The lost who will remain lost, have wasted the entirety of their lives, not one thing they did, obtained, earned, or learned is of any value to the kingdom of God, they are “vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.” (Romans 9:22) It is more than sad when contemplated, it is pitiful, and we must do for them not only when the opportunity arises, but at all times to assist them in seeing that a life separated from the love of Christ is a life that will lead only to an eternity separated from Him.
But can we change the word lost in that first sentence in this letter to you to the word saved, have many of those who are born-again believers wasted the majority of their lives.
When you hear of the works of those who profess Christ, do you most generally hear them from your television or internet screen, or do you hear them from their lips of individuals as they stand before you, better yet, are these words of deeds done for the Lord coming from your lips. I would venture a guess that most of you could say that not only do you read the Scriptures, but also study them, contemplating them throughout your day in one form or another, applying them at every instance of your mind’s thoughts upon them. But is that where it stops, are you studying and adhering to the Word of God for anyone’s benefit but your own.
This is the root beginning, if you will, of the great falling away spoken of in 1 Thess. 2:3, born-again believers whose main goal is not to reach the lost they meet for Christ, not to lift up, reprove, and correct their brothers and sisters in Christ, but to apply and discern the words of truth only for their own self-edification, for their own walk with Him. It was an ingenious plan by our adversary, and it is working quite well, get them to think that the only thing that truly matters is their own personal relationship with the Lord, that it is tantamount above all other concerns. At the least make them see that the only safe place is not with Christ alone, but in the presence of other believers, and then only in the church setting.
And so the question arises, and it can only be answered by the individual who claims Christ as Savior, is your life outside of yourself being used for the glory of God and the furtherance of His kingdom, or are you studying to show yourself approved (2 Tim. 2:15) only for your own personal growth. The latter is the path that most have taken, and it is a most selfish path indeed, for they have hid His Word in their heart, and they will not share it, they have lit a candle, (Matt. 5:15) and hidden it where none can see. Many of these are those who will say 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) for they have placed themselves as the center point of the works of the Lord’s desires, and not others.
If you are not witnessing to the lost, if your time around them revolves around their discussions and discourses of the things of the world, if you have not set yourself apart from them in the lives they live in the world, then perhaps it is time to reevaluate your supposed position in Christ. Those who love Jesus Christ speak openly and often about Him, they can find no peace or rest when their minds are not stayed upon Him, they are ready in every season, at every time it is asked of them to give an account of their faith in Him, (1 Peter 3:15) the path this world is upon is of little concern to them, save for warning the lost of the impending doom and the way to escape it. They fight battles every day, and not just in their mind, for “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” (Isaiah 26:3) but with those who preach any other than Christ and Him crucified. They do not wait to be asked about their faith, they go and seek out people.
Fear of people leads to apathy about people, it leads to spiritual pride, and this has led us into the great apostacy. We have turned to our own selves and have lost the zeal to profess His name, even in most Evangelical churches, where the before and after sermon talk is most generally not about Christ, but about the world and all that is occurring in it. Fear of the reprisals of man has led to a lack of fear of the chastisement of the Lord, and this is the leading cause of what is occurring on the planet today, not only the abhorrent sinfulness of lost men, but the refusal of the people of God to step outside of themselves, to step outside of their churches and homes and seek the lost, to rebuke the religious ideologies of today, to boldly profess His name no matter the consequences.
Far too many who call themselves Christians have become like the children of Israel long ago, He is my God, not yours, and as long as I keep myself in line with His ordinances, I will be fine. The lost of the world are crying for a Redeemer, it is our responsibility to show them the only true Redeemer of men’s souls, before the antichrist is revealed, after we are gone, and many become lost for all eternity by his deceits.
