email

Those God Passes By

There are those who God does not want to be saved. God desires that all would be saved, however, many make choices that put them at odds with God. We can see this with the nation of Israel. God sent John the Baptist to call the nation to repent (to recognize their special relationship with God) and to return to the way of living (covenant) that their ancestors had agreed to. However, most were uninterested and even hostile (Matt 3:7). One result of this intransigence was that the words of Jesus offering the kingdom to the nation were hidden from them in parables.

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. - Matthew 13:15

What Jesus describes is the condition of apathy. This condition is not actively evil or hostile. It is simply disinterest. The covenant (agreement) God had with Israel was based on works. Jesus did not want to persuade those who had drifted into disinterest. His objective was not to save Israel by any means, but rather to make an offer (of the kingdom) as a sort of test to see if the people were still interested. They largely were not (Luke 19:44).

Today many practice evangelism as if it were a marketing or high pressure sales campaign. Some even attempt to recruit members for a church as if it were a cult or Ponzi scheme. This causes confusion in that much that is called Christian that is not. At the core, Christianity is about an individual that trusts in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as payment for his sins. Similar to Israel, there are many Christians who are active (like the Pharisees) but hearts are far from God or those whose hearts have “waxed gross”.

It is human nature to drift to the lowest energy level that can be comfortably maintained. There should be a spark of vitality in true Christians that drives one to seek out and draw closer to our Savior. It can seem impossible to rouse dull ears or open closed eyes, however, those who claim Christ should examine themselves to see what it is that has their trust. If it is not Jesus, they may find that God may pass them by as those of Israel were also not sought out.

The Prodigal Son faced circumstances that roused him to action and he was welcomed back by his father. Drifting into disinterest may not be the same as active rebellion, it may reflect never having been a son in the first place.

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? -  2 Corinthians 13:5

Information about Christianity and the Christian life.