Saving the unsaved

[Tinkerbell33]

Do you worry about those who are unsaved and what will happen to them after they leave this Earth? I do, quite a lot actually. The fact that unbelievers are headed for Hell really upsets me, I hate the thought of others being in pain.

Currently, I am trying to bring my family towards God and its difficult. I pray to God for them and I do see him working already, my mum has opened up her mind to him and even said once that she was thinking about converting. The problem is...is that I don't always glorify God, I am not being the best servant that I can be 24/7. I wish that I could be a good example at all times and radiate God's love onto others because its a way to bring people to God. When I neglect God, I neglect myself and others.

 

[Tinkerbell33]

Maybe this isn't an issue for others then.

 

[Luther073082]

It is for me, my mom for certain makes up her own God.

My dad doesn't show his hand, he doesn't really open up about what he belives, even if you try to talk to him about it. However I have no reason to belive that he is a committed Christian. I'm guessing he too also for the most part makes up his own God.

My brother could care less it seems.

For all three of them it seems more or less God is only there to get them out of a jam. Which he has multilple times, and they are always thankful to God at that point. And could care less any other time.

It does bother me, especially considering my mom's health isn't the greatest.

I would remind you Becky that you can't save them. Only God can, and he will if they turn and take their gift of faith and accept Christ as savior.

 

[Spicy McHaggis]

Yeah when it all comes down to it, you can't do anything but love others and leave the salvation between God and them.

 

[lostaquarium]

Do you worry about those who are unsaved and what will happen to them after they leave this Earth? I do, quite a lot actually. The fact that unbelievers are headed for Hell really upsets me, I hate the thought of others being in pain.

Currently, I am trying to bring my family towards God and its difficult. I pray to God for them and I do see him working already, my mum has opened up her mind to him and even said once that she was thinking about converting. The problem is...is that I don't always glorify God, I am not being the best servant that I can be 24/7. I wish that I could be a good example at all times and radiate God's love onto others because its a way to bring people to God. When I neglect God, I neglect myself and others.

Just wanted to let you know I sympathise It must be hard when people you love aren't saved. When my parents got converted before me, they were desperate for me to believe too. It took me years and years, and they worried a lot, but it happened in the end I'm sure God will save your family at the right time.

Plus, I'm sure you're a great example. You're truly salt and light! It's easy to tell when someone's heart has changed for the better, even if they continue to make small mistakes.

 

[Stravinsk]

Do you worry about those who are unsaved and what will happen to them after they leave this Earth? I do, quite a lot actually. The fact that unbelievers are headed for Hell really upsets me, I hate the thought of others being in pain.

Currently, I am trying to bring my family towards God and its difficult. I pray to God for them and I do see him working already, my mum has opened up her mind to him and even said once that she was thinking about converting. The problem is...is that I don't always glorify God, I am not being the best servant that I can be 24/7. I wish that I could be a good example at all times and radiate God's love onto others because its a way to bring people to God. When I neglect God, I neglect myself and others.

According to Romans 10:9, coupled with John 8:24 there are two basic requirements for Salvation:

1) An acknowledgement of who Christ is
2) An acknowledgement that He was raised from the dead

I do not worry about who is "not saved" because I believe this to be an issue primarily between God and the individual. The individual needs to knock at God's urging, not at ours.

Encouragement, living a Godly life, showing fruit all help to point people in the right direction though. If people want what you have they will often ask you about it.

Insofar as salvation goes, I think requirement #1 is missing from even most who confess Christ. There are lots of different "Jesus's" out there that are formed through different denominations bibles and theology/methodology.

Just to illustrate: In a conversation with a friend of mine we were talking about the Son and the Father. He said "we got the good one"(meaning Jesus *instead* of the Father). This statement said to me that he, at least at that time, has a different God than I.

It is on things like these that I choose not to worry too much about who is saved and who isn't. Someone can say "Jesus is Lord" - and believe it - yet I wonder which "Jesus" this is. The issue gets complicated in my world, so I leave it to God, confess what I believe and leave it at that.

