Wanting Others To Be Saved, Too

David Sproule

The Bible teaches that God “desires all men to be saved” (1 Tim. 2:4).  A diligent reader will learn that not only does God want the reader to be saved, but God wants the reader to want others to be saved also.  Salvation is the message of the Bible and we are the messengers who have been sent.

We have been sent to save the lost. Millions of accountable people are living who have never obeyed the gospel. In God’s eyes, they are lost (cf. 2 Thess. 1:8-9).  They are dying in their sins.  Our responsibility, as Christians, is to do all we can to take the saving message of the gospel “to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

We have been sent to save the wayward. There are many folks who once were saved but have fallen away and allowed themselves to become entangled again in the affairs of this world.  In God’s eyes, they are lost (cf. 2 Pet. 2:20-22).  They, too, are dying in their sins.  Our responsibility, as faithful Christians, is to do all we can to turn back anyone who “wanders from the truth…[to] save a soul from death…” (James 5:19-20).

We have been sent to save our neighbors. The example of the early church was a church that went to “every house” (Acts 5:42), going “house to house” (Acts 20:20), teaching Jesus as the Christ.  Our responsibility, as Christians, is to love our neighbor, seeking their greatest need—i.e., their salvation.

We have been sent to save our children. Our children are not toys to play with; they are “a heritage from the Lord” (Psa. 127:3).  The responsibility of parents is to aim these little “arrows” (127:4) back to the Lord by teaching them the Word and the way of God (Deut. 11:19) and setting a godly example before them that they may “glorify your Father in heaven” and be saved (Matt. 5:16).

We have been sent to save the unbelieving spouse. When the New Testament speaks of the one who is married to an unbeliever, it emphasizes the possibility of the unbelieving spouse being “sanctified” or “saved” by the Christian spouse (1 Cor. 7:14, 16), even if by the Christian’s conduct “without a word” being spoken (1 Pet. 3:1).  Salvation is always to be our emphasis.

Add our family members, friends, government leaders, coworkers, enemies, etc., etc.  God wants all of them to be saved.  Do our actions show that we do, too?

Finding Contacts For Evangelism – Part 2

Wade Webster

In the first part of this study, we noticed some of those that the Bible identifies as contacts - an unbelieving mate (1 Pet. 3:1-2), a friend (John 1:43-46), a neighbor (Eph. 4:25), and a family member (John 1:40-41). In this final part of our study, we will notice many others who fall into this category.

People In The Town Where We Live

“The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” (John 4:28-30).

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2-3).

“How I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:20-21).

A Co-Worker

“After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:1-3).

One Who Visits Our Church Services

“For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,” (James 2:2).

A Stranger

“He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 10:18-19).

A Runaway

“Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me” (Philemon 1:8-11).

Surely, we all can find at least one contact from the categories above. Who do you know who needs the gospel?

Finding Contacts For Evangelism – Part 1

Wade Webster

To get Bible studies, we have to have contacts.  Contacts are people that we know who need the gospel.  We all have contacts.  Likely, we have many of them.  After all, no man lives or dies to himself (Rom. 14:7).  Since only a few are on the narrow way that leads to life (Mat. 7:13-14), there are likely many that we know who need our help.  Thankfully, the Bible helps us to identify who some of our contacts may be.

An Unbelieving Mate

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:1-4).

“For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” (1 Corinthians 7:16). 

A Friend

“The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:43-46).

A Neighbor

“Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). 

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10).

A Family Member

“One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ)” (John 1:40-41).

Doing the Impossible

Wade Webster

The Bible is filled with what seem to be impossible situations.  Just consider a few of them with me.

Defeating a City by Marching Around It’s Walls

The first city that Joshua and the Israelites encountered when they entered the land of Canaan was the walled city of Jericho.  The walls of Jericho must have been very intimidating.  They were tall and thick.  Getting past these walls must have seemed impossible.  However, God had a plan.  The Israelites were to march around the walls once for six days. Then, on the seventh day, they were to march around the walls seven times, blow horns, and shout (Josh. 6:1-5).  From all human vantage points this plan seemed impossible.  However, it worked just as God said it would. 

