Heard a preacher delivering a message about the great duty and privilege of sharing the gospel. He used the following illustration. He said we don't need to send our children to college, just let them spend five minutes in hell and they will know what they need to be doing in life. He gave the statistics of how many people the average Christian leads to Christ or at least even shares the gospel. The results were shameful and I was definitely shamed.
In my study of 1 Peter this morning, John MacArthur writes about Jesus' "proclamation to the spirits now in prison". He wasn't preaching to them about salvation but was "heralding His triumph over sin on the cross. He purposely went to an actual place to make a triumphant announcement to captive beings before He arose the third day."
He goes on to say using Ephesians 6:12, that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." So, while our "duty and privilege to share the gospel" is indeed hindered at every turn, that does not mean we lay down in defeat. Not as long as we have breath! We
pray daily for the opportunity and boldness.
As believers living on this earth, we are never to be ok with people going to hell. We have no excuse to neglect this great work that God has blessed us to be a part! It is His work, but we are in His hand to be used in it. WOW!
John MacArthur ends the chapter of this study with the following: "It was lost human beings for whom Christ died--the lost angels could only listen in dismay...and the elect angels can only marvel at what they cannot fully understand. Believers should be grateful that 'while they were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.'" Let us be all about our privilege to participate in the beautiful work of salvation. If one could spend even thirty seconds in hell, that may well be a motivator of compassion. However, we have the word of God that tells us that even the demons shudder at the "abyss". The Word is plain and says what we need to move us. Meditate on it!
