There are two words that are generally not spoken much in churches around the world today, they are seen as offensive, and many in the church, like many in the world, have fallen into the trap set by Satan called “never offend.” These words are “lost” and “damned.” Let the world go the way it will, its path is set upon self-implosion, “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.’ (Romans 3:4) We are to set our mind on the Lord Jesus Christ, the cares and concerns of the world are not our concerns, only the people in it.
These two words are important, and both are true, but we must never confuse the two of them by placing them in the same context. Only the Lord God knows for a fact who will abide with Him in glory, and those who will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire, we are able to discern between the lost and saved by their works, (Matt. 7:20) and this discernment comes from the Holy Spirit of God that resides within the children of God, we can judge others only by the truths of the Scriptures. The lost are generally easy to notice, whether they are outside or inside of the church building, their words, their actions, their deeds, all betray them, a few simple questions and you will know if you are speaking with a brother in Christ or not. The damned? My friends, if you have ever spoken with someone who is damned, then you are more spiritually mature than any who have ever come before you.
The thief on the cross is the only example in all the New Testament that I am aware of that was a “last minute” convert, no time for baptism, no time for a lengthy confession of faith, no time for rewards or treasures to lay up, all these are very troubling points for most “Christian” based religious organizations, and they have thought up some very interesting, albeit foolish, excuses for these matters concerning this man. The point is, the man was lost, then he found the light of Jesus, just at the last minute. All who die in their sins will face eternal damnation, there is no question on this matter, the difficulty with finite beings such as we are is being able to tell the lost from the damned, and my friends, we cannot do that. As they like to say, “Hindsight is 20/20,” but foresight in this area is entirely belonging to Almighty God, before the foundation of the world, (1 Peter 1:20) He knew who of us would be in heaven with Him and who would not, nothing is hidden from the Most High, but we do not know.
There are people that you know today that many believe to be saved, even they themselves may be deceived, but they will in no wise enter into the kingdom. “Many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22) There are far too many that believe in those “last minute” conversions, as if the time is given to all to know the moment of their death, as if they have some special words stored away, just waiting for that moment, living in and for the world and self until the last possible second, and then repenting and heading off to be with Jesus. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Gal. 6:7) Too many believe they can sow unrighteousness right up to the last moment, say the magic words, and be accepted, as if they can foresee the final day of their existence. Don’t confuse these two individuals, the lost will not become the damned until they exhale their final breath, then the Scriptures become reality to them, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27)
Almighty God alone knows the fate of every single person ever born, He abides in an eternal now, His creation of time holds no constraints upon Him. These “vessels fitted for wrath” (John 3:36) are known only to Him, but we are to be wise, we are to be discerning, we are to “Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1) You are never going to know who the lost and saved are when you meet them if you have not been studying daily the Word of God, if you do not know the correct questions to place before them, a commandment that many who profess the name of the Lord tend to shy away from in this present age, thou shalt never offend has taken precedence over rebuking and correcting, “This saith the Lord God” has been replaced with always enable all.
There is one place in the Scriptures that I am aware of, you may know more, where a group of men were told directly that they were going to die in their sins, that they were still alive here on the earth, but they were already damned. It is found in John 8 and it was the Lord Jesus Christ who said them. (John 8:24) He knew because He is God, and so he had the right to say them, we are not, so we do not have this right. As long as they are breathing, there is hope for the lost, but do not deceive yourself, if your favorite sports team is down by many points and there are only scant seconds remaining on the game clock, come to the realization of the truth, your team is going to lose that day.
Few find the gate (Matt. 7:14) my friends, many, many people are going to and have already died in their sins, they will spend eternity in eternal damnation, (Romans 13:2) your responsibility is to warn them, to pray for them, but the minute they die you can put them out of your mind, just as David did when the child died. (2 Sam. 12:20) Move on to the next one, pray without ceasing, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) See them as they are, lost, the Lord God alone knows their end.