"The righteous pass away; the godly often die before their time. And no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come."
There is some comfort to be found when a believer dies, knowing that they have salvation and have left this world to be with the Lord. But, what of those that you're not sure of? We cannot know a person's salvation, but we can make a judgment based on the fruit of their lives. In the end, we can only know ourselves, and God who knows the heart will make the final judgment. We can talk to people, witness to them and compel them to judge themselves by God's standard.
What if they have claimed no belief - that they are agnostic or atheist? We can hope that in the last few minutes of their lives that they actually cried out to Jesus for salvation, no works are necessary, so it is possible. But only if they've heard the Gospel.
Romans 10:13-14
"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
You'd be surprised at how many, right here in the United States, have not heard it. And of those who have, it was not explained properly, Biblically, to actually make sense. How can they cry out to the Lord? It is every believers responsibility to make this known.
Ezekiel 33:8-9
When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.
But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.
Are there people in hell right now, because you were too afraid that you might be seen as foolish in sharing the life-giving Gospel with them? Are you accountable for their blood?
My friend, I stand in judgment now,
and feel that you're to blame somehow.
On earth I walked with you by day,
and never did you show the way.
You knew the Savior in truth and glory,
but never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim,
you could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together, here on earth,
you never told me of the second birth.
And now I stand before eternal hell,
because of heaven's glory you did not tell!"
-Anonymous
Don't be afraid to share the Gospel, tell people. Go!
Jesus said that if you are ashamed of Him and deny Him before men, then He will deny you before the angels and the Father ( Luke 12:9).
There was a 21 year old kid, a friend of the family, who committed suicide a while back. Those who were close to him never saw it coming. He was well liked and kind of quiet. I had only met him once or twice in passing, but he was very good friends with my niece and extended family.
As far as we know, he was not a believer. Could he have cried out to God in those last few minutes? I hope so. I don't know what kind of knowledge of the Savior he had.
Who do you know who is unsaved? How much time do they have left?
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