Peter Jeffery is a retired pastor and author of numerous books. Some years ago, he put together some tracts, intended for circulation by whatever means were possible. I suggested to him that we could prepare them for use on the Internet, as well as being able to be printed. He liked the idea. Here is one of them. Enjoy the gospel illustration!
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
One of the most popular recent TV programs in both Britain and the USA is the quiz show “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”
Once when I was watching, a man was going for the last question and a possible winning of £1,000,000. He had sailed through the previous questions, answering easily and with confidence. This man was not guessing. He knew the answers. Then he faced the final question having already won £468,000 (about US$ 700,000). If he got the answer wrong, he would lose all that money; but he didn’t have to answer, and could go home with the half-million.
When the final question was asked, the four possible answers were shown. I thought I knew the answer, and I said to my wife, ‘The answer is “C”.’ But I was wrong! The man, however, did know the right answer and even said what it was, but the possibility of losing £468,000 made him hesitant.
He knew the right answer, but he was afraid to commit himself to it. In the end he didn’t play for the million, but if he had done so, he would have won. In that circumstance, you couldn’t blame him—a sure half-million is better than a possible million.
What would you have done in his place?
The interesting thing is that many people face a similar dilemma with regard to God. I’m talking about people who know the truth about God. They believe the gospel, but won’t commit themselves to what they know to be true.
Are you like that? You know you’re a sinner and that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. You know you need to be saved and that Jesus can and will save you if you come to him in repentance and faith. It’s not a question of ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ but of ‘Who wants to be a Christian?’ Who wants their sins forgiven? Who wants to be acceptable to God? Who wants to go to heaven?
You know that Jesus is the only answer to your problem of sin but you won’t commit yourself to what you know to be the truth. You won’t do it because you’re afraid of what you may lose. But you have lost sight of what you’ll most certainly gain if you become a Christian.
Your position is not like that of the man in the quiz—he won half a million anyway. If you continue to reject Jesus you will lose everything. There are no gains for those who turn away from God’s offer of salvation. The man in the TV show went away happy with his winnings, but I wonder if afterwards he ever regretted not having the courage of his convictions and going for the big prize.
The biggest prize is Christ. To have him as your Savior far surpasses anything else in this world. It means knowing peace with God and having an assurance of a place in heaven. It’s knowing victory over death and the grave and beginning to enjoy God’s gift of eternal life.
You know this is true, so why don’t you trust the truth? I’m not asking you to believe a fairy story or something you know is wrong. I’m asking you to commit yourself to the One you know is the Truth.
Even if you became a millionaire, the day would come when you’d have to leave it all. You know that you can’t take it with you when you die. But Christ as your Savior is for all eternity. Not only can you take him with you, but he goes before you into death and takes you safely through to the heaven of God. Turn to Jesus now. You know the gospel promise that he will not turn you away. Go to him in prayer, ask for forgiveness of sin, and begin to enjoy true riches that you can never lose.
Peter Jeffery
© Day One Publications, www.dayone.co.uk
