261 / 298
He Has Promised Us Long Life
255
But no, God wants to use us. There aren’t too many people believing in the Lord and working for
the Lord. The Bible says, “The harvest is great and the laborers are few.” (Luke 10:2) We need
more of us, a lot more of us. You don’t have to leave early.
It is so wonderful that this is in the Bible because it just blows so many people’s theology right
out of the water. In verses 21 and 22, Paul said, by the Spirit of God, “For me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh,” which is Christ, and anointed victory, “this is the
fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose, I wot not.” “Wot” means “know.”
Did he say he doesn’t know which one he’s going to choose? Did Paul say, “I don’t know which
one I’m going to choose—whether I stay and work or whether I die and go to be with the Lord”?
Did he say, “I don’t know which one I’m going to choose”? Yes, he did. People try to dance
around it. They try to make it say something else. They try to say, “Well now, Paul, that’s not up
to you.” Apparently he didn’t know that, and what’s more apparent is the Holy Spirit, Who was
speaking through him, didn’t know that. He said, “I don’t know which one I’m going to choose.”
Didn’t he say that? Can we choose? Do we have some say in this thing? Can we choose whether
we stay and live longer or whether we go on? Most Christians don’t believe this, and yet here it
is right here in the Bible.
People say, “Well, now, it’s appointed unto man a time to die. And when your time comes,
you’re going. It might be on a Thursday afternoon at 3:00 when you’re 25 years old. Or it might
be on a Saturday morning when you’re 49 years old. Or it might be… but when your time comes,
you’re going. It doesn’t make any difference what you or anyone else thinks because that’s
God’s business.” Wrong! That’s stuff people have made up. It’s religious tradition. It is not the
Bible.
Don’t get concerned. I’m going to prove it to you with about 20 verses. Did he really have a
choice? Could he really choose whether he stayed and lived or whether he went on then?
Let’s read the verse that I just quoted someone misquoting. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is
appointed unto men once,” once—underline or circle that in your Bible. “It is appointed unto
men,” a time to die? No. “Once to die, but after this the judgment.”
What does “once” mean? It means “one time.” If the Lord tarries His coming, even another
couple of hours, all of us are going to die. Some say, “Well, no, the Lord is coming soon.” There
is no question about that, but He could wait just another day, couldn’t He? He could say there are
so many people who are lost, and I believe I can get a lot more of them in, so I’m going to wait
at least another half day. That’s 500 years. You might say, “I don’t like that.” It doesn’t matter if
you like it or not, that’s how it is. The Bible says He is longsuffering, not willing that any should
perish. (2 Peter 3:9) That’s why He keeps waiting, isn’t it? I’m glad He waited long enough for
me to come in. How about you? Aren’t you glad He didn’t come while you were running from
Him? He waited a little longer, and you came on in. Well, there are a lot of folks in that boat and
worse off. He’ll know. He’ll come at the right time. It will be perfect. But, if He just waits
another couple of hours, that’s too long for you and me. Our life is done; we’re out of here.