“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jer. 29:11)
My beautiful wife and I occasionally watch an informative person on YouTube who usually ends his videos with the words “God Bless,” but it is quite evident he is not saved.
I have offered correction in love to many on that same social media site, and most will not only not accept the correction, but even openly rebuke me when those truths are offered.
That good end my friends is one of the things we strive for, and I cannot imagine how much our brothers and sisters in Christ who are imprisoned and tortured for the name of our Savior desire that end as well.
“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” (Heb. 13:3)
Whether it be harsh words, sideways glances, mocking’s and open ridicule, pain and suffering in any fashion or form, we must always remember our end, and while we recall with great anticipation Psalm 16:11, “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” we remember their end as well.
“Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:44)
It is the heart of compassion for the lost that I personally believe, at least in part, that Matthew 24:12 speaks of.
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
We have the knowledge of the assurance of our salvation, but for some reason many who serve the Almighty refuse to have that same assurance of those they meet who continue to refuse His offerings of grace, who refuse His love, who will not believe the truths of their end even when we speak openly and honestly about the eternal fire that awaits them.
We want to believe there is always hope.
When the Lord Jesus Christ said to those present that day, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24) He was exhibiting His Sovereignty, His knowledge of the truth of those words was unquestionable, and some of those He was looking directly at that day did die in their sins.
We cannot do the same, we must add that word “if” in our statement, but far too many like to believe that everyone can be just as the thief on the cross was that day, and tend to forget, or not want to think about the other thief beside our Lord, the one that is still in hell to this day.
I am not saying that you need to give up on those you have spoken to in the past, and may even continue to speak to today, but you must know when to stop casting the pearls of the Living God before swine, you must be able to recognize those that the Lord has given over to a reprobate mind.
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2nd Cor. 6:14)
Just because the Most High knew before the foundation of the world who would be in His eternal Kingdom and who would not does not give us the ability to fully judge anyone, but it does not mean that we are not to use the Spiritual discernment He has blessed us with.
How long then? How long will you continue to associate with darkness, how long will you cast His pearls to swine, call the brute beasts who curse His name your friends, even your family?
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)
But not everything.
I am not telling you to give up hope for them, I would not be so unwise, but I am asking you to contemplate that which you detest, that which you fear and plead against, that their end may not be your end.
The preachers of days long past used to say these words to those whose hope never fades, “Pray to the Almighty that He would put the fear of God in them.”
You know as well as I do that at the bottom of the pit is where many of us truly called on Him, maybe that place will be where their end will change.
