____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ April 26, 1992 ____________________________________________________ LOST--WHY? by Tom Edwards Not Because of God Why do so many people today remain in a lost condition? Is it God's fault? Not according to 1 Timothy 2:4; this passage states that the Lord ''...desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.'' Corresponding to this is Peter's declaration that the Lord ''...is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance'' (2 Pet. 3:9). Surely, everyone should realize that it is God's intense concern that every sinner becomes one of His well-cared-for children. This is why He lovingly sent Jesus into this contemptible world of sin and shame (John 3:16). In speaking about this mission, Jesus also clarifies its purpose by saying in Mark 2:17, ''...It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'' Without question, the Bible shows that Jesus tasted death for every transgressor (Heb. 2:9) and, therefore, made the atonement for all. As John writes in 1 John 2:2, ``and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.'' Man Can Only Blame Himself Undoubtedly, the problem of one's lost condition lies within oneself--not with the Lord, who made man upright (Ecc. 7:29). Sin, therefore, comes into this world by man's choice (1 Jn. 3:4). No one can actually make you sin, though some might tempt you to do so; the final decision is yours (Jms. 1:13-15; 1 Cor. 10:13). When an accountable person transgresses the law of God, he becomes a sinner and will incur the wrath of God who is impartial and fair in all His judgments. Sin will separate one from the Lord during one's time on earth and during one's time in eternity (Isa. 59:1,2). Regrettably, the condition the Bible shows for most people is that they are on this road of sin that leads to a destination of eternal destruction. As Paul expressed this to the Roman brethren, he informed them concerning those who had reached an age of accountability that all have ``sinned and fall(en) short of the glory of God'' (Rom. 3:23). For some reason, though,--or is it a plurality of reasons?--many people continually pass up God's love and mercy that can be received through Jesus Christ. If God were only just, He could rightly condemn us all to eternal punishment, but because He is also love and has a merciful and compassionate nature as well, He provided a way through His Son that we could be saved by His good grace. Even so, however, many people today still reject His love and obstinately continue in a lost condition at this very moment; they can be likened to those in Jerusalem whom the Lord wept over and longed to gather together the way a hen would its brood--but they were unwilling (Luke 13:34; Matt. 23:37). Let us consider a few of these reasons why many people persist in their lost condition: Some Don't Believe Firstly, it is because some do not believe. Without the initial step of an obedient faith in Christ, one's walk down the road of life is a vain journey toward a lamentable destination--even if one does much ``good'' along the way. Blinded by the temporal, many people view the end of their lives as the end of the road, but it is not; it is only a fork that branches in two directions--heaven or hell. Taking the road to heaven necessitates the traveler having faith in the Savior (whose life is endless) and walking with God in a harmonious relationship. The Lord Himself warns in John 8:24, ``I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins.'' Without this faith one cannot please God nor come to Him (Heb. 11:6). All the good deeds, therefore, that the unbeliever might do--whether it be in caring for the sick, meeting the needs of the poor, or comforting the bereaved--will not add even one whit to the unbeliever's standing before God in the Judgment Day to help save him from eternal condemnation. To get on that road of believing, one must look to the Scriptures, for ``faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ'' (Rom. 10:17). Corresponding to this is John's declaration in John 20:30,31, ``Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.'' If we want to be saved by faith than we must accept--not the doctrines of men, but the gospel of Jesus Christ, for ''...it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek'' (Rom. 1:16). Some Believe--But Don't Want to Repent Secondly, there are others who--though they believe--do not want to cease committing sin. This is the state of many people today. Jesus warns concerning this that ''...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish'' (Luke 13:5). The fact that one must also repent indicates that salvation is based on more than merely having ``faith only.'' One must believe and repent (along with meeting other requirements as well). ``Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent'' (Acts 17:30). One reason why many people remain lost is because they love iniquity more than they love the righteousness of God. John expressed this by saying that these had ``loved the darkness rather than the light'' (John 3:19). Repentance often involves major changes or sacrifices in one's life that many times one is not willing to make. How sad this will be in the Judgment Day, however; for no sin--regardless of the pleasure it can yield--would ever make an eternity in hell worthwhile. Now is the time to count the