Imagine, if you will, a man who has been convicted of a very bad crime. He is unlikely to ever be released from prison. Then, one day he is called to the warden’s office and he is notified that he can go free. A pardon has just been issued by the governor and it will be just as if he never committed the crime.

Can you imagine the man saying, “No thanks. I don’t need it.”

I suppose it might be possible such a thing might happen. Maybe the prisoner thinks he is going to get out on his own. Perhaps he has his lawyer working on something. However, I would suspect that most men, given the chance to go free would jump at the chance. I mean most of us would rather not remain in prison for forty or fifty years. Most people with a head on their shoulders would say it would be a really dumb thing to walk away from a total pardon. Most folks given the offer would say thank you very much and gladly leave the prison life behind them.

Yet, every day, thousands of people are offered a much greater pardon and the vast majority flat turn it down, often without giving it a thought. Even more, the pardon is far better. It not only forgives all past offenses but future ones as well. And yet thousands say, “No thanks. I don’t want it.”

Salvation is a type of pardon offered by Jesus. He paid the price of your offenses to set you and I free. Who is so foolish as to reply “No thanks.” Yet people do it every day. They reject Jesus and His salvation. They make the choice to remain imprisoned, not just for a lifetime, but eternity. He will not force you to take the pardon. He has determined to give everyone the choice. Don’t you think it would be a horrible idea to make the wrong choice? Eternity is a long time. Better be sure you chose right.