Articles
Understanding the Lost
A recent article made the following observation: “Christians who are never involved in bringing an unbeliever to know the Lord lose the ability to be compassionate for the lost. This has even happened to preachers who are not evangelistic. They can be quite comfortable showing the foolishness of error from the pulpit, but because they have not spent weeks and months around the kitchen table patiently teaching a friend, it becomes difficult to relate to a person who grew up in the clutches of the devil (2 Timothy 2:24-26). It is the difference between reading about war and actually being on the front lines” (Berry Kercheville, Focus Online, 12/14/15).
Christians can easily insulate themselves from the world. People use foul language, drink, have multiple marriages and hold moral and social views that are contradictory to ours. Because of the discomfort of being exposed to such things, we are tempted to keep our distance from the lost.
Compounding that is our preference for fellow Christians. It is natural to prefer association with those who share our values, who understand our doctrinal viewpoints, who “speak our language.” We can become closed and clannish, not living in a literal monastery but perhaps a figurative one.
The end result? We may become too distant from the world to truly influence it. Sharing the gospel today often depends on cultivating a trusting relationship wherein the unbeliever can evaluate us from a safe distance. Can you blame them? Every corrupt and ungodly notion under the sun is advocated in the name of Christ by wolves in sheep’s clothing. I completely understand the skepticism of casual observers.
So, we must force ourselves out of our comfort zones and try to connect with the world. This is exactly what Jesus did by attending the feast in Matthew’s home. He was not there to enjoy the party; He “ate with sinners” because they were sick and He was a physician (Mt 9:9-13).
True, many of the lost are apathetic about their condition, or they may be downright hostile toward our efforts to reach them. Others may be comforted by spiritual discussion or even Bible study but do not want to wholeheartedly give themselves to God. We cannot force others to believe or psychoanalyze them in order to find the right button to push. Those who are living apart from God are in a state of deception. “Even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel … should shine on them” (2 Cor 4:3-4). We must try and connect with and teach them “that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil” (2 Tim 2:26).
The best remedy for the brain-fog that grips so many is the pure, simple gospel. We may have lost touch with the perceptions of a truly depraved mind, but we should know love, compassion, patience and truth. Let us use our God-given resources of character and Scripture to break Satan’s grip on the lost. Get close enough to listen. Care enough to risk speaking up. Understand the pressures of life upon those who do not have divine help. Let the “lower lights” be burning; send a gleam across the wave.
