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from The Prayerline Newsletter by Darrell C. Porter

"Salvation! It's Not An Option"

October - December, 2008

There are those who feel that the invitation by God to be saved from their sins by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and following Him, is an option. They see it as one of many choices. They look around as though they will find some other way to enter God’s heaven and live forever.

As they turn away from believing on God’s only Way they unwittingly choose to remain in their sin, trapped in the worldly web of wickedness. They do not know the true state of their present condition before God. (1Tim.1:13) Their all-too-familiar lives, in their own eyes, are not that bad. They see themselves as being no worse than anyone else. Yet, they are discomforted by the agony that there is no true peace in them.

There also is no real purpose for their lives. They have no personal God to Whom they are committed, and in Whom they trust and obey. There is no certainty as to where they will go beyond the grave. Death is still a dark door, the other side of which is mysterious and frightening.

Yet they live to themselves, by their own rules; which are not their own, really, but largely the rules of others. They judge what they do through their own eyes, not the eyes of God. Even others are often mere objects for their own personal use or abuse. What is key to their life is themselves.

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” (2Tim.3:2-4)

These who reject God are like ships out at sea, with no landmark and no knowledge of the way home. Moreover they have sails but no rudder. They move and go about, yet have no certain direction. The winds of the world blow upon the sails of their thoughts, changing its course at will. They have no God to guide them, only their own ideas of the moment. They have no target, only their aimless impulses. They are lost, helpless, defenseless and afraid. There is no anchor for their souls to secure their lives from running aground. Where fate drives them they will be driven.

They have no voice over their existence; nor are they submissive to the Voice of their Creator Who is able to make their paths straight and their directions sure. (Is.42:16)

“The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.” (Pr 4:19)

Nevertheless with all men, saved or unsaved, comes trouble. Yet the anguish of these who reject Christ are horribly muffled by their own hands, having shut out that perfect Savior from entry into their lives. They breathe without life, move without direction; gather without purpose and, being empty of the things of heaven, die without God.

“Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soulshall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” (Nu 15:31)

These have chosen to make light the holy Hand of heaven stretched out to them in kindness and mercy. “Then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” (Deut.32:15) In a blasé sort of way they brushed it aside as though some other something was available and waiting for them… some other path… some other divine goodness… another God. Their short-lived lives (though they lived to be 999) ended with no such discovery. For there is only one God and one Way to Him. (Isa.43:11; Jn. 14:6)

Salvation! It’s not an option. It’s a necessity.

The large multitudes of lost sinners have sunken their souls in the sanctity of the crowd, where everyone does what everyone else does. The blind follow the blind. Those without Christ compel others who know not God to follow them without question. The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the melodious tune of the world, leading the mesmerized, comforted by the company of others, down the winding paths of the world up its high cliff of glittering promises leaning over into the dark pits of hell.

Their song and their dance will be remembered no more. For as they have cut off God from their thoughts, and His ways from their ways, so, too have they blocked their names from entry into the Lord’s eternal book of remembrance. (Rev.21:27) For He will speak to them words no man wants to hear, “I never knew you.” (Matt.7:23) In naked shame they will appear having severed themselves from His abiding love and great Salvation.

The horn of Hope has blown in the streets of cities and towns and villages around the world, and will blow till the end. It is preached in homes and huts and nearly every village. Its mercy is sung aloud by singers. Writers have recorded its message in thousands of books. Movies magnify its Gospel message around the globe. Preachers everywhere proclaim it with passion. Mourners weep for the lost. Intercessors labor in gut-wrenching prayers for the woeful lost. For it is not His will “that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2Pet.3:9)

Salvation is serious business. It’s man’s only hope for everlasting life. Those who miss it will find no replacement or other heavenly option. To behold the face of God’s Salvation, is the highest privilege. For Christ alone is able to save a lost sinner. A saving encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important thing to ever happen to a human being. God’s Son is infinitely more marvelous than anything the world could ever offer. This world offers only what will perish. Jesus Christ provides only what will never perish or decay or be taken away from you - His everlasting life. Those who receive Christ are wise.

“Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness of the LORD.” (Ps 107:43)

This man, Jesus Christ, is the largest figure in history. His every Word has been fulfilled and His every promise till now has come to pass. He is the only One born into this world Who lived and died and rose again from the dead on the third day, exactly as He said He would. No one, ever, in all the world, or the ages of the world, or among any of the peoples and nations or history of the world has come anywhere close to even the edge of the shadow of what Christ has done. Their works have all fallen infinitely short of that pure and perfect work of the Son of God.

Salvation! It’s not an option.

God’s gift of eternal life is not to be seen as though there were another way to heaven. Else He would never have said, “Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts…” (Heb.3:5) When the good news, the Gospel of God, is preached, it can only be seen for what it is, the only avenue into everlasting
life. There are no other options. Those who say there are other ways to God are like pied pipers tooting their seductive spiritual tunes to the deceived, luring them to a place they know not where, and to an end from which there is no escape.

“For the end of those things is death.” (Ro 6:21b)

Proud words have been spoken about this great spiritual leader or that one. Yet “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. (Rom. 3:23) All have died or will die and be no more. Yet only the Lord Jesus Christ lived, and continues to live, and will live forever more. Wonderfully, He also lives in those who have received Him.

