The Gravity of it All

There was nothing extraordinary about my life yesterday, but I experienced a deep soberness related to the concept of personal choice.   You see, I interacted with two people I hadn’t seen in a while, and I had the opportunity to hear about their choices. A couple of years ago, I shared my faith with the first person and invited them to study the Word with me (I never received a response), although we remained friendly. I never witnessed to the second person.

Yesterday, I gained a better insight into where these individuals stood in relation to the Person of Jesus Christ. Currently, neither has saving faith as described within Scripture, which was very sobering for me. I like both of them (which is entirely irrelevant to a believer’s call to share the hope they have, but might explain my heaviness). I truly hope they will learn who Jesus Christ is and rely fully on His finished work to redeem humanity.

In speaking with the first person, they casually confirmed a belief in evolution “out of Africa”  to explain the creation and spread of humanity.  This presented an opposing view from the Biblical account of creation and the propagation of humans across the globe. Christians may have varying beliefs about the method God used to create the universe, but all Christians must acknowledge that God is the source of life and that He outlined His will and plan within the Bible.

While our interaction was pleasant, I walked away with a weighty sense that this person bears the responsibility to God to acknowledge Him, yet they are quite comfortable in denying His role as Creator.

As I proceeded to my next activity, I reflected on (1) our previous interactions, (2) God’s desire to save people, (3) God’s election, and (4) human responsibility. I whispered a prayer for that precious soul and then made my next stop.

After I completed my business transaction with the second person, they shared their faith with me. For some reason, it really surprised me. They shared how they had a traumatic experience and called out to their god, saying that if their prayer was answered, they would return to their religion. As they explained their beliefs, it became clear through their traditions and holidays that their faith was in a different god. Their profession included prophanity, lacked any “heart conversion”, but did result in a sense of obligation to their god.

Normally, I would want to engage in a conversation about Christ and His promise of eternal life; this time, I became still, just listening, contemplative, and restrained from testifying.

I returned to my vehicle bewildered. What was wrong with me? I asked the Lord why I wasn’t stirred to witness; was there a correction needed in my heart? I needed to pray for both individuals (which I did). But what did all of this mean?

Regrettably, there are times I am so engrossed in my activities that I fail to recognize the opportunity to share my faith. This was not that. I just was not free to share about the freedom and peace I have in Christ.

From studying God’s Word, I have learned that whether someone has unbelief or faith in something that can not save, God holds all individuals accountable for knowing Him.  It is written: 

• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. … He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-5, 10-14 ESV)
• “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. … because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:17-19, 21)

The truth is that this was me, too. This is the state of all unregenerated people. My darkened heart was unacknowledging, unthankful, desiring my own way, sensing there was a Creator, but more content to pursue my interests. But then, one glorious day, God revealed His Son to me in a transformative way. He changed my “want to”. He showed my need to be pardoned from sin and sent forth His Spirit to bring life to me.

• “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” (Romans 5:6-11)

During Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, He said this to those who did not believe He was the Son of God:

• “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. … It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” (John 6:36-40, 63-65)

The question here is, doesn’t God want to save everyone? The Word of God states that Jesus appeased God’s wrath (propitiation) against the sin of the whole world.   It is written:

• “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2)
• “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)

These passages indicate that the price has been paid for all sin, but few receive Him by placing faith in Him as the Divine and only begotten Son of God. Jesus said it this way:

• “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:16-21)

It is obvious that there are varying degrees of evil.  Also, many people enjoy living with a form of general morality, demonstrating care and love for others; yet, many of these same people do not accept what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ. Many believe there are many ways to God. Jesus taught that few will enter God’s heaven because the way is hard. He said:

• “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.“ (Matthew 7:13-14 ESV)

Until today, I had never looked up the word “narrow” from the Matthew 7 passage. The Greek word “thlibó” was used to describe the entrance into the Kingdom of God. It means to press and afflict, tribulation. Here are some verses where this same word is used: Mark 3:9, 2 Corinthians 1:6, 2 Corinthians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 7:5, 1 Thessalonians 3:4, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7, 1 Timothy 5:10, and Hebrews 11:37.

So on one hand, people just don’t want to believe and follow Jesus.  On the other hand, those who might be open to faith don’t want to endure what comes along with it during this lifetime.  A sincere walk of faith with the Lord is a call for humility, surrender, selflessness, persecution, mocking, and obedience to Christ’s teachings, which are counter-cultural ways.

And ultimately, Jesus said, “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father“. Elsewhere in Scripture, it is written: And ultimately, Jesus said, “no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father“. Elsewhere in Scripture, it is written:

• “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:24-31)

So, we see both the Father’s sovereign election in coming to faith and human responsibility in responding. It is written:

• “For whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “LORD, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.” … But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” (Romans 10:13-18, 20)

Why didn’t I feel the compulsion to share the gospel clearly and directly to both of these individuals (one previously invited, the other never invited)?

I am certainly not going to assume that it had anything to do with God’s election! We all need to be led by the Spirit of God, and there may be times when the Lord shuts the door of opportunity for specific people to share the gospel at a given time (as He did in Acts 16:6-10). This is why we ought to pray throughout the day and actively listen to the Lord for discernment on what to do.  The Lord has perfect timing and knowledge; His divine appointments are by His grace.

While we may not know the reasons for God’s leading, it is clearly God’s will that His disciples share the good news of eternal life through faith (reliance) on Christ’s atonement for all sin!

So, why was I mindful of sharing the Gospel but subdued within me with reverent grief over what I heard in these interactions? I am not sure, and I don’t need to fully understand because I can trust the goodness of God. I know that I was to reflect on it.

Whatever yesterday was about, I know I was to listen, pray for these people, and weigh the gravity of the call to testify to the reality of Christ’s love and the coming judgment.

Friends, there will come a point when your mind is set, hardened in what your heart desires.  It’s better to choose devotion to the Lord now and every day; to respond to His leading. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Make your commitment today and enjoy the promises of eternal life with the One who purchased salvation.

May our hearts and minds be set on Him!