One of my joys in life is to visit thrift stores.  There are so many wonderful treasures to be found.  I often wonder what possessed people to give away some of the articles that stock the shelves at a thrift store.  I always take more than a few moments at the bookshelves.  The truth is that about half of my reference library is comprised of books purchased at thrift stores.

I'm often amazed to find commentaries, bible atlases, bible dictionaries, and the like in thrift stores.  Generally, if it isn't a volume that I already own, and if the cost is not great, I'll pick up these books whenever I see them.  But it makes me wonder about the original owners.  What made them part with these precious treasures of human insight into God's word?  I can't think of a reason for it that doesn't make me sad.  Did they just lose interest in studying?  Was there some event in their life that caused them to stop seeking the Lord?  Did they simply die?  If so, was there no family to pass these books down to?  Or worse yet, did they leave a family that wasn't interested in the study of God's word?  It just makes me wonder.

There is one bright spot in my search of second hand literature.  I rarely see a Bible.  Even though few people really study the Bible, perhaps there is some respect or reverence for the pure wisdom contained in this volume that causes people to think twice before discarding it.  And as long as this book is in their possession there is always a chance that they will read it and learn the truth, and the truth will set them free.  Because it's rare to find one, and I can't recall that I have ever discarded one, I'm always surprised to find a Bible in a thrift store.

I came across a bible in a thrift store yesterday.  I didn't purchase it, but opened it to see if it was a translation that I might not already have.  Like most thrift store Bibles, it was well worn, with notes and comments handwritten in the margin.  Someone at some time had really loved this book.  It seemed that it had been presented to someone in England, and had perhaps changed hands to someone who had lived in this country.  There were two sets of handwriting in the margins.

Well, like all of the religious volumes I find in thrift stores, I found something in this Bible that made sad.  I found written inside the front cover the following two phrases, "Accepted Christ as my personal savior, April 5, 1978" and "Baptized in water April 28, 1978."  My heart sank.  Obviously there was no understanding that baptism was a necessary step to salvation as Jesus said in Mark 16: 16.  There was no understanding that baptism was for forgiveness of sins as Peter said in Acts 2: 38.  There was no understanding that baptism was the scriptural authorized answer to God's offer of saving grace according to 1 Peter 3: 21.  Although there had been an intellectual acceptance of Christ as savior, there had been no obedience from the heart of the saving doctrine of scripture as Paul encouraged in Romans 6: 17 cf.  In short, as of April 28, 1978, this soul was lost, and believed himself to be saved.  I wondered if this man was still alive.  I wondered if he ever came to know the truth.  I wondered if I've done enough to tell the truth.  I wonder if any of us has done enough to tell the truth.  It just makes me wonder.