The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as
some count slowness, but is patient toward you,not wishing that any
should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Read 2 Peter 3 ESV
The whole issue of predestination is a complex one. It's one of those things that is debated
and not fully understood or agreed upon. One thing that is for sure...the Bible states that
God predestined. He foreknew that certain souls would be saved.. would not perish as lost.
R. C. Sproul is very emphatic about the issue; he simply states that the Bible teaches
predestination.
There are also Bible verses that would seem to indicate that God does not want to lose
one single soul to eternal destruction.
Thus, we have a situation and there are a lot of "maybe's" that can be thrown out there
concerning these issues. Is God limited, somehow, in numbers when it comes to reaching
out, majestically, and drawing a soul inward? Could it be that the whole "free will" issue
comes into play, allowing unfortunate souls the right to reject the gospel? (Scary) Can folks
who have been lost find salvation in their lives at the latest minutes?
Well, my personal experience is that someone like me, who spent many unfortunate
years ignorant of the bases for salvation, can come to know and love Jesus after
having been separated for many years. This is Grace at its finest. It is God reaching out
and claiming one for His kingdom when that soul was completely undeserving of being
made righteous.
Evangelism would suggest that there is great work to do on many levels to teach
the gospel to people, one soul at a time. Whether we come to work on someone
through the guidance of the Holy Spirit or whether we reach out to someone we
love in the hopes that they might find salvation, it's a monumentally important
aspect of a Christian's life and walk.
I know one thing; I am never going to allow those I love to slip by without prayer
and effort. I owe them that; I owe God... everything!!!
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