Are you an alert watchman or a passive bystander? That seems like a straight-forward question that deserves an honest answer but seldom will we give it when it comes to our sharing the gospel message. There’s very few of us who walk past a burning house without making sure that those who lived in the house were safe from the danger of the smoke and flames. None of us would walk past a burning car with people trapped inside without trying to get them out. Yet when it comes to having the most important conversation we can ever have with someone, many of us become passive bystanders.
An alert watchman
There’s a very telling passage of scripture within Ezekiel: Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezekiel 3:17-21). Although the Lord is revealing this to His prophet Ezekiel and his responsibility to the Hebrew people, there is a moral application that can be applied to Christians.
Ezekiel was warned by God that because he was aware of the dangers facing Israel, he had a moral and spiritual obligation to sound the warning cry. Once the warning cry had been sounded, it was up to those that heard it to either heed the warning or to ignore it. Ezekiel’s obligation ended at sounding the warning; if he chose not to sound the warning, then anyone who died and was unrepentant of their sin, then Ezekiel would bear that responsibility. He would be held accountable by a holy and righteous God for not warning about His judgment and coming wrath. It was for this reason that Jonah spent three nights in the belly of the whale – God had given him instructions to warn those who lived in Nineveh; Jonah initially refused to sound the warning. He was content to be a passive bystander and content to watch God’s wrath and judgment poured out on people whom he (Jonah) had judged to be unworthy of God’s love and salvation.
Christians are to be alert watchmen
Within the gospels, as I shared often within this blog, Jesus gave Christians the responsibility to extend the gospel message. The book of Mark clearly defines our responsibility: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:14-16). In the book of Matthew, it states: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:19-20). In the book of Acts, we see that this commandment and responsibility is further defined by Jesus: And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 8:7-8). There is a clear teaching here – not only is it a commandment from Jesus for us to share the gospel, there is a moral obligation for us to share the gospel. God planned for each Christian to be an alert watchman, warning about the reality of hell and the importance of accepting Him as Lord and Savior.
In our modern society, we see various warnings all the time. Today’s image is one commonly seen near places where flammable liquids are often stored. The court system within our nation have upheld laws passed by all levels of government requiring places where flammable chemicals are stored to bear these warning signs. Similar legislation requires restaurants and stores to warn customers about wet floors. There are even local ordinances that require those who are on oxygen to hang a warning sign on the doors of their home warning visitors that oxygen, an extremely explosive gas, is being used within the home. If we, by legal obligation, most warn people of the physical dangers that await them, then why do we become hesitant to warn people of the judgment and wrath to come? Why do we become spiritual passive bystanders who seem indifferent to lost people who are facing the greatest spiritual danger – condemnation to eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire.
I cannot think of anything more sad than me, as a Christian, not taking the time to share the most important thing we can ever share – our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – with those people we say we love and care about. Just as we would warn them if their house were on fire, we should, without any reservation, be willing to approach them in love and share the gospel message with them. There is no other conversation we can have with them that literally has the power to free them from the bondage of sin, that has the potential to change their eternal destination, and to truly be able to enjoy a more meaningful and deep fellowship with Jesus at its center. Just as Ezekiel was to sound the warning of the coming judgment of the Lord to all of Israel, Christians have a mandate to sound the warning to all the world, calling them to repentance, to the Lord, and teaching them about the teachings of Christ. This mandate extends to our children, our grandchildren, our siblings, parents, friends, grandparents, and coworkers – basically anyone that crosses our path each day.
