I have often wondered how people who sit through a hearing of the Gospel or a service where the presence of God is very heavy could every walk away without giving their lives to Christ. It wasn't until this morning that I started to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
What I read wasn't new to me, however, it stood out in a very profound way. Allow me to share with you Revelation 9:20-21: "But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood - idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts." NLT. Did you catch that? I shall proceed.
According to Rev. 9:20-21 even after the sixth trumpet blows and all the plagues come upon some of the people on the earth man is still unrepentant. What I took from this is that some people are going to keep on living and doing as they please regardless of what they see or hear. Even with the best laid plans, clearest evangelistic methods, and witness of the Spirit of God - some people are not going to give their lives to Christ. Why? Because they have a choice.
I have heard people pray the following (I've been one of them), "Lord, please save ___________, work in their heart, put in them a willingness to repent, don't allow them to say no to You anymore..." However, the more I understand Scripture, God doesn't work quite that way. Sure, we should pray for the lost around us. I don't want any of you to think that someone in your life is unreachable. But the fact of the matter is they have a choice. God does not force Himself on anyone. We can pray and pray and pray for a father, mother, brother, sister or friend, but they have to choose to follow Christ.
Remember the story Jesus told of Lazarus and the rich man? Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom while the rich man lifted his eyes up from hell. The rich man asked Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to share with his family. Abraham responded by saying, "They have Moses and the prophets...if they won't listen to that then they won't listen even if someone comes back from the dead." How true! Jesus rose from the dead and yet people reject Him and His message even today.
When you and I are dealing with an unrepentant heart all we can do is ask for God to bless those people. That's right...I said bless. I'm not asking you to pray they lose a night's sleep, that their world falls in around them, or their shoes fit too tight. The Bible teaches us that it is the kindness of God that leads us to repentance. When the people we know and love come to understand the goodness of God they will be in a better position to accept Christ. Some of you may ask, "What about sharing the Gospel...how can I convey the goodness of God when I have to let them know that Hell awaits those who don't accept Christ?" It's simple: The goodness of God is seen through the cross! What does the Bible say? God has demonstrated His love for us by sending Christ to die for our sins while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8).
You can share the goodness of God and the severity of God's judgment at the same time. All the while praying that God will soften hearts and speak to the sinners heart. Hopefully, in the end, they will get saved.
I don't want you to lose heart. There are no "lost causes" out there - only lost people. God is not willing that any of them should perish but all come to repentance. Keep sharing, keep praying, keep believing and let God do the rest.
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