Many serious traffic accidents are caused by failure to yield the right-of-way to other drivers.  Such failures may result from factors such as inattention, distracted or impaired driving, and willfulness.  Willfulness is stubborn insistence on selfish priorities—a “me first” mentality. This mindset may lead some motorists to deliberately ignore signs and signals directing them to yield.  In so doing, they cast aside law, custom, the well-being of others and even, personal safety.  They drive rudely, often recklessly, in a narcissistic bid to emphasize their own importance at the expense of lesser mortals.

Failure to yield can also have painful consequences in other situations, such as when one is defeated in an athletic contest or military conflict but is too proud to admit it.  The children’s game of “uncle” comes to mind, in which forced utterance of the word is a token of absolute surrender which, though it does forfeit the game, immediately stops the torment.

The ultimate high stakes venue for failing to yield however, is the realm of the spirit.  Eternal life hangs in the balance and turns solely on the question of whether each individual has surrendered his or her will to Jesus Christ, and when.  That’s right—not how, but when or if you like, under what circumstances?  Is it a free choice or the irresistible command of Almighty God?

Scenario ‘A’ (free choice, made before the triumphant return of Jesus Christ): 

“And being found in fashion as a man, he [Jesus] humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Philippians 2:8-11)

Scenario ‘B’ (involuntary admission, made after Christ’s glorious return):

“ …I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.  Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.”  (Psalm 45:22-24)

On which side of the line are you standing, right now?  Are you joyfully and wholeheartedly confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father?  Or are you hanging back, holding back, waiting for who knows what?  Will you be ashamed at His coming, looking for someplace to hide?  Think about it.  This is as real as it gets.

If you happen to be in camp ‘B’, among those who—finally, and only under duress—make grudging admission of His lordship, the Father will still ensure that you bend the knee to His Son.  Are you truly “incensed” against Jesus?  Will you acknowledge Him through clenched teeth, spitting venom and shaking your fist in defiance?

Why?  Because He created you?  No?  Then why?  Because He suffered, died and was buried for YOUR sins?  Is it because He purchased your freedom from death and hell with His own precious blood, and secured eternal life for you, in heaven?  Nope?  Then why?  Is it because He wants to have a personal relationship with you, and to fill your life with His joy, peace, hope and purpose?  Is it because He knew that you were totally helpless and completely incapable of doing any of this for yourself?

Is that why you’re mad at Him?  Are you angry because He is beginning to do what you have always blamed Him for not doing sooner—punishing sin and unleashing divine wrath?  Was He too patient, too merciful, allowing too much time for repentance, too many extra chances?

Are you waiting for a bigger, more powerful, more impressive Savior, who can show by amazing miracles that He’s the real deal?  What if He could make the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see and the dead rise?  Would that suffice?  And what if, while allowing Himself to be crucified, He interceded with His Father on behalf of His murderers, then raised himself to life again on the third day and later, ascended back to heaven?  Would that do it for you?

I happen to doubt that you’ll rail at Jesus when you stand before Him in judgment.  I tend to think that instead, you will weep tears of abject sorrow over the fact that you somehow managed to let God’s greatest gift and life’s greatest opportunity slip through your fingers.  I suspect that you will bitterly regret allowing the pardon Jesus died to give you to go to waste.

Of course, you can still join the throngs of men, women and children who have come to Christ over the past 2,000 years, the current generation of whom wait eagerly for Jesus to return and rule and reign among us at last.  What are YOU waiting for?

Do you need to hear the gospel one more time?  [You just did.]  Do you want to think it over some more, before committing yourself?  Please remember that only God knows whether this day, this chance may be your last.   Are you waiting for a sign?  Here it is.  It says, “YIELD”. 

Don’t procrastinate until it’s too late.  Surrender your heart to Jesus Christ.  Repent of your sins.  Let Him transform you from the inside out.  Start learning from experience what the love of Christ is all about.  If you need help and encouragement, or assurance from God that He will accept you, read on.

HOW TO BE SAVED:

• Admit to God that you are a sinner (that you have not kept His moral law to perfection; in your thoughts, words, and actions you have done what His law forbids and have failed to do what His love demands).  This is seeing yourself from God’s point of view and agreeing that He is right about you.  Be as specific as you can.
• Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead.
• Sincerely repent (turn away) from your sins, asking God to forgive you and to use His power to help you resist temptation, no matter how strong the pull of sin may be, at first.
• Acknowledge Jesus as the Lord of your life.  Invite Him to move into your heart and take up residence there, so that He can change you from the inside out.
• Trust His promise to save you and give you a new spiritual birth and a new nature (thoughts, desires, priorities, hopes, dreams, and character).

SOME KEY TRUTHS:

• “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  (Romans 3:23)
• “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10)
• “For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)
• “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)
• “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  (I Corinthians 15:3,4)
• “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)
• “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him…”  (Revelation 3:20)
• “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (Romans 10:13)
• “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  (Romans 10:9-10)
• “Verily, verily, I say unto you; He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  (John 5:24)
• “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, ye might have life through his name.”  (John 20:31) 
• “These things I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  (I John 5:13)