Do you have a tuit? Could you use one? Tuits are not very expensive, but for some people, they are priceless. After all, a tuit could change your life. A tuit might even save your soul!
Tuits are easy to find. If you go to www.amazon.com and put “Tuit” in the search engine, you’ll find no less than 20 different tuits for sale.
Tuits are often made of wood, but they also come in metal or ceramic versions. The type of material with which your tuit is made is unimportant – it’s the shape that matters. Your tuit cannot be square or oblong – to have its intended effect, it must absolutely be round.
You see, round tuits are for those perpetual procrastinators who need a nudge to make some necessary change in their life. Tuits motivate chronic foot-draggers to overcome the inertia of inaction so they can take the first step in a positive direction.
You know who I’m talking about: these are the people who say, “I’m going to start exercising one of these days when I get a round tuit.”
Or, “Yes, I know none of our smoke detectors work, but I fully intend to replace the batteries when I get a round tuit.”
Or even, “Of course I feel bad we haven’t visited Grandma in the nursing home for several months, but I just seem to have trouble getting a round tuit.”
I don’t know why some folks need a round tuit to get off the dime and take decisive action, but I do know the Scriptures indicate there are some situations that require our prompt attention. The most important, of course, is our salvation! God fervently wants all people to go to heaven – in fact, he desires it so strongly that he sent his one and only Son to die for us – but only those who respond to the gospel can have that hope (John 3:16-18).
The most prominent example of the perils of procrastination is Felix, the Roman governor of Judea. His story is found in Acts chapter 24. Felix was well acquainted with the Christian faith (verse 22), and when Paul was his prisoner in Caesarea, the governor had the apostle brought up from the dungeon to speak about his faith in Jesus.
Verse 25 records that fateful encounter: “As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid.” Roman officials cultivated an attitude of stoicism and sought to restrain their emotions at all times, so the striking response of Felix (one translation says “he trembled”) indicates the governor was convicted of his sinfulness and alarmed at the realization that he would one day have to answer to the Judge of all the earth.
So, what did Felix do? He abruptly announced, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” He realized he was lost, heard the message of Jesus Christ, and could have responded, but Felix put it off, and because he never got around to it, he will have all eternity to regret his failure to accept God’s grace when he had the opportunity.
Contrast his example with that of another Roman official, an unnamed jailor in Philippi. His story is found in Acts chapter 16. Paul and Silas were his prisoners, and they were singing hymns at midnight when a violent earthquake burst open the doors of the jail. The commotion awakened the jailer, and seeing the open doors, mistakenly concluded a jailbreak had occurred. In his despair, the jailer drew his sword and was about to end his life, when Paul cried out from the darkness of his cell, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’ The jailer fell trembling before Paul and Silas, and asked, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”
Both Felix and this jailer were Roman officials; both had Paul as their prisoner; and both men trembled at their lost state. Why, then, are their responses so different? One word: “immediately” (verse 33)! The jailer didn’t even wait until daybreak to be immersed into Jesus! Even though it was the middle of the night, the jailer requested to be baptized. Why? Because his world had been rocked once, and he wanted to know he was right with God, right now!
A middle-of-the-night baptism might strike some today as odd, but in fact, a recurring theme of the book of Acts is the promptness of baptism. In chapter 2, when Peter preached on Pentecost, he commanded his hearers to “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven” (verse 38) and some 3000 were baptized that day (verse 41).
In chapter 8, Philip was invited by an Ethiopian eunuch to join him in his chariot, and as they traveled down the road together, Philip told him the good news about Jesus. Upon coming to a body of water beside the highway, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” (verse 36). The eunuch ordered the chariot to stop, climbed out, and was baptized by Philip right then (verse 38).
In chapter 22, after Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus, Ananias visited him and asked Paul, “What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (verse 16). Paul’s eyesight was restored and he was baptized “immediately” (Acts 9:18).
So, how about you? If today were your last day on earth, would you be confident of a home in heaven? Have you been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins? After their late-night immersion the jailer and his family “were filled with joy” (Acts 16:34), and that joy can be yours, as well.
Of course, baptism is just a first step in your walk with Jesus – our Lord makes it clear, from that point on he expects us to live faithfully as his disciple (Matthew 10:22, Luke 9:62, Revelation 2:10). That means after our baptism we’ll need a “stick tuit” – but that’s a lesson for another day.
If you know you are lost and need to have your sins washed away, and you recognize Jesus is our heaven-sent Savior, but you have not yet taken the step of being united with him through baptism (Romans 6:3-4), what are you waiting for? There’s an old proverb, “One of these days is none of these days.” When it comes to your salvation, don’t put it off. Get “a round tuit” – now!
Dan Williams Franklin, Tennessee