Elijah's Appeal to the Undecided Part 3 of 3

by John Lowe
(Laurens SC, USA)

Another in the crowd asks, "What will I gain, if I serve only God? Would I be happier? Would I get along better in this world? Would I have more peace of mind?" No, that is a minor concern. The only question for you is, "If God be God follow him." If you do not think He is God; if you really think that the devil is God, then follow him. But, if God is God, if he made you, I want you to serve him. If He is the One who puts the breath into your nostrils, I am pleading for you to obey him. If God is really worthy of your worship, I insist that you follow Him or else deny that He is God at all. If the gospel is true, believe it, and then live it; but if it isn’t true, give it up.

Now, I want to conclude by making an appeal to anyone who is wavering, and who sometimes follows God and sometimes follows the ways of the world. I want to ask some questions, and I pray that the Lord will apply them to you. “How long will you halt between two opinions?” Will you wait until God responds with fire? Those poor people who were assembled there on Mount Carmel didn’t want the fire. When Elijah says, “The God that answers with fire let Him be God,” I imagine that I can hear some in the crowd saying, “No, the God that answers with water, let Him be God. But Elijah said—“NO!—if it was to rain you would only say that it was just luck.”

Let me tell you what I believe about this. I believe that if you are undecided, all the interventions by God will not make you decide. He may surround you with warnings from the death-beds of your friends, but God’s divine interventions will not decide for you. It is not the God of rain, but the God of fire that will do it. There are two ways in which those who are undecided will eventually decide. Those who are on God’s side don’t need to decide, and those who are on Satan’s side don’t need to make a decision, since they will be eternally in hell’s fire. But, if someone is undecided they want something to help them decide. They will go one of two ways; they will either have the fire of God's Spirit to make up their minds, or else the fire of eternal judgment, will decide for them.

I may preach to you, my friends; and all the ministers in the world may preach to those that are wavering, but you will never decide for God through the force of your own will. None of you, if left to your natural judgment, by using your own reasoning, will ever decide for God. Oh, you may decide to put on an outward show of religion, but it won’t be an inward spiritual thing, which possesses your heart as a Christian, and believer in God’s grace. I know that no one will ever decide to believe God's gospel, unless God calls them first through the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. So, what will it be? Will you follow God and Jesus or will you stay undecided until the Judgment Day? This little poem says the same thing:

"O make this heart rejoice or ache!
Decide this doubt for me;
And if it be not broken, break,
And heal it, if it be."
"O sovereign grace, my heart subdue;
I would be led in triumph too,
A willing captive to my Lord,
To sing the triumphs of his word."

Oh, I pray that the Holy Spirit would enter some hearts as I speak, and that there may be some who will leave this place saying:

"Tis done, the great transaction's done,
I am my Lord's, and he is mine;
He drew me, and I followed on,
Glad to obey the voice divine."

But all those who choose not to follow God, must remember that the day is coming—the day of wrath and anger—when God, Himself will make the decision for you. On that day, the heavens will be lit up, the earth will shake with terror, and God will sit upon His throne, in the person of his Son, to judge the world in righteousness. You will not be undecided when Jesus says, "Depart ye cursed," or "Come, ye blessed.” There will be no indecision then, when you meet Him with either joy or else with terror—when many will cry out, "rocks hide me, mountains fall on me," or else you will be filled with joy and say, "The Lord has come." On that day you will be decided; but until then, unless the living fire of the Holy Spirit decides for you, you will go on hesitating between two opinions. I pray that God will grant you his Holy Spirit, so that you may turn to him and be saved!

Amen.

If this message has touched your heart, and as a result, you have decided to follow God, tell me. I want to pray with you, and welcome you to God’s family.