do you worry over the "unsaved"?

I am a Christian man. I believe in Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. He is the only Savior of the world. Other religions may have helpful insights into human behavior or cultivate compassion and other human virtues. But they cannot save you. Jesus claimed to be God. He either is who He claims to be or he is a liar or a madman. Those are the only 3 possibilities. Some people attempt to find some middle ground by saying "Jesus was a prophet" or "He was a good man". Good men do not lie. He never claimed to be a prophet. His claim to be God allows for no middle ground. He was put to death by the religious leaders of his day for that claim. If He was confused or a deceiver, He could not be God. I believe He is God. There is only one, true God.

So how do I share this with the people I love - family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. ?

I share my faith freely, trying to express why I have the hope of being saved and go to heaven after I die. Most of the people I know who "reject" Christianity are not truly rejecting Christ. They reject a caricature of the faith (not the real thing) or they have been wounded by someone who professes to be a Christian. The behavior of Christ's followers is one of the biggest arguments against the faith. Sadly, every Christian fails to live up the demands of the Gospels at some time. Even the first followers of Jesus were weak, selfish, jealous, angry, proud, etc. Jesus Himself "lost it" when He cried out in frustration over his disciples behavior : "How much longer am I to put up with you?" Most of us have to get over being scandalized at how bad and how weak we human beings can be. This realization applies to myself and every person. Who has the arrogance to proclaim they have always done the right thing? Pity the person who believes they are always right and never make mistakes! Christians are duty-bound to share the gospel. We are commanded to do so, but we must be wise about that. Wisdom comes from repeated failure and the courage and humility to try again. I have been at this for 40 years. I would like to believe I have learned from my mistakes in the past.

Besides speaking up for my faith and defending it, I pray for everyone. God wants every person to be saved. Who should go to hell? Why would I wish that for anyone? Even for the ones who have hurt me the most? Has God not been merciful to me? Should I not be merciful as He is? Should I not be patient with others?

That being said we must never dilute the Gospels. There is a place called Hell and some people will go there - a place of torment that has no end. To deny that is to deny Christ because He clearly taught this Himself. We should be fearful of rejecting Christ because He alone can keep us from that place. To deny the possibility of Hell is to deny our freedom to choose other than Christ. If we can't reject Jesus, then our choice FOR Him is not a choice at all. There has to be a place for those who do not want to submit to God. Hell is a place we freely choose. God will ratify our choice in the end unless we repent while there is still time to do that.

How many "hard cases" are saved in the end? God alone knows, but I pray for those who I love because I believe in the power of prayer, even with stubborn hold outs. Often approaching death brings a clarity we often lack in this confusing world. In the last year, one of my "rebellious" relatives lay dying and he asked for prayer, shocking his loved ones - for the first time in his life. John Wayne and Gary Cooper were baptized on their death beds. One should never lose hope. Suicides are always painful to live with, but who in their right mind chooses to die that way? I believe those people were not really "free" in that desperate act. I have great hope for the ones I love who die "outside the faith" because we have a merciful God. He does not ignore our prayers and I have prayed for all my relatives and loved ones for 40 years. Surely, this counts for something!

When people asked Jesus "Will many be saved?", he did not answer by giving a number like 10% or 50%. Instead He tells a story about a shepherd with 100 sheep. He leaves his flock of 99 who are safe "with him" and goes out in search of the one who is lost. God wants to save us more than we want to be saved! He goes to great lengths to save all of us as we know from reading the Bible. But He will not drag the unwilling into heaven. They must either change heart or they will seal their own damnation forever. Those who follow Christ faithfully are not only assured of salvation in the end. They live happier lives now on earth because they know they are loved. God allows these believers to share in God's mission to save all men and women. Is this not a fulfilling, thrilling life to live? Tell me anyone who has it better than a believer in Christ!

Gary