1. There are several classes of those who wish to put off a decision. One of the largest is composed of those who say “I want to wait,” or “Not to–night,” or “I will think about it,” or “I will come to–morrow night,” or some such thing. Use Isaiah 55:6. The inquirer having read the passage, ask him when it is that he is to seek the Lord, and when he answers “While he may be found,” ask him when that is and then drive it home. Ask him if he is sure that he can find Him to–morrow if he does not seek Him to–day. Or you can use Proverbs 29:1. It is well after he has read this verse to ask the one with whom you are dealing what becomes of the one who “being often reproved hardeneth his neck” and when he answers “He shall be destroyed,” ask him how he shall be destroyed, and when he answers “Suddenly,” ask him if he is willing to run the risk. Or you can use Matt 25:10-12. Ask him who it was that went into the marriage? and when he answers “They that were ready” ask him if he is ready. Then ask him what happened after those who were ready went in. Then ask him where “those who were not ready” were. Then put it to him, “Are you willing to be on the out–side?” Or you can use Luke 12:19-20. Ask the inquirer for how long a time this man thought he had made provision. Then ask him: “If God should call you to–night would you be ready?” Matt 24:44, is especially effective in dealing with those who say “I am not ready.” 1 Kings 18:21, can be used with good effect. An excellent way to use this verse is by asking the person whether he would be willing to wait a year and not have an opportunity under any circumstances, no matter what came up, of accepting Christ. When he answers, “No, I might die within a year,” ask him if he would be willing to wait a month. Then bring it down to a week and finally to a day, and ask him if he would like God and the Holy Spirit and all Christians to leave him alone for a day and he not have an opportunity, under any circumstances of accepting Christ? Almost any thoughtful person will say, “No.” Then tell him that if that is the case he had better accept Christ at once. Dr. Chalmers was the first one to use this method and it has been followed by many others with great success. Proverbs 27:1; James 4:13-14; Job 36:18; Luke 13:24-28; Luke 12:19-20; John 8:21; John 12:35; John 7:33-34, can also be used with this class.
2. Those who say “I must get fixed in business first, then I will become a Christian,” or “I must do something else first.” Matt 6:33, is the great passage to use in such cases; for it shows that we must seek the kingdom of God first.
3. Those who say “I am waiting God’s time.” If one says this, ask him if he will accept Christ in God’s time if you will show him when God’s time is. Then turn to 2 Cor 6:2, or Heb 3:15.
4. Those who say “I am too young,” or “I want to wait until I am older.” Ecc 12:1, is an all–sufficient answer to such. Matt 19:14, and Matt 18:3, are also good passages to use as they show that youth is the best time to come to Christ and that all must become children, even if they are old, before they can enter into the kingdom of Heaven. It is often times wise in dealing with persons who wish to put off a decision until some time in the future to use the passages given for “The Indifferent,” until such a deep impression is made of their need of Christ that they will not be willing to postpone accepting Christ.
In dealing with those under “1” above, it is best to use only one passage and drive that home by constant repetition. One night I was dealing with a man who was quite interested but who kept saying “I cannot decide to–night.” I quoted Proverbs 29:1. To every answer he made I would come back to this passage. I must have repeated it a great many times in the course of the talk until the man was made to feel not only his need of Christ but the danger of delaying and the necessity of a prompt decision. He tried to get away from the passage but I held him to this one point. The passage lingered with him and it was emphasized by the providence of God; for that very night he was assaulted and quite seriously injured, and he came the next night with his head bandaged and accepted Christ. The pounding which he received from his assailant would probably have done him little good if the text of scripture had not been pounded into his mind.