Pardon Refused — And Lost!
Good News – September 2018 – Grace & Truth Magazine
Pardon Refused ... And Lost!
A young man lost his temper one day while playing cards. Picking up a revolver, he shot and killed his opponent. He was arrested, tried and sentenced to death.
But because of his previous good life, petitions for him were soon signed by friends, relatives and many others who heard about his case. Consequently, a Christian gentleman visited the prison to see the young man. As he approached the death cell, the prisoner noticed the clergyman’s outfit. “Get out of here!” he shouted, “I don’t want to see you. I have had seven of your kind already. I had enough religion at home.”
“Wait a minute, young man,” replied the visitor, “I have good news for you – the very best! Let me tell you about it.”
Although the visitor implored him, the prisoner violently refused to listen to him, threatening even to have him put out. With a heavy heart the visitor turned away and left.
A few minutes later the warden appeared. “Well, young man,” he said, “I see you had a visit from the governor.”
“What?” exclaimed the prisoner. “Was that man dressed as a clergyman really the governor?”
“He was,” answered the warden, “and he had a pardon in his pocket for you, but you wouldn’t even listen to him.”
“Get me a pen and some paper,” requested the prisoner feverishly; and sitting down he wrote the governor an apology.
The governor read his letter, turned it over and wrote on the back, “No longer interested in this case.”
When the day arrived for the young man’s execution he was asked if he had anything to say before he died. “Yes,” he replied. “Tell young men everywhere that I am not dying for my crime; I am not dying because I am a murderer; I could have lived. Tell them I am dying because I refused to accept the governor’s pardon.”
My friend, if you are someday eternally lost it will not be simply because of your sins – no matter how great and terrible they are. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, suffered, bled and died on the cross for your sins. Since He took your punishment, God can forgive you! If you end up in hell, it will be because you refused God’s pardon based on the death of His Son Jesus Christ.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God ... who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 3:18, 2:24 NKJV).
“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin ... If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 Jn. 1:7,9).
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (Jn. 3:18).
The choice is yours! You can accept God’s pardon, escape eternal punishment for your sins and spend eternity with God in heaven. Or you can ignore and refuse God’s pardon and be eternally damned in hell.
Which will it be? We can tell you more.
This article is available as a gospel tract from Grace & Truth.