For Many Are Called...

I heard a sermon recently where the speaker talked about evangelism in the current secular atheist environment. He noted that most non Christians don’t have much pre-existing knowledge about God, or Christianity, and that we often have to fill in the blanks for them. We can’t start assuming that they know what we would have accepted as normal in the past when even non Christians has a good basic understanding about the bible, the gospel and subjects like sin.

I have to say that it really chimed in with my own thoughts about the state of society as it is changing and the challenge for the Church to connect with people today. I have to admit to feeling very sad about the move away from God, the gospel and Christianity. Many folk not only don’t know about their need for salvation they don't care.

They are actively resistant any attempt to share Christ with them. Often citing science and atheism as valid reasons to reject the gospel and any outreach to them from the Church. They have become hardened toward Christ and are apparently content to die in their sins. All the while oblivious to their real plight where they are facing eternal separation from God their Creator.

The apostle Paul phrased it this way in Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting...” In their hearts the unbelieving  have an intuitive understanding of right and wrong and they only need to look at creation to realise that there is a creator. Again Paul puts it this way in Romans 1:19-20 “because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse...”

So non Christians in this era are somewhat lacking in even a rudimentary knowledge of the gospel and the word of God in the bible but God has given them an inherent ability to know right from wrong and at some level an awareness of their sin burden. This understanding is perhaps key in the thinking of any evangelist intent on witnessing to these poor desperate souls because some level non Christians know they need to deal with their sins.

Bear in mind that though I am speaking to other Christians intent on witnessing to the non Christian people around them. However, I would say to non Christians who are reading this piece that I am being objective rather than subjective in my analysis of folk who are not Christian. I would also add that Christians are people too and are largely faced with the same challenges that non Christians are. Except that they have the benefit of a relationship with God, in Christ Jesus, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts to assist them in daily life.

To Christians who are feeling warn down by the lack of knowledge of Christianity and the lack of interest in salvation exhibited by most non Christians. I would suggest to them not to get too depressed about this as Christ Jesus said that there would be a great turning away in the End Times (Matthew 24:10). We have certainly seen this over the last fifty years in the Western World.

 
However, in the Middle East, Africa and Asia there are many converts to Christ Jesus even in the face of great persecution at this time. God is active and many are coming to Salvation.
If things are not happening in our countries perhaps we need to chasten ourselves and get down on our knees beseeching God to pour out the Holy Spirit in our land. God promised the nation of Israel in II Chronicles 7:14  “ If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” This is a promise to Israel but I feel it could well apply to the Church in our time.

Even we Christians are to some extent consumed by worldliness and we need to separate from the world and become earnest in our desire to see the gospel preached to poor retched folk who don’t know the Lord. We need to pray that the Father would draw them near to Christ in the process of hearing the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ and of His redemptive work on the Cross at Calvary. Where He bore the sins of the World that those who believe on His name may be saved.

Finally, I would say that, yes, we live in perilous times but we also live in times where the gospel will be preached abroad and countless people will be saved in Christ Jesus. We have an opportunity to ask God to consecrate us to Him and to prepare us for the battle that will be fought for the hearts and minds of men and women in our time. Lord Jesus Come Quickly Amen.