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If I Am Lost.....
by Jesse Beeson

John the apostle records Jesus as saying:

 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.   (John 5:28-29 NKJV)

From this, and other passages such as Matthew 25, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10, we readily and easily understand that every individual is going to be raised the last day to stand before Christ in righteous judgment. When I give thought to this awesome, future event, I cannot but reflect on my own self as I hear the Lord pass sentence.  One thing, I am sure of:  If I am lost, it will not be the fault of anyone else.

If I am lost, It will not be the fault of God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit. In complete harmony with the others each member of the Godhead has done His role in revealing the gospel, God’s power unto salvation (Romans 1:16), to me that I may know His will and to be fully equipped to do what He would have me to do. It will not be God’s fault if I am lost because “I didn’t know.”

If I am lost, it will not be the fault of the elders, the deacons, the preacher, or any other member of the blood bought body. While God has clearly stated the role of each of these servants, and he expects them to faithfully execute their responsibilities,  He has not given me the luxury of leaving all to them. I cannot rest on their laurels, neither can I use their failures as an excuse for my failure to do His will.

If I am lost, it will not be the fault of my family and my friends. Again, God’s word is clear on this matter. “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matt 10:37). I cannot use the excuse of Adam, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate" (Gen 3:12). Also, it is written, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

If I am lost, I will be alone, separated from all that is good. Not only will I be separated eternally from God, Christ, and the  Holy Spirit, but I will also be separated from my Christian brethren who give me  joy and comfort in my sojourn in this earthly life. I will find no comfort in others who are also lost.

If I am lost, I will remember the wrongs that I did and the lost opportunities to do good. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Father Abraham said to the rich man, when he asked for water, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented “ (Luke 16:25).

If I am lost, I will find no comfort in the material or secular things valued on earth. Regardless of how successful I am (or prestigious my position) socially, financially, or professionally, I will find no comfort in these if I am lost. The rich (but foolish) man learned this lesson too late when he decided to build greater barns to hoard his wealth (Luke 12:18). Jesus said, “a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth”  (Luke 12:15).

If I am lost, IT WILL BE  because

• of my indifference to Him and my disregard of His teaching.  Matthew 7:24-27

• of my lack of  love for God and for others.

• of my failure to obey him 

“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).