Gary W. Summers
“Well! Of all the nerve!” might be your first reaction to the title of this article. You might be tempted to read no further, which is your right, but you would be far better off to keep going, because the reasons given are Biblical ones. A survey question that people were recently asked was, “Do you have questions or doubts about your own relationship to God?” Almost 100% of those queried answered, “No”—even when they admitted that their knowledge of the Bible was not good. How many people know that Jesus said the following?
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matt. 7:13-14).
It does not matter what translation you have. Nearly every one of them say that many are going to be lost and few are going to be saved. See the point? Nearly 100% of people think their relationship is fine with God, but only a few will be saved. How many is a few? Certainly a few is smaller than 50%, or it would be the majority. How much smaller is anybody’s guess, and perhaps the percentage fluctuates from culture to culture and era to era. Less than 10% would surely fit Jesus’ definition of few. Is it possible you are part of that 90% who feels safe but will be lost?
In the days of Noah, a few—that is, eight—souls were saved from the Flood (1 Pet. 3:20). How many of the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, thought that their relationship to God was in good repair? The number of those saved back then was well under one percent! Of course, that was a very extreme situation, but it ought to make you think, “Am I among the few?” It must be pointed out that neither Jesus, nor the Father is pleased with such figures. God created us to be His, and Jesus died for everyone’s sins (1 John 2:1-2).
Free Will
If God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9), then why are so many lost? The answer is in the two-word heading above. God created us with the freedom to choose what we want to do. Do we want to love, worship, and serve Him, or do we want to live the life He has given us primarily for our own selfish purposes? You know what most people decide. God has given you and your friends access to the truth, however—so that everyone can please Him.
“Well,” you say, “that might explain other people, but why do you say that I am probably lost?” Obviously, I do not know you personally, but the Bible provides several categories of people who will not be saved on the Day of Judgment. Before looking at them, however, please note: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). It is sin that condemns all of us; “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
If you are honest, you will have to admit that sin has never done anything good for you. It has promised pleasure but delivered sorrow. How many people’s lives have been ruined by it? Do you know an alcoholic or a drug addict? Do you know anyone who cannot control his temper and has been in trouble frequently because of it? Have you seen jealousy and pride at work? Do you know anyone who is addicted to on-line gambling or pornography? How many marriages have ended in divorce, thus affecting the children for years? Sin is behind most of the misery that people suffer.
And yet how many are willing to give it up? It should be an easy decision, right? If it were, people would be flocking to God by the thousands, but most are not even aware that something is wrong spiritually. Perhaps you are not aware of what stands between you and God. So, why are you not saved?
1.You are probably lost because of faulty assumptions. Satan has put out a lot of these in order to deceive you. Consider the church at Laodicea. They were one of the seven churches in Asia Minor that are addressed in the book of Revelation. They assumed that, because they were wealthy, God approved of them. He told them they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (3:17-18). They had assumed that material prosperity meant that they were acceptable spiritually to God, but they assumed incorrectly. Do you think that anyone feels that way in America?
Do you have the same attitude as Job’s friends? Since he was suffering, it had to be his own fault. God only punishes evildoers with poverty and poor health. They were wrong. One key point in the book of Job is that the righteous suffer—but not necessarily because of their own sins. Also the wicked prosper.
Perhaps you assume that you are saved because someone said you were. Would you believe someone if he told you that a widow in Nigeria had a million dollars that she is just waiting to give you? Why, then, assume that what someone tells you about your salvation, which is far greater than a monetary gift, is true?
Or maybe you were told that you were saved and that you could not possibly lose your salvation—no matter what you do. Is that what the Bible teaches? This point brings us to the second point.
2. You are probably lost because you do not know what the Scriptures teach. Hosea wrote of his fellow Israelites, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6). You may think, “I believe in God. I believe in Christ. I’m a decent person. That’s all that’s necessary.” That is precisely what the devil wants you to believe, but think about it. God could have said all that on one page and saved Himself the trouble of writing 66 books over a period of 1600 years—even if it is a perennial bestseller. The Bible contains information regarding sin and salvation—things we need to know, plus a lot more that we just want to know. Just as there has never been anyone like Jesus, there has never been any book like the Bible.
So what do you know about the Holy Scriptures? Do you know how sin entered the world and what resulted from that? Are you aware of the immediate penalties of that sin, which remain in effect to this day? Do you know what promise of redemption God made at the very time He punished Adam and Eve? Do you know why God reveals the history of Abraham’s descendants in the Old Testament? Yes, you know that Jesus died on the cross, but do you know how many Old Testament Scriptures were fulfilled in His life and death? You might say, “Oh, I know all that.” Great! But do you have any idea how many people in America do not know, let alone in many other nations around the world?
3. You are probably lost because you have not been taught the truth. You might respond, “As long as people are sincere, it doesn’t really matter what they believe.” If that principle is true, then can you explain why the Bible emphasizes truth along with sincerity? Sometimes truth is mentioned by itself: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it…” (Prov. 23:23). Paul laments that many exchanged the truth of God for the lie (Rom. 1:25). He also makes it clear that if people do not have a love of the truth, they cannot be saved (2 Thess. 2:10). Sometimes, however, truth and sincerity are linked together.
Joshua commanded the people to serve God “in sincerity and in truth” (Joshua 24:14). Later, Samuel told Israel: “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart…” (1 Sam. 12:24). Jesus said that God seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). All of these emphasize that sincerity and truth are both necessary.
