Pastor Peter Simpson was declaring the urgency of repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in the centre of Uxbridge, West London, on August 1st. In vital support were a group of more immediately local Christians, and Mrs Helen Jackman from Penn.
As Pastor Simpson was preaching, a young atheist on his way to work on his bike stopped in the front of the preacher, as he has often done before, and started playing loud music on a device in his rucksack. He was asked if he would turn the music off or move on, rather than deliberately standing by the minister, thus trying to make a point by drowning out what was being said. He refused to turn the music off, as long as the preaching was taking place.
Another young man then came up to him, one who has also frequently and vigorously opposed everything that the witnessing Christians stand for. He started having a conversation with the man playing the music, and they looked as if they were really enjoying themselves. It is such a shame that these two fervent opponents of gospel truth being publicly proclaimed choose not to engage in rational discussion. Those witnessing relish the challenge of any difficult questions which might be thrown at them, but is not playing music right in front of the preacher to show contempt a rather crude stunt? Thankfully, the young man only stayed for a few minutes.
Mrs Jackman spoke with a Muslim man, who was sadly of a rather angry disposition, arguing that Jesus was just a messenger of God, as opposed to the truth of His being the eternal Son of God and the unique Saviour of sinners.
The Muslim was asked how he would get to heaven. His reply was simply that Mrs Jackman had to read the Qur’an, but he was not willing to say on what basis he himself would be brought to eternal glory. Mrs Jackman asked him if he thought that his good works would earn him a place in heaven, and he agreed with this notion, which the Bible of course openly contradicts.
He was told that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). All that any human being has ever earned or deserved before the holy God is spiritual and eternal death. It is impossible for any sinner (as all men are) to compensate for his sins by his feeble attempt at good works. God is all holy and requires perfection. Only the shed blood of Jesus Christ, which satisfies the justice of God, can cleanse a man from the guilt of his sin. The Muslim very disappointingly then left the onversation, shouting that the witnessing Christians are lying.
Another man approached Mrs Jackman, asking for her views on abortion. He was told that the Bible is clear that the child in the womb is a life created by God, and we do not have the right to take that life. The man disagreed, believing that every woman has the right to choose what to do with her own body (but what about the baby’s body)!!
The man also said that he was an atheist and that all religions basically have the same message. He was told in response that Christianity is quite different from other religions, for the others usually emphasise the importance of good works to earn God’s favour. Only Christianity teaches that all are helpless sinners, and that salvation is by grace alone, apart from works, and through faith in a crucified Saviour.
Mrs Jackman then gave the man some practical examples of how people frequently sin and defy God’s commandments. He responded that he had been on the receiving end himself of such bad actions, citing the time when a girlfriend cheated on him, but the atheist then blamed God for having allowed his girlfriend to do this. His conclusion was that God cannot possibly be a good God.
Replying to this, the witnessing sister told him that all people are responsible before the Lord to make their own moral choices. That is how God has made us, not as pre-programmed automatons, but as those who must use their God-given wills to choose good or evil. May the Lord cause this atheist to see the obligation upon him personally to use his grace-enabled will to choose repentance from sin and faith in Christ. The responsibility rests upon him : “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15).
Providentially, Mrs Jackman was also able to speak with an older man, who knew the Bible well, and who had attended church since being a child. Despite these benefits, however, he did not understand the urgency of the gospel message or the significance of, for example, the Lord’s words in Luke 13:3, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.
He was therefore told that none of us knows how long we have on this earth, and that he needs to make his peace with God through faith in Christ, whilst there is still time. He sadly, however, responded to Mrs Jackman, saying that he was simply not ready to repent. These are truly tragic words, because the time is short – for all of us. This man had no concept of the urgency of coming out of his current state.
May the gracious God show to this church-going gentleman the enormity of his sin and his desperate need to “flee from the wrath to come” by heartfelt repentance and trust in the Saviour. Indeed, may many others who heard the gospel in Uxbridge likewise be convicted of their great need and of the truth of the apostle Peter’s words concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).