Almost Persuaded

By Phillip Bliss

 

Verse One

"Almost persuaded" now to believe;

"Almost persuaded" Christ to receive;

Seems now some soul to say,

"Go, Spirit, go Thy way,

Some more convenient day

On Thee I’ll call."

 

Verse Two

"Almost persuaded," come, come today;

"Almost persuaded," turn not away;

Jesus invites you here,

Angels are lingering near

Prayers rise from hearts so dear;

O wanderer, come!

 

Verse Three

"Almost persuaded," harvest is past!

"Almost persuaded," doom comes at last!

"Almost" cannot avail;

"Almost" is but to fail!

Sad, sad, that bitter wail —

"Almost," but lost!

 

The idea for this song is from Acts 26:28 where the King of Israel, king Agrippa’s response to Paul’s preaching is “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

He was not almost persuaded to leave Judaism for another religion,

He was not almost persuaded to be turn over a new leaf,

He was not almost persuaded to be baptized,

He was not almost persuaded to keep the commandments, or live good enough.

No! He was almost persuaded to be a Christian, a “Christ one.” Someone who realizes they are a sinner and that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sin, and that nothing they do can take their sin away, but to believe on Jesus Christ the Perfect, Holy, Son of God.

 

It would be nice to think that Agrippa later was persuaded and believed on Jesus, but that cannot be known for certain.

Let us be sure that we give people every opportunity to be not only almost, but completely persuaded of their need of Salvation.

 

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

….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: