An officer serving in the Salvation Army once went to its founder, General William Booth, for advice: “I’ve tried everything, and I’m not leading anyone to Christ. Nobody is coming to Christ through my ministry.”

This wise soul-winner did not give his officer a formula to share the Truth effectively. He simply said, “Try tears.” In these days of apostasy, sometimes only our tears will bring people to Christ.

Read 2 Peter 3. Here Peter exhorts believers to be prepared for Christ’s coming even as the world scoffs at the Truth. Within our own nation there are millions of people like those Peter describes who mock Scripture: “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? . . . everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation” (v. 4).

These scoffers forget that God created the heavens and the earth. They ignore the stories of Scripture that show the dire consequences of sin—how, at the time of Noah, the world was deluged and destroyed. And they ridicule the promise of Christ’s return to judge the world. 

But still God’s awesome love holds; His compassionate patience endures: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). But His patience is not forever—for “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (v. 10).

Just as Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” during his life on earth (2 Peter 2:5), God has commissioned us to preach His Truth to every soul who will listen—before it’s too late. He wants us to have the same compassion for the lost that brought His Son to earth so that we tearfully plead with Paul: “We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

God has placed you in your neighborhood, on your campus, or within your workplace to be an ambassador of His righteousness. He wants you to invite others to know the Truth and accept His gift of salvation.

I am thankful for every believer living today who is obeying this call—and I pray you and I are among the faithful when Christ returns. Let us each pray for greater love, greater boldness, and greater eagerness to share the Truth of the Gospel while we still can.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your compassionate patience. Thank You also for the promise of Your return to judge sin and evil and usher in the new heaven and the new earth. Help me to preach Your Truth in love in my neighborhood and sphere of influence. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon It Is Never Too Late, Part 6: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW

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