The Confident Witness (2)
…remember…that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2.11, 12
Broken-hearted for the lost
I suspect that very few of us think of the apostle Paul as the “emotional type.” He was so bold, so steeped in God’s truth, so committed to the Lord’s mission. He didn’t have time to get all sentimental about people and their problems.
We would be wrong to think that way, especially where the lost were concerned. Paul ached for lost people. He wrote to the Church in Rome that he had “great sorrow and anguish” in his heart and would be almost ready to give up his own salvation if only the Jewish people would believe (Rom. 9.1-3). We hear this passion for lost people in the way he urged the pagan King Agrippa to believe the Gospel (Acts 26.24-29).
The very word “lost” suggests a plight none of us wants to endure. Not knowing where we are, what’s awaiting us beyond the next turn, fearful and uncertain, whether we’re headed in the right direction, or how to get to some safer and more secure place. As we increase in knowing the Lord Jesus, we will see in His face the compassion and concern of Him Who came to seek and to save the lost (Lk. 19.10), and that will move us to share His burden.
Part of the reason Paul was so confident and consistent in his witness for Christ is that he understood the plight of lost people, and his heart was burdened that they might be saved.
Captive to the lie
What is the plight of lost people? Is it really all that bad? We know that one day it will be tragic; but for now, lost people seem to be satisfied with being, well, lost. Is their plight worse than they know? What did Paul understand about the plight of the lost?
First, Paul understood that lost people are living a lie and bound for eternal destruction. By refusing to acknowledge God and to embrace His salvation, lost people have become trapped in the lie which says there is no God, or, if there is, He doesn’t matter unless you want Him to. And if you don’t want Him to, well, that’s your choice. We’re on our own down here, and each of us must figure out what’s best for ourselves. We can’t be bound by some fixed morality; each of us must discover the truth for ourselves (cf. Rom. 1.18-32).
The more people live by this lie, the further from God and hope they spiral away. This is the way of fleeting highs but overall drudgery, disillusionment, disappointment, despair, defeat, and death. Paul knew this lifestyle because he’d been there. The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, and they’re on a downward spiral of sin and self-interest from which, short of the grace of God, there is no deliverance or escape in this life or the next.
Without hope
Apart from knowing God, Paul explained, people have no hope. Oh, of course they have plans and dreams and life goals and so forth. Stuff they hope to gain, realize, or possess. But nothing they aspire to or achieve ever quite satisfies the longing in their souls.
People are restless, anxious, and uncertain. They live in the fear of death (Heb. 2.15), and in order not to think about this too much, they fill their lives, when they’re not working, with all manner of diversions and distractions. They fear more than anything being alone or having nothing to do. More than anything except death, that is. On the surface they look happy, successful, and clever. But within, they sense their lives have no meaning, no direction, and no hope beyond a cold, dank grave at the end.
Look at the drugs and other concoctions people take to overcome their depression, get a little sleep, or hype them up above their merely mundane experience. Look at the frenzy with which they shop or play video games or swoon and rave over the latest icons of pop culture. They’re like a child in a playpen, who moves from one toy to the next, engaged for a few moments, then becoming bored. Finally, when all the toys have been tried and laid aside, all they can think to do is sit and cry for someone to come and hold them.
No true community
And they’re alone, all alone. Apart from God’s covenant and promise, people can find relationships to be a challenge. That’s because they enter their relationships following the advice of 70s self-help guru Robert Ringer who counseled us to “look out for number 1.” Relationships that are all about me, or me and my tribe, are not going to be very stable or satisfying. People need something more, something spiritual, some reason to care for people deeply, even to the point of being willing to give our lives for them.
But this is not the way relationships work apart from God and His covenant. Where life is every man for himself, relationships are fleeting, self-interested, sensual, unstable, ego-boosting, and ultimately unsatisfying. This explains why marriage is on the decline and why more people prefer merely to “hook-up” rather than to settle down.
Paul knew this. He saw this in the people around him, and his heart broke for the plight of lost people. Paul got it. He understood that, for all their outward beauty, bluster, and bounty, lost people are desperately alone, bored, afraid, prone to ennui, and casting about for something real and lasting.
The Gospel is real and lasting. The Gospel overcomes the lie, fills us with the hope of glory, and empowers us to love one another as Christ has loved us. Paul was a confident and consistent witness because, understanding the plight of lost sinners, he longed for them to come to the truth that is in Jesus.
Do we?
For reflection
1. In Romans 1.25 Paul says unbelievers have embraced the lie. What is “the lie” and how does it affect people who are trapped in it?
2. In Ephesians 2.12 Paul says that those who are “without God” are also “without hope.” What does he mean by this? How can you see that he’s right?
3. Only within the framework of God’s covenant can we know the love of Christ and share it with one another. Do people who don’t know the Lord long to love and be loved? How do you see this? How does the Lie affect their view of love?
Next steps—Preparation: How can you see that Jesus has given you hope, fellowship, and true and abundant life? Have you thanked Him for delivering you from the plight of lost people?
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Knowing Jesus
Being confident witnesses begins in our relationship with Jesus, in knowing Him. Two books can help you grow in Jesus. To Know Him is a brief and lively exposition of Philippians 3.7-11 and explains what Paul means by this. You can order your copy by clicking here. Be Thou My Vision offers 28 daily meditations on Jesus, drawing on Scripture and writings from the period of the Celtic Revival. Order your copy by clicking here.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