cost and pay whatever price we must in order to save our souls from the eternal torments of that horrifying lake of unquenchable fire. Some Believe--But Don't Want To Do What God Demands Thirdly, there are also those who simply don't want to do the things which God asks. This is closely related to those who don't want to repent. Without obedience to the word of the Lord, our souls will be lost (Matt. 7:21; Luke 6:46), for Christ is the ``source of eternal salvation'' to only those who ``OBEY Him'' (Heb. 5:9). Unfortunately, our society has become so hedonistic that far too many people are more concerned with seeking worldly pleasure rather than pursuing that which is good for their body, mind, and soul. It would do us well to ask ourselves the question before engaging in a particular endeavor or recreation if it is going to help our body, mind, or soul without impairing, harming, or destroying any of these three distinct entities. Salvation is not based on something we did last week, last month, last year, or something we did years ago, but it is based on our present relationship with God. One must continue, therefore, to ``walk in the light,'' by keeping God's word, if one wants to remain within fellowship with God and have the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse one from sin (1 John 1:7). This implies that the way we live does have an important bearing on whether we will eventually enter into eternal glory or not, and this also indicates that there are certain works of righteousness one must perform (Heb. 12:14; 1 John 3:7). Those who refuse to do so are the disobedient--even if they were converted years prior. When Christ returns and the world is no more, God's disobedient children will be judged along with the atheists and agnostics and will receive the same condemnation (2 Thess. 1:7-10). The importance of observing God's commands is also inferred from Titus 1:16; the passage states: ``They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed.'' According to this verse, their denial is not said to have been due to not having accepted the fact of the deity of Christ; rather their denial is because they did not do the other things which God had asked. (cf. Luke 6:46 and Matt. 7:21) Some Believe--But Are Too Lazy To Do Anything About It Fourthly, there are those who are the procrastinators. They think they have plenty of time and can obey God at some future date. It is extremely dangerous for anyone to have this attitude and put off his obedience to the Lord. As someone once said, ``Postponed obedience is disobedience.'' Concerning this thought, James writes, ``Come now, you who say, `Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, `If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that''' (Jms. 4:13-15). The Bible urges prompt obedience: ''...Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts'' (Heb. 4:7). ''...behold, now is the `acceptable time,' behold, now is the `day of salvation''' (2 Cor. 6:2). Let us not allow indolence to keep us from doing God's will. Solomon strove to instill this lesson by using the example of the little, industrious ants who gather their food during the harvest so that they may have the proper provision in the time to come (Prov. 6:6-11). Slothfulness can rob us of God's gift of eternal life. Some Want To Go To Heaven--But Have Been Misled Fifthly. Perhaps the saddest group is made up of those who truly do want to go to heaven, and they even think that they have done all that is required of them in order to become Christians, but they have been deceived by false teachers and have not done what God requires of them in order to obtain the remission of sins. Many of these sincere people are very devoted in their service. They have made numerous sacrifices because of their beliefs and commitments, but let us not forget the Lord's pronouncement upon some who thought they had done so much for His noble cause; He said to them, ``I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers'' (Matt. 7:21-23). Even during the days of the apostle Paul, false teachers were propagating their heresies that could lead to the detriment of one's soul. As a result of yielding one's life to false doctrine, some ``had fallen from grace'' and ``severed'' themselves from Christ (Gal. 5:4). There is no room in God's kingdom for any gospel but the true gospel of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:6-9). Without this, man will wander through life like a boat that has no rudder. Rather then making it to the shore of God's harbor, false teaching will cause one to make ``shipwreck of his faith.'' These are just some of the reasons why many people continue in their lost conditions. In the Judgment Day, however, no reason for having remained lost throughout life will probably seem very justifiable to the transgressor who must now stand before the God of all the universe and the One of whose laws he violated. ___________________________________________ "If Thy law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Thy precepts, for by them Thou hast revived me. I am Thine, save me; for I have sought Thy precepts. The wicked wait for me to destroy me; I shall diligently consider Thy testimonies...The unfolding of Thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple" (Psalm 119:92-95,130). ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________