Three Hundred Soldiers Against An Innumerable Host

Gideon started with thirty-two thousand soldiers.  That number must have seemed like a drop in the bucket in comparison to the Midianites.  After all, the Midianites were like grasshoppers for a multitude.  Amazingly, God thought that Gideon’s forces were still too many.  He did not want the people to think that they had succeeded by their own power.  God instructed Gideon to reduce his ranks by letting the fearful go home.  Probably, to his amazement, twenty-two thousand went home. (Judg. 7:1-3). Gideon was now left with just ten thousand to face the Midianite hoard.  God still thought that Gideon had too many men.  Next, God proposed a water drinking test to eliminate a few more.  Those who lapped water like a dog were kept and the others were sent home.  When all was said and done, Gideon was left with just three hundred men (Judge. 7:4-7).  The situation from all human vantage points was impossible.  However, with God’s help, Gideon was going to gain a great victory.

Slaying a Giant with a Slingshot

As the youngest of Jesse’s sons, David kept his father’s sheep.  One day, Jesse sent David to check on two of his older brothers who were soldiers in the army.  When Jesse sent David to check on his brothers and to bring them things from home, David overheard a challenge being issued to the army of Israel by a Philistine bully named Goliath.  The challenge left the soldiers of Israel shaking in their boots.  Standing roughly nine and a half feet tall, no soldier in Israel felt capable of meeting Goliath in the proposed contest.  Amazingly, David volunteered.  His offer to fight was met by the disdain of his brothers, the doubt of his king, and the derision of Goliath.  David was small and young.  Goliath was huge and a man of war.  Goliath was heavily armored.  David had no armor.  Goliath had a huge sword.  David had a small sling.  From all human vantage points, the situation was hopeless.  However, God gave David the victory (1 Sam. 17). 

Taking the Gospel to the Entire World

Jesus told His twelve disciples to take the gospel into all the world and to preach the gospel to every creature (Mat. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16). The task must have seemed impossible.  How were so few supposed to take the gospel to so many?  Yet, that is what God said.  The gospel that was first preached in Jerusalem was going to go to the utmost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).  Although taking the gospel to the world must have seemed impossible, the disciples got bust and did it.  To the Christians in Colosse, Paul wrote, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Col. 1:23). 

With God all things are possible (Mat. 19:26).  God never requires of man that which cannot be done.  He always supplies His people with what they need (Phil. 4:19).

Would You Ever Bring Yourself to Do This to Jesus?

David Sproule

Paul In Luke 7, Jesus was invited by a Pharisee named Simon to eat in his home.  While Jesus sat at the table, “a woman in the city” entered the scene.  If it were not for this woman, we may not even have the record of this dinner, for the woman and Simon’s response to her are the whole focus.

First of all, think about what this woman does when she is in the presence of Jesus.  She would have known that she was not a welcome guest on this occasion, but nothing was going to stop her from getting to Jesus.  She had prepared for this encounter by bringing “an alabaster flask of fragrant oil” (7:37).  This was not a chance meeting.  She thought ahead.

When she arrived, she “stood at His feet behind Him” (7:38).  She was not presumptuous enough to stand in front and make herself the center of attention.  Instead, her humility focused on the feet of Jesus, which would have been tucked behind Him as He inclined at the table.  This woman desperately wanted to be in the presence of Jesus, but she did not feel worthy to be there.

What did she do at the feet of Jesus?  She was “weeping, and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil” (7:38).  The verb tenses in this verse denote ongoing action—she kept on weeping, washing, wiping, kissing and anointing.  It was not a quick “one-and-done” action but something she kept repeating.

Go back and read the last three paragraphs.  Make the application.  Could you…Would you have done this?

But, here’s the question.  WHY was she doing this?  Simon the Pharisee accused her of being (present tense, right now) “a sinner” (7:39). 

However, the text does not support her still bearing her sins.  The Holy Spirit tells us that she “was a sinner”—a past tense verb (7:37).  Simon used a present tense, but the Holy Spirit used a past tense.  Who are you going to believe?  Her sins were in her past.

Jesus emphasized this further when He used a different tense regarding her sins.  The Son of God told both Simon and this woman that her sins “are forgiven” (7:47-48).  By using the Greek perfect tense, Jesus emphasized that her sins had been forgiven in the past and the result of that forgiveness was still ongoing in the present.

So, back to the question.  WHY was this woman doing this?  Jesus gives us the reason: Her sins had been forgiven!  Brethren, what do we humbly do for and to Jesus as a result of Him forgiving us of our sins?  Have we lost sight of how precious and powerful that gift is?  May it never be!