What About the Lost
copyright David Brandon 10/14/08
Hi friends,
I have read the Prophets and Gospels many times and always reached the same conclusion: Jesus Christ is the Savior of all who confess His name. Those who are not saved are bound to suffer the wrath of eternal God for unrepentant sin.
Many times I have asked God how it is possible that so many who are not Christians, and who seem to be good decent people can be in danger of the Judgment. There are Jews for whom the name Jesus brings discomfort and denial, Muslims who hold that He was only a prophet and just a man, Atheists who claim he may never have existed, and people of many other religious persuasions. Some go through their lives taking care of their families admirably, doing their jobs, and being responsible citizens. But if they do not have Jesus as their Lord and Savior they have a big problem; sin.
The Bible teaches us "...all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) I am certain this is true! "There is none that doeth good, no not one." (Psalm 14:3) All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." (Isaiah 64:8) "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." (Jeremiah 17:9) "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10)
This last verse should send a shock of reality down a lot of spines. According to Scripture every unsaved soul has a lot for which to answer.
Many of our sins are hidden from us. But they are not hidden from God: "...the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." (Psalm 7:9) When we have hostile, bitter, and even murderous thoughts, God sees. And just as Jesus said, "whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart," (Matthew 5:28) when we harbor evil feelings toward another human being we are culpable for them. How can we stop sinning in our hearts? We can not. ("For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." [Romans 7:19])
For people who claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior there is hope. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:1) And when we slip we have an Advocate who intercedes with the Father on our behalf. But without Jesus there is no hope. Contrary to popular wisdom and Liberal Christian thought, there are not many ways to God. The Bible says, Jesus IS the way: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)
What about all those unfortunate people who never really have a chance? I have spoken with pastors who say God presents the Gospel to every person at least once in his lifetime. I don't know if that is true or not. If it is though, is it enough? In my case it was. I heard it preached for the first time in the movie, "The Greatest Story Ever Told," when I was eighteen. I believed that day but tucked it away for the next twenty-seven years. At no time in that period did I read the New Testament. Not once. In fact I read no scripture at all. But when I finally picked up the Hebrew Scriptures and read Isaiah 53 the Gospel of Jesus Christ sprang to life in my heart again.
There are many who have been turned against the Lord by religious teachers of other faiths. What about these people who dutifully believed their elders and the material they were given to read? After meditating about this and praying many times I received this simple answer: "Pray for them, obey the Great Commission, and leave the rest to Me." This is an answer I can live with. How about you?
May the Lord richly bless and keep you.
Love, your brother in Christ,
David