Those who have received Jesus Christ have received ife. (Jn.20:31) Those who do not have Him have no life at all. That is, they have no eternal life. Their temporary life, like the flame of a candle, will eventually burn out. What will remain is a type of waxed figure cut off from God. Those who exist apart from God dwell in a place particularly reserved for them. It, too, is eternal; yet there is no life there. Their inhabitants live and breathe and speak and feel and remember and regret. Yet there is no joy or peace or love in them. In essence they are dead. They are completely cut off, separated from the living, whose dwelling place they can never enter. (Lu. 16:26) For them the door to this life is shut closed; and their fate is forever sealed. Death was their only other option when they rejected Christ.

Here lies the reason behind Paul’s statement to Christians to be sober, serious, and sound. (Tit.2:2) It is no light thing for a man to reject the mercy and grace of God. Better indeed that he were never born than that he despise this holy Hand held out to save him.

“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” (Ps 55:15)

“But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” (Ps.13:5)

This is why Christians must seek with earnest desire the Salvation of lost sinners. These are they, who in their present condition “know not what they do.” (Lu.23:34)

Of all the prayers we pray, prayers for the lost ought to be included in our batch. Care for their condition should be our daily concern. The way of the world is hard and often without mercy. It leaves many, many, oh so many wounded, afflicted, destroyed and trampled upon. The Christian who is true to His Savior will reach out to God on their behalf in heartfelt prayer and faith.

Consider for a brief moment the worst thing a person could ever do to you. Now imagine that they did it to the one you most affectionately care for and dearly love. Now imagine further that this same individual did it to each and every person you loved and cared about and to the people they loved and cared about as well. Now such a one would clearly deserve the most severe judgment for their evil. As their judge what kind of penalty would you throw at them? Would you cast their despicable souls into the sulfuric flames of hell to roast and burn in misery? If so, for how long? An hour? Would that mind-maddening hour-long torment be enough to pay the price? Or would they have to roast and burn longer to really satisfy your need for justice? How about a whole day, twenty four hours long? Would that do it? Or maybe your anger is so hot and so deep that even that is not enough. How long would you keep that horribly wretched person in punishment? How much misery and damnation would it take for you to say they have suffered in every wit for the pain they caused you and so many others? Would it take an entire year of non-ending, non-relenting torment and unspeakable misery not found anywhere on this earth? Would that do it for you and cause you to finally say, “Enough! You’ve suffered enough for your crimes.” Then listen to this and know that the Almighty God, the just Judge Who is perfect in all His ways, has declared He will cast such an unrighteous soul into outer darkness and they will remain there forever. “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt.24:25) There is no mercy available for anyone in hell. They are there and they are there forever.

“Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.” (Ps.55:15)

“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” (Ps.9:17)

“Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.” (Isa.5:14)

In light of these and many other Scriptures it is critical that we have earnest concern and compassion upon even the most wicked person, knowing that all the pain and misery they wrongly caused others will one day come to an end for them. Yet the misery they themselves will endure will NEVER end. No mind can conceive of such endless misery, such eternal damnation. Yet this is the unshakeable truth that awaits those who are without Christ.

As God will not take a child out of heaven who is cloaked in His righteousness, neither will He take one out of hell who is donned in unrighteousness. Where you are is where you will remain forever. Men are unable to see themselves as they are and as God sees them because as they are is all they’ve ever known. They have never known God, nor His holiness. Like fish living in the deepest part of the sea they have never seen land nor the sky or the bright sun above it. Likewise man has never seen God or the brightness of His glory or the standard of His holiness by which He judges all things. When God brings something into glory it is there forever. When He casts it into outer darkness it is likewise cast out forever. Here is the blessedness of those who pass from darkness to light.

Therefore contend with God for the lost, while you may. Pray that they will be saved. Pray for that sinner who knows not God. Pray for the wicked whose ways displease the Lord that they might be turned to Him and be changed through His mercy and long-suffering and grace. Pray that such a one receive the kindness and mercy of Christ. For outside of Christ man dwells in judgment and is subject to His wrath. Because of his present condition and endless rebellion against God, “God is angry with the wicked everyday.” (Ps 7:11b)

Aside from your prayers there is no hope for some. The Spirit of Mercy may well put someone on your heart. Ask God for their lives. Plead with Him for their eternal Salvation, knowing that someone, somewhere also pleaded for you. The alternative to remaining lost is not pleasant. “Sinner, I think this should go like a dagger to your heart, to know that God is your enemy. Oh where will you go? Where will you shelter yourself? There is no hope for you, unless you lay down your weapons and sue out your pardon, and get Christ to stand as your friend and make your peace. If it were not for this, you might go into some howling wilderness, and there pine in sorrow, and run mad for anguish of heart and horrible despair.

"But in Christ there is a possibility of mercy for you, yea, an offer of mercy to you, that you may have God more for you than He is now against you. But if you will not forsake your sins, nor turn thoroughly and purposely to God by a sound conversion, the wrath of God abides on you, and He proclaims Himself to be against you, as in the prophet: “Therefore, so say the Lord God, Behold, I even I, am against you!” (Ezek.5:8)" Joseph Alleine, “An Alarm to the Unconverted”

Beloved saint you may well be the only one to stand in the gap and pray that certain soul out of darkness and into the Kingdom of Christ. Use this grace that God has given you – this grace of life to give life to those who do not have it. They are blind now. Yet on that certain day they will rise up and look about them and see what they had never seen before nor understood. They will be filled with unspeakable joy because you prayed them in. Their eyes will gleam at the goodness and glory of God, knowing where they could have ended up. Yet mercy delivered them. Jesus received them. And now they finally see.

Salvation! It’s not an option.

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The PRAYERLINE Newsletter is a quarterly publication of Darrell C. Porter Evangelistic Assoc., Inc.

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