Human understanding is great to the human mind, but it can be fatal when adding a dose of emotions which overtakes personal responsibility. When personal understanding is based on unstable emotions, as opposed to responsible thought, the human mind tends to side with emotions instead of truth.
Religiously, the “what if” game is a dangerous game negating personal responsibility and shifting it to one of a theologically quandary. Personal responsibility must not be taken out of the theological process. There are many scriptures which speak of the responsibility of each individual to receive and share salvation. While Christ bore the burden of our lives on the cross, it is our responsibility to live for Him and bear our cross.
The “what if” game usually goes like this, “What if someone lives on a remote island in the Pacific and never hears the gospel?” But this question simply needs rearranged to make it closer to home, “What if a neighbor, who is an atheist, teaches their children atheism and they never hear the gospel?” Why do people reach for a remote island? I believe it takes away from our personal responsibility as Christ followers (as Christians). Using such an extreme examples places the work on someone else in the example than ourselves.
Playing the “what if” game begs the question, “What are you doing to reach everyone?” Is it our desire to plant the seed of Christ, water the seed and let God give the increase? Or is our desire to speak of endless possibilities of “what if” without reaching the people nearest to our home?
Passages such as 2 Thessalonians 1.5-15 reveal God’s words regarding ignorance. As Christ-followers, God-believers and Holy Spirit filled followers, Paul’s inspired words of 2 Thessalonians should cause tears because of the fate of those lost. Those tears should lead us to action on their behalf. The responsibility should inspire us to reach every person and not play a game of shedding responsibility.
My friends, let us put off the ‘what if” and begin putting on the “what can I do.”
Just some thoughts,
