Don’t Get Close but Still Miss Out   

I was watching a golf tournament on TV recently as it came down to a playoff between two of the competitors. The moment that especially stood out to me was when one of the golfers had a golden opportunity to win the match. All he needed to do was to sink a reasonably-makeable putt. As the ball drew near the hole it looked like it was going to drop. As it reached the edge of the cup, the player raised his club in anticipation of celebrating his victory. However, the ball spun around the edge of the hole and came to rest a couple of inches on the other side. He almost won, but not quite. A hole or two later he ended up losing the match to his opponent.

It can be heartbreaking in any sport to get so close to a win, only to fall short. It is even sadder when it involves matters of greater significance, such as our relationship with the Lord and our eternal destiny. Some people get so close to experiencing the victory of knowing their sins are forgiven, of having peace with God, and being assured of a home in heaven. Unfortunately some don’t follow through but choose to turn away. They flirt with the idea of receiving the truth and submitting to Jesus, but they keep putting it off or just can’t quite get themselves to take the plunge. Almost, but still lost.

It reminds me of a couple of individuals we read about in the Bible. After listening to the Apostle Paul’s powerful testimony, King Agrippa commented, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). There are some who question whether or not this government official was truly as close to faith in Christ as his statement made it appear, but I tend to think so. He was almost persuaded. Nevertheless, concerns about his position, what others might think, or something else held him back from faith in Jesus.

Then there was the scribe whom Jesus encountered. They got into a conversation about the greatest commandment. This is when Jesus pointed to the commands about loving God and loving our neighbor as being of primary importance. After this man gave his own affirmation to Jesus’ words, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34). We don’t know what happened to that man. However, we know at that moment he was close to stepping onto the narrow road that leads to life. Close, but not quite there.

There is an old song some of us used to sing that describes this sad condition. It is entitled “Almost Persuaded.” It describes someone who is close to receiving Christ, but puts Him off until “some more convenient day.” The last lines of the song are haunting – “almost cannot avail; almost is but to fail! Sad, sad, that bitter wail – almost, but lost.”

I wonder if there is anyone reading this who might fit that description. Maybe you are exploring the Christian faith, checking out its beliefs, and wondering if there is any validity to its claims. You are seeing the truth and getting close, but you just haven’t taken that step of putting your trust in Jesus as your Savior. Or maybe you are someone who has known about the Lord for a long time, maybe even attend church, but you haven’t been willing to give up certain aspects of your life and submit to God and His way. You keep putting Him off until some unknown future time.

Don’t make the mistake of being close but losing out on a wonderful life now and a glorious existence in eternity. Now is the time to receive the Lord and live for Him.