Almost Persuaded
“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.”
Acts 26:28 “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
We have heard it said, “Almost does not count”;….and it doesn’t.
To almost do…..is not to.
To almost say….is not to.
To almost anything……is in the end, not to have anything done.
Jesus warned:
Luke 8:18 “Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
To “seem to have” is like “almost”;….it is nothing for eternity.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
We have been called to “walk” in those good works that God has placed before us, in our lives.
Yet often we shrink back, hesitating to begin that first step…..which is simply to obey His Word to us.
“Almost persuaded, come, come, today;
Almost persuaded, turn not away;
Jesus invites you here,
Angels are lingering near,
Prayers rise from hearts so dear, O wanderer come.”
Acts 26:26-28 “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom I also speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”
King Agrippa knew the facts…..they were not called in question.
So where was the hesitation?
To “hesitate”, is to simply and knowingly wait for some other force to help you decide….it is to wait for something to happen to force your hand……to make you do, what you know you should do……but have not, as yet done.
Agrippa’s hesitation was sad…..
….above everyone else there, in that hall, he could do or believe what he wanted…..he was a king, a honored guest there,…what he would do, would not be questioned or scorned….but honored….
Yet, he was “almost” still.
What about us? Isn’t it time we stop hesitating and start standing with the Lord, in our everyday lives….before all we meet?
For in those few words, lies the direction we must go to enter into eternal life…..”with the Lord”….the Lord Jesus Christ.
(and eternal life is a condition of life here, and now…..as well as for eternity in heaven)
Acts 26:29 “And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.”
Paul, even with his bonds, had more freedom then anyone there.
He was free, to be and say what the Lord had called him to……
……which was to speak to any and all of the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus;…..who died an accepted sacrifice for our sin…..and was raised, of the Father, the third day….and who is even now at the right hand of God interceding for all who believe on Him.
We, as His born again ones, need to stop hesitating….waiting for Him to push us…..
….waiting for a better argument or reason to do.
It is now…..that you receive His Word or reject it.
Pray about it…..think about it…..however you say it….it can come to, putting it off….till, it is never done.
2 Peter 1:3 “According as His divine power hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
This knowledge of Christ Jesus is not head knowledge,……king Agrippa had that;…..but ended in “almost persuaded” only.
This knowledge that leads to life, is heart knowledge……which comes by receiving Him, once for all…….and His Word personally, day by day.
An old preacher said, “We have gotten the message backwards. We tell people to ‘read the Bible’, or ‘go to church’;……..when the Bible plainly says we are to receive Christ Jesus, before we can do anything that will please God.”
Have you heard His voice to you, calling you to come…..to stop hesitating…but instead, “to altogether” believe, and receive Him?
Then do it…..just do it.
“God, be merciful to me a sinner; and save me for Jesus sake. I receive You into my heart and life, Lord Jesus.”
Almost persuaded, harvest is past!
Almost persuaded, doom comes at last!
Almost can not avail; almost is but to fail;
Sad, sad, that bitter wail, Almost but lost!”
Which will it be?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 