 

[stephanieamber]

Ahhh.. first of all we cannot save the unsaved. The best we can do is point them to Jesus with our love.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how there are so many religions that play Christian better than we do - they are more peaceful, more loving, more perfect.. but then again, that is not the Christian faith at all. Our precious Jesus was perfect so that we would not have to be shackled down by the idea of perfection. We are not striving for perfection, rather we strive for Perfection. Got it? One is a "thing" and one is a person (Christ).

My pastor once said something that blew me away...

I love others not to convert them, but because I am converted.

Sometimes I think we get too caught up in this idea that we must save the world. Jesus never asked us to save the world. He just asked us to love the Lord and then love our neighbors. Then trust that God will get the word out.

It is a bit disheartening; frequently I get so excited about eternity.. my body physically longs to be with the Lord, and I get a bit sad for my friends who are rejecting this idea. So I feel you on that.

 

[EazyMack]

Do you worry about those who are unsaved and what will happen to them after they leave this Earth?

All the time!

 

[Sketcher]

I don't have a problem with some people going to Hell. God sends them there, how could I have a problem with it. However, it's pretty sad how dark a world this is, and I'd like to see more people come to know the Lord. I was just asking myself, we've got a great church around here (mine) and some more good ones. We're evangelical. But my area made the national news twice in one day. Now, I don't know if some of these people were always hostile to the Gospel to the point where they wouldn't set foot in a church or not. I don't know if they were guests at one point but chose not to follow Him at no fault of our own or not. But I want for us to do better.

 

[Eurasia]

Do you worry about those who are unsaved and what will happen to them after they leave this Earth?

It's almost always on the back of my mind. I pray about it and leave the holy spirit to change their hearts.. we can always influence others though.. but we need to be careful cos it can harden their hearts depending on the way its done..

 

[SonicBOOM]

lately god has been trying to awaken this need in my heart..... I haven't liked the process. I have an issue with the doctrine of hell and I often quistion god's goodness in this [I'm just being honest]. But lately god has been awakenning me to this very unconfortable reality.....

I think the danger of this passion is it can rob us of our hope in christ. We need to reach the lost but we can't rush the battle field. We need to follow our commanders orders. In Acts the diciples always followed the holy spirit..... I think this is something that is overlooked and that is VERY dangerious. It's god who saves souls, not us. We need to listen to our commander...... and than obey.

 

[Balugon]

I dont really worry about it. About 5 billion people are currently on a course toward hell if they dont repent, and its not something that one person can change for all of them. I have my own small sphere of influence, and that's what my life is about. But really, fear isnt of God to begin with. Jesus said Love was the most important command, and imo, striving isnt found in love for the most part. Striving and constantly concerning ourselves with whether people are saved or not, and how close they are, is often rooted in fear- "Oh no, that person is going to hell. What I am going to do?! What I am going to do?! What if they die tomorrow?!" <-- All that is fear. The devil whispers those thoughts in our ears for us to focus our witnessing out of fear and so we try to push people into salvation, instead of simply inviting them to it and having them see that it's worth it. Almost any time people are continually pushed on an issue, they won't want to do it out of their own desires, because they feel pressured from the person pushing them. It's like getting wild animals in a corner, we all need breathing room to think things through on our own. I tend to try to simply have good relationships with people, and really get to know them. Just being nice can make a world of difference to people, and even showing that christians arent perfect helps, because then they dont think that this "religion" is some incredible set of standards that they think they have to live up to. People have enough junk in their lives, they aren't going to want to add more stress from extra rules that they have to worry about.

Anyways, I think eternity is a bit much for a punishment when just as much of the fault for the person going there falls upon the other people that helped raise and influence that person (including us). I mean, i think a lot of people would be heading toward heaven right now if the people around them were godly people, but as it is, they may not make it. But anyway, I didn't make the system, and God knew what was fair and what wasn't. He is perfect love, so I bet there are some things we don't understand that make it more bearable (the reason for the person going there, not necessarily what happens there). But yea, it's not a focus of mine at all really. I think there is a lot more, if not 90% more, of people that will be won with a love focus and building relationships than with a "your going to hell if you don't repent" focus. And if that many more people will be brought to their senses with a focus on love, then it isn't worth spending any excess time thinking about hell.