The Urgency of the Application
StoryIllustrationAnalogy★★★★A Christian physician had for some years tried to win a friend and patient to Christianity. He urged him to believe the Bible and to accept God’s Word in faithful obedience. He had always been put off with the reply, “Some other time.” One day the doctor was hurriedly summoned, for his friend felt that mortal sickness had overtaken him.
On diagnosis, the condition was discovered to be trivial, but the doctor hid the fact and offered some medicine with the instruction that it was to be taken in six month’s time. “But,” cried the patient, “why wait so long?
I may be dead in that time.” “Ah, well,” said the doctor, “take it in a month’s time.” “But, why wait even so long as that?” queried the anxious patient.
“Then take it in only a week,” said the doctor. “Why not take it at once?” the patient insisted.
“I may not live even a week. I need to take the medicine now.”
The point
A doctor offers delayed medicine to a sick patient, but the patient insists on taking it immediately because his condition may worsen; the story illustrates the urgency of spiritual decision-making—we cannot delay accepting Christ.