A man can slip into hell with his hand on the doorknob of heaven.
Billy Sunday (1862-1935)
American Evangelist
American Evangelist
A few years ago Ray Comfort was one of the keynote speakers at a convention that I was required to attend in California. The keynote speakers in previous years were not good, so I immediately crossed my arms in resistance when he stepped up to speak. I’m not exactly sure when my arms uncrossed, but I do know that from the very beginning he had my attention. What he said made too much sense not to listen. Afterward, I bought his tapes to learn more.
About a month later, a young visitor named Cleo came forward in our small church. The pastor asked me to deal with him. Cleo just wanted to go to heaven. He had been to mass twice in his life and knew nothing about the scriptures. For the first time in my life I gave the Gospel with confidence and without hesitation: going from the natural to the spiritual. I’ll spare you many of the details, but I started by reading Psalm 19:7a. “The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul.” We chatted about the purpose of human law/rules and the punishments for breaking those rules. “What if God had law?” I asked. He had never thought about it or had even heard of the Ten Commandments.
Bits and Pieces of our conversation
Me “Ever told a lie?
Cleo “Of course.”
Me “What does that make you?”
Me “That’s 0 for 1, Cleo. Ever taken something that didn‘t belong to you?”
Cleo “Yes, most people have.”
Me “What does that make you?”
Cleo “A stealer.”
Me “Yes, a thief. You’re 0 for 2.”
As I asked Cleo about each of the commandments, his eyes would drop as he answered. At about #7 he didn’t look up at all. Cleo’s countenance changed as he began to experience the weight of his sin. It’s an unmistakable and amazing thing to behold. We finished all ten.
Me “Cleo, you’re 0 for 10.”
Cleo “Yeah.”
Me “If you stood before God today, would be stand innocent or guilty?”
Cleo “Guilty, I guess”
Me “I think you’re in trouble; don’t you?”
Cleo “Yeah, I didn’t even know that God had laws. I guess I have to go to hell.”
( That was his own conclusion. I had not talked about heaven or hell.)
I told him about heaven, about hell, and about the sacrifice that Christ made. We read verses together (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, John 3:16, etc). Cleo got it. I didn’t have to tell Cleo what to pray. He knew what to pray. It was the simplest, sweetest prayer I’d ever heard. It went something like this. “Dear God I didn’t even know you had laws. I’m so sorry for breaking them. I don’t want to do that anymore. My life is going in the wrong direction, and I need you to change it. I deserve to be punished in hell. Jesus, please pardon me and forgive me for what I've done, and let me go to heaven. I guess that's all I got to say.” What a simple way to say amen. You see, Cleo wasn't saying or praying words. He was actually talking to God.
There was an immediate change in his countenance . He was so excited. He explained everything back to me. He truly understood. When we left the room the senior pastor was heading in our direction. I said, “Pastor this is Cleo. Cleo this is the pastor. Cleo, tell him what just happened.” Cleo put his finger in the pastor's face, looked him straight in the eye, and asked, “Did you know that God has laws?” I laughed and said, “It's okay, Cleo. He‘s already a Christian.” Cleo’s response, “I just wanted to make sure.” A few minutes later we had the same conversation with the music pastor. When Cleo went home, he shared the Gospel with his mom. There was immediate fruit. Spiritual change (real conversion) is a wonderful thing to behold. Salvation isn't eternal fire insurance; it’s life transforming. Thankfully, I’ve seen the Lord do this many times since that day.
I John 5:13 tells us that you can know that you have eternal life. Do you know that you have eternal life? Do you REALLY know? Let me ask it this way. On a scale of 1-10, how sure are you that you are on your way to heaven. If your answer is anything but a 10, then you’ve probably never been converted; you’ve never become a Christian; and you’re not on you’re way to heaven. God says that you can know.
If you want to know more about using the Ten Commandments in witnessing contact me or listen to “Hell’s Best Kept Secret” at www.livingwaters.com. If you have further questions about your own salvation, contact me through the comments section; email me at pastormax12345@cox.net, or join the facebook group called Ask Pastor Max. I want to help and will get someone on it right away. It's time to know. PM
Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead.
Don't you believe a word of it!
At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now;
I shall have gone up higher, that is all,
out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal
- a body that death cannot touch,
that sin cannot taint;
a body fashioned like unto His glorious body.
Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)
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