You might say, “But I’m very zealous for God.” Paul said the Jews were, also. They had a zeal for God, but “not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). Few have shown more zeal than the prophets of Baal who tried to win a contest against Elijah. They leaped about their altar; then they cut themselves with knives and lances, until their blood gushed out upon them (1 Kings 18:26, 28). No one could doubt their sincerity, but they were worshiping a false god. Today, one hears of many devout worshipers that are not honoring Jesus. Are they sincere? Of course, they are. Are they worshiping and serving God in truth? No.
You might say, “Well, that doesn’t apply to me. I worship the one true God of heaven.” Good, but you too still must be certain that your worship is according to the truth. Paul came to Ephesus and found some who had been baptized, but they had not been baptized for the right reason. They humbly listened to the truth and were baptized correctly (Acts 19:1-6). We are all profited when we learn new information.
What have you been taught concerning salvation? Were you taught that all that was necessary for salvation was for you to believe? Although many Bible passages insist upon faith as an essential for salvation, no verse of Scripture teaches salvation by “faith only.” In fact, James writes: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (2:24). If you were taught that “faith only” saved you, you were taught incorrectly.
Consider, for example, Luke 13:3, where Jesus said that “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Why would a preacher leave out a required element of salvation? He might actually believe what he told you. Or maybe he repeated a message that is popular. The point is that he left out something which Jesus said was essential—baptism. The Lord taught that being baptized is part of the plan of salvation (Mark 16:16).
Later, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter told those who wanted to know what to do about their sins (hence, they believed his message about Jesus): “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins …” (Acts 2:38).
Did someone teach you how to be saved without mentioning baptism? You should wonder why anyone would tell you to do something other than what the inspired apostle commanded when telling sinners what to do. Three thousand who gladly received Peter’s message were baptized that very day (Acts 2:41). You will be lost for listening to the wrong gospel (Gal. 1:8-9) instead of the truth.
4. You are probably not saved because you are not doing all the will of the Father. Just a few verses after Jesus said that many will be lost, He added these words: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).
What did you think Jesus meant by doing the will of the Father? Did you think that meant 25% of the Lord’s commands? Maybe you thought you should keep half of them. You might even get generous and say, “I’ll do most of them, but there are a few I’ll just have to be excused on. I can’t go to worship every Sunday. I have my own life, you know.”
You may be like many who begin to trot out excuses for being the way you are (see Luke 14:15-24). You might think that, because you avoid most of the negative sins (the “Thou shalt nots”), you can skimp on the positive injunctions (the “Thou shalts”). Or maybe you think that doing some good works will offset the evil deeds you enjoy. If so, you are deceiving yourself. Jesus already addressed that notion when He said:
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:22-23).
God wants all of a person. For that reason Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all of one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matt. 22:37-38). Does that sound like a description of a person who purposely breaks God’s commandments or who is not very excited about doing all that He said to do? In fact, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15) and “But why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” How serious have you been about Jesus being Lord—serious enough to study His Word, trying to do all that He says? Or has your interest in God been a little on the casual side?
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You are probably lost because you think that God will forgive you of everything wrong about you, because He loves you. There can be no doubt that He loves you, or He would not have sent Jesus to die for your sins (Rom. 5:8), but He has no obligation to forgive you unless you first repent of your sins. Without repentance, you perish (Luke 13:3). But with repentance and baptism, you can be forgiven (Acts 2:38). God only forgives those who change their hearts from a love of sin to a love of Him, His righteousness, and truth. Don’t deceive yourself into thinking He will forgive you regardless of what you do. Jesus is only the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).
Conclusion
Have you thought about these things? Are you as confident of your salvation now as when you began reading? How many false assumptions about God have you made? Do you know the Scriptures enough to be confident about your salvation? Have you been taught the truth, or did someone teach you salvation by “faith only”—apart from repentance and baptism? Have you made it a point to do all the will of God? Do you mistakenly think God will save you in your sins instead of from your sins?
Jesus is willing to save you. His very name means “Savior” (Matt. 1:21). He wants to wash you from your sins in His own blood (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5). You must exercise the free will God gave you, however, to bring this wonderful forgiveness about. God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
Jesus will also be your judge (John 5:22, 27). And you have access to the standard He will use in determining whether you are saved or lost. The Word that He spoke will judge you in the last day (John 12:48). Are you ready? Are you prepared? You can be. The things discussed herein will help you along the way, but you need to know more.
You may contact us about salvation (through the information contained elsewhere in this publication). We always count it a pleasure to lead someone to salvation. But you may be thinking, “Can I trust you?” Here are some reasons why you can. First, we do not expect you to believe us just because we say so. Instead, we encourage you to read each Scripture carefully. Read the entire context of those Scriptures that appeared in this study (some religious groups take verses out of context). You will see that we told you the truth.
Second, we only use the written Scriptures as our guide, just as Christians in the first century had access to them in oral form. We do not provide you with creeds of men or give you something that is designed to take you away from the Bible. We want you in the Book.
Third, we are the only people that consistently put what we believe to the test by offering to debate in honorable public discussion the views that we hold. We make these available so that you can see both sides of any issue for yourself.
Can we help you? If you know that you are lost, why don’t you do something about it so that you can be one of the “few” who is saved on the Day that God judges the world through His son?
