Around the Wicket Gate (Version 2)

Countless souls wander in distant lands, far removed from God and the peace that comes with Him; for these, we pray and issue warnings. Yet today, our focus is on a smaller group—those who stand at the very threshold of the wicket gate, ready to embark on the path to eternal life. You might think they would rush to enter, especially with a warm invitation beckoning them and a welcoming porter waiting at the gate. Surprisingly, it is often the heaviest burdened who appear most ready to step forward. What holds back the others? Those who hesitate to take that crucial step of faith risk perishing just outside the gate of life. It is a tragic fate to be almost saved yet completely lost! Just as a man outside Noahs ark would face drowning, or a slayer outside the city of refuge would find danger, so too will the individual who stands a mere yard from Christ yet fails to trust Him face ruin. Thus, with great urgency, I call out to my hesitant friends Come in! Come in! May the Holy Spirit make this plea resonate deeply with many as they read these words! Let His powerful voice ignite faith within them without delay! - Summary from Preface by Charles H. Spurgeon