From Death to Life

West Main Baptist Church, Alexandria, Tenn.
Ben Simpson, Pastor

A woman in my church contacted me about her friend whose husband was not a Christian and had been given only six months to live. I soon visited the man, but I didn’t get very far. He clearly confessed to have never repented and believed on Jesus. I shared and demonstrated how we’ve sinned by breaking God’s law, condemning us before God. I asked him if he were to die today, would he go to heaven or hell. He unblinkingly said he would go to hell. When I asked if that concerned him, he matter-of-factly said, “No!” I explained why it should concern him and how Jesus Christ died so that he could be forgiven, but the man wasn’t moved. I gave gospel material to him and left. In the meantime, we prayed for him.

I came back four days later. We spent a long time pouring over the Scripture. After quite a bit of talking, I invited him to repent and believe on Jesus, but again, he wasn’t ready yet. I got up to leave, and then a breakthrough happened. As we shook hands goodbye, he said to me with deep sincerity, “You’ve touched something in me today.” I praised the Lord and told him to cry out to Jesus to save him from his sin when he was ready, as I’d already instructed him how to do. I told him as I walked out the door, “I hope that the next time I see you, you’ll be a Christian.”

When I came back a few days later, he was smiling. He told me how he had repented and trusted Christ. We praised the Lord together for God being so gracious to save him. What a blessing it was to have been used by God, to see another sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and who will never taste death!