and death into the light of Christ and eternal life.

Paul quotes Isaiah 49:8 as his appeal to take advantage of the opportunity that is ours under grace. Repeating “behold” and “now” emphasizes his point. Double whammy.

Behold, now, is the “acceptable time.” God helped Israel in “a time accepted” and Paul says that “Behold now is the accepted time.” God will help us, the Body of Christ, because this is an acceptable, favorable, good time under the dispensation of grace.

The gospel is so simple today. In the past to be saved you had to continually keep the law, bring the proper sacrifices, repent and demonstrate repentance, confess your sins constantly, be water baptized.

Today under grace: salvation is a free gift, received by grace through faith in Christ alone.

It is a good time to live to make the gospel known with God providing the Way of salvation so simply for all people to be saved by faith alone. “Behold, now,” is not the time to waste gospel opportunity to be living only for the temporal or for ourselves.

Behold, now, is the time to hold fast to the truth of the gospel and to faithfully proclaim it, and to live for the Lord and as a testimony to the gospel.

Paul says, “Behold, now, is the day of salvation,” or the day of deliverance. It is time now for the ministry of reconciliation. It is time now for the word of reconciliation. It is time now to be an ambassador for Christ. It is the age of grace. This is a good, favorable time to reach people for Christ and for people to find salvation and eternal life in Him.

It is a day of opportunity. It is a day of salvation in which God is giving all an opportunity to be saved and reconciled to Him by grace through faith alone in Christ.

The day of judgment is coming. The dispensation of grace will not last forever. The Rapture could happen at any time and bring this acceptable day and day of salvation to a close. “The great day of His wrath,” as Rev. 6:17 calls the Tribulation, is fast approaching, and with the always imminent hope of the Rapture, it could begin at any time.

Every single moment of delay is a moment of grace. We must not carelessly let the time fly by and take God’s grace for granted and receive the grace of God in vain. God wants each one of us to take advantage of this day of salvation and to live as His ambassadors.

God is keenly aware of the passing of every single moment of every single day.

In 2 Peter 3:8, we often quote the part of the verse that says “a thousand years [is] as one day.” But the other part of that statement says, “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years.” Time slows way down for the Lord. As we look at every day from His perspective, every single second is a second of grace in the day of salvation.

Every second is a second of longsuffering with sinners. Every second is an opportunity for salvation from hell and the Tribulation period, in the day of salvation.

Every second is an opportunity for the church to use for the Lord in the day of salvation, so people can be saved from their sins.

So every second today in the eyes of God is: grace, grace, grace. Every second is: longsuffering, longsuffering, longsuffering. Every second is: salvation, salvation, salvation. Every second is: opportunity, opportunity, opportunity.

The fact that “now” is the day of salvation is an appeal to both the believer and the unbeliever. For the believer it reminds us to take full advantage of our time in the day of salvation, that today, that NOW, is the day to be a light for Christ.

NOW is the day to share the gospel with that friend or loved one or co-worker. NOW is the day to be a good testimony.

We’re taught that there needs to be this relentless urgency, persistence, a passion about the gospel ministry as workers together with God, about fulfilling our duty in the ministry of reconciliation.

This is not a time to waste. This is a day of salvation. This is a good time to use for reaching people for Christ, and to depend on God for His help to do so.

And for the unbeliever, “now is the day of salvation,” now is the time to accept the gospel that saves us from our sins and from the lake of fire.

There is no guarantee that anyone will have the opportunity to be saved tomorrow, because we are not promised time on this earth, and we could pass into eternity at any time. You cannot be saved yesterday, that is past. We cannot promise that you can be saved tomorrow because you may not live until then. But you can be saved right now.

Imagine yourself that you’re at work. You’re a writer, typing away on a personal computer. You’re in the middle of creating a multi-page article. The words are flowing, and you’re beginning to think about your acceptance speech for the Pulitzer Prize.

Suddenly and without warning, the lights dim and your computer screen blinks. From an adjoining office you hear someone yell, “Hit the save button!”

And suddenly it’s too late. You were so intent on getting your ideas down that you failed to save any of it. When the electricity went off, your document vanished. It’s gone forever because it wasn’t saved.

What’s true of computer documents is true of people. Every person needs to “hit the save button, and trust Christ.

The person who rejects Christ will realize when death comes, which can strike more suddenly than an electrical outage, that it’s too late to “hit the save button.”

According to the Bible, our destiny is sealed for eternity when we die. That’s why we are urged to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today, that now is the day of salvation.

Imagine the horror of realizing it’s too late. In hell, they will realize instantly that they have lost everything forever. Don’t think you’ll always have tomorrow to “hit the save button.” Please don’t put off receiving Christ as your Savior any longer.

Make the decision right now, to trust that Christ died for your sins personally, that He was buried and that He rose again the third day.

Just trusting this simple gospel message we are saved from our sins by God’s grace, through faith in Christ, and we have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 1:18 reads, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

In the middle of this verse, Paul says “but unto us.” The “but” shows a contrast, a division. The message of the cross creates a division within humanity.

The entire world can be categorized into either one of two groups: those who are perishing and those who are saved.

That’s how God views the world. He doesn’t see world religions, He doesn’t see man’s belief systems or denominations.

He sees those who have trusted the gospel and are saved, and He sees those who have not trusted the gospel and are perishing and in danger of everlasting judgment.

You are either one or the other, there is no halfway, no middle ground, no neutrality. The cross divides people, the saved from the unsaved. The dividing line is the cross.

God’s Word says that the word, the message, the revelation, the preaching of the cross, which looks like foolishness to so many, is actually the power of God.

And nothing short of the very power of God can save anyone from their sins, and make us righteous and ready for heaven.

We do not have power in ourselves to make ourselves new or to give ourselves new life, or to make ourselves righteous in God’s sight. Salvation is not of us. It is all of God and by His power, mercy, grace, kindness, and love.

Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” “He saved us” that verse says; we don’t save ourselves.

We are saved not because we are good, but because God is good. We are saved, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by the finished work of Christ that He accomplished for us, and by the righteousness He gives to all who believe.

Salvation is ALL God’s work. The power of God unto salvation belongs only to God, who has the power to save the perishing from their sins and give them eternal life.

Scripture testifies to God’s power, how His power is glorious, irresistible, unsearchable, mighty, great, incomparable, strong, and everlasting.

The power of God is seen in the creation of the earth and cosmos. The power of God was seen in the parting of the Red Sea. And the power of God is demonstrated in the Cross of Christ, and His resurrection from the dead.

And the power of God is seen in anyone, simply hearing the gospel, believing in their heart that Christ died for them and rose again, and instantly God through His mighty power creates a new nature in that person, forgives all their sin, gives them Christ’s righteousness and eternal life, places them into Christ, and gives them a home in heaven.

The following is the math of the Cross, which is the truth of its message and power. “The Cross subtracts one from hell, it adds one to heaven, it divides one from the world, it multiplies God’s love and grace, and it gives everyone an equal chance.”

The cross is the power of God because of what it achieves: the salvation of sinners. It is the power of God as it shows the power of His love in dying for and rescuing sinners, and saving us and making us a child of God.

And the power of the Cross is in the blood, which pays for our sins, purchases us and makes us God’s forever, and washes away all our sin.

And the power of the cross has the power to completely transform hearts and lives. There are countless examples of what happens in the lives of people when the good news of the Cross is received and believed.

Murderers become martyrs, fighters become Christ-followers, hate-mongers become peacemakers, drunks become evangelists, gang members become church members, and the list could go on and on and on!

John Ortberg says this, “My friend, Jimmy, and his son, Davey, were playing in the ocean down in Mexico, while his wife, daughters, parents, and a cousin were on the beach.

Suddenly, a rogue riptide swept Davey out to the sea. Immediately Jimmy started to do whatever he could to help Davey get back to the shore, but he, too, was soon swept away in the tide. He knew that in a few minutes, both he and Davey would drown.

He tried to scream, but his family couldn’t hear him. Jimmy’s a strong guy, an Olympic Decathlete, but he was powerless in this situation.

As he was carried along by the water, he had a single, chilling thought: My wife and my daughters are going to have to have a double funeral.

Meanwhile, his cousin, who understood something about the ocean, saw what was happening. He walked out into the water where he knew there was a sandbar. He had learned that if you try to fight a riptide, you will die.

So, he walked to the sandbar, stood as close as he could get to Jimmy and Davey, and then he just lifted his hand up and said, “Come to me. Just come to me.”

If you try to go the way your mind and gut tells you to go, the shortest distance into shore, you will die. If you think for yourself, you will die. If you just listen to and trust another’s wisdom and come to him, you will live. That’s what this father and son did, and lived.

Through the Cross, God says, “If you come to Me, you will live.” Eternal death or eternal life, are at stake in this decision about the Cross.

In order to experience its saving power, you must trust God’s wisdom rather than your own, you must not go the way your mind and gut tell you to go, you must come to God in God’s way, trusting His provision, believing the truth that Christ died and rose again for you personally.

If you make that decision, you will live and live eternally.