self than when he regards the Gospel as a trivial thing. There was a second response to Paul’s message in Athens. “Others said, We will hear thee again on this matter.” It reminds us o f Felix who spoke of a later convenient season. But at least Felix was under conviction. These Athenians politely deferred action, postponed the matter. They said, “We will hear you later.” But they didn’t hear Paul later. He never returned to Athens. He had no time to waste on a crowd like that. He returned to Lystra where they had dragged him out o f town for dead but the Athenians had had it. Actually they did not defer or postpone for by not deciding FOR Christ they had decided AGAINST Him. We hear men say, “ I haven’t made up my mind about Jesus Christ.” But they have made up their minds AGAINST until they have decided FOR. Our Lord said: “ He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt. 12:30). There is no neutral ground, no third position. Pilate’s wife advised him to have nothing to do with Jesus. That is impossible advice for we must all do something about Him. If we believe not, we are condemned already. We cannot postpone and defer. We can put off deciding FOR Him but we cannot put off deciding ABOUT Him. There was a third reaction: “Howbeit certain men clave unto him: among the which was Diony sius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” Paul’s ministry in Athens was not a failure. Dionysius was a judge o f the court. A church was begun in Athens that pro duced some noted saints in the centuries that fol lowed; God’s Word does not return void. I say to every congregation: “ Some o f you may decide and others may delay, but some will decide tonight and repent. I do not know who or where you are but now or later somebody will say: "M y heart has no desire to stay Where doubts arise and fears dismay; Though some may dwell where these abound, My prayer, my aim, Is higher ground.” You are resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world’s delight. Things that are nobler, things that are higher, these have allured your sight. You will obey God. You may be a Christian out of His will. You may be a sinner who has never trusted Christ. You may never have made the Saviour your Lord. It is wonderful to look over a crowd and know that somebody will pull loose from that crowd and say, “ I will arise and go to Jesus.” They did it at Athens. They have been doing it through the centuries since. Will you be one of those “ others” like Dionysius the man and Damaris the woman who believed? QE 12
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