WRITING
2 Corinthians 6:2 «Now is the favorable time, now is the day of salvation.»
SUPPORTING VERSES
Hebrews 3:7-8; Proverbs 27:1; James 4:14; Isaiah 55:6
MEDITATION
How many self-help gurus urge us to build a five- or ten-year life plan, to meticulously plan the future, to dream big and far ahead? Yet, very few bother to mention an obvious truth: we could leave this world tonight. They talk about tomorrow, without warning of today's urgency. The message of the Gospel is not simply a wonderful divine gift. It is a solemn invitation to action, and immediate action at that. For no one knows what tomorrow holds.
In the context of 2 Corinthians 5, the apostle Paul has just set forth fundamental truths. He affirms that Christ died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died and rose again for them. He reminds us that God has reconciled the world to Himself in Christ and that He has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to believers. The disciples of Jesus are therefore ambassadors, sent with a message of eternal life. It is within this framework that Paul emphasizes the urgency of the call: reconciliation cannot be postponed. It is now.
«" NOW. "»
The word "now" recurs insistently. This repetition is not accidental. There is an imperative for urgent action. It is an absolute insistence. The Greek term kairos designates the decisive moment, the opportune time granted by God. It is not simply a passing portion of time, but an opportunity offered, a window of grace that can close. God is ready to welcome all who come to Him, but this invitation must not be delayed.
After meditating for several days on the eternal destination of those who die without Christ, it becomes impossible to remain neutral or passive. These truths inevitably create a sense of urgency. An urgency for those who hear the message to respond without delay. An urgency for those who know the truth to proclaim it faithfully. The grace offered today must never be taken for granted tomorrow.
Scripture clearly warns that the time will come when Jesus Himself will tell some to turn away from Him. This is why the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts with gravity.
«Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.» (Hebrews 3:7-8)
Today. This word is an urgent call to answer yes without delay, to act before the heart gradually closes to God's voice. Many live under the dangerous illusion that they will always have another chance. They think they are too young, or imagine they will turn to God later, perhaps at the end of their lives. Others have heard the gospel so often that they have become accustomed to its voice, without ever heeding its call. Conviction has been pushed aside, the decision postponed, and the heart has gradually hardened.
The prophet Isaiah warns:
«Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.»
These words indicate that there is a favorable time, but also a time when one no longer seeks, not because God has changed, but because the human heart is no longer capable of responding.
No one knows their future or their last day.
James 4:14 poses a disturbing question:
«"You do not know what tomorrow will bring! For what is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."»
Jacques emphasizes our ignorance of the future, the fragility of human life, and the ephemeral nature of human existence. Our time on earth is brief and fleeting. Life is but a vapor, a breath, a mist that quickly vanishes. Proverbs 27:1 reinforces this, saying that it is futile to boast about tomorrow, for no one knows what a day may bring.
Every day, men and women go to bed thinking they will have a tomorrow. Some never wake up. Among them, how many have left without Christ, convinced they still had time? How many have postponed God's call, unaware that this "later" would never come?
What this means for us, witnesses of Christ
If "now" is the opportune time, and if tomorrow is not guaranteed, then our mission as witnesses of Christ becomes urgent. We too become accustomed to the unbelief of those around us, forgetting the eternal stakes of their condition. Now is the time to act. That person you've been meaning to talk to about Jesus for months, even years, may never have another chance to hear. That colleague for whom you're waiting for the perfect moment may pass away before that moment arrives.
Paul wrote:
«Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season» (2 Timothy 4:2).
Souls are at stake. The time is uncertain. The opportune moment is now. It is time to stop putting off what God is urging us to do today. It is time to let the Holy Spirit lead us in obedience. Proclaim Christ, pray for the lost, invite, speak, intercede—not out of habit, but with the awareness that eternity is at stake in the present. Pray and preach as if their lives depended on it, because they do.
Richard Baxter, (1656), an English Puritan minister, said, "I preached as if I were never to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men." Let us do the same.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- Who have I put off talking to about Christ until "later"? What's stopping me from doing it now?
- How would my life change if I truly lived with the awareness that tomorrow is not guaranteed: neither for me, nor for those around me?
PRAYER
Father, forgive me for all the times I've put off what You asked me to do now. Forgive my lack of urgency in the face of the eternity of others. This week has confronted me with truths I can no longer ignore. Judgment is real. Hell is real. And time is short.
I commit to speaking and acting now. I ask for Your grace to no longer miss opportunities to bring people to salvation. The opportune time is now. Help me to live accordingly. In Jesus' name, amen.
CONFESSION OF THE DAY
«Like Richard Baxter, I choose to live like a dying man speaking to other dying men. My life and the lives of those around me are a vapor. The opportune time is now. I refuse to put off until tomorrow what God urges me to do today.»
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