How do we help those trapped in the Prosperity Gospel movement? And what about those who end up in Hell but never heard the Gospel?
Prosperity Gospel
- People are hurting in this world due to a variety of reasons and there are wolves who’ve been taken advantage of people for several decades.
Dealing with those still trapped in it
- Look for opportunities to address