The Almost Christian

This message, by George Whitefield, is entitled “The Almost Christian,” and is especially important in our neo-pagan culture. You can read the entire message here. An excerpt of the message follows.

“Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian,” Acts 26:28

---

THE CHAPTER, OUT OF which the text is taken, contains an admirable account which the great St. Paul gave of his wonderful conversion from Judaism to Christianity, when he was called to make his defense before Festus a Gentile governor, and king Agrippa. Our blessed Lord had long since foretold, that when the Son of man should be lifted up, “his disciples should be brought before kings and rulers, for his name’s sake, for a testimony unto them.” And very good was the design of infinite wisdom in thus ordaining it; for Christianity being, from the beginning, a doctrine of the Cross, the princes and rulers of the earth thought themselves too high to be instructed by such mean teachers, or too happy to be disturbed b such unwelcome truths; and therefore would have always continued strangers to Jesus Christ, and him crucified, had not the apostles, by being arraigned before them, gained opportunities of preaching to them “Jesus and the resurrection.”

Incidentally, Whitefield was best known as an open-air preacher and missionary from England to America in the early 18th century. Benjamin Franklin once calculated that Whitefield was able to preach and effectively be heard by crowds numbering up to 30,000, which he did with regularity.

Our 3 year-old son, Jonathan Whitefield Bookman is George Whitefield’s namesake.

-Tracy
The Colorado Springs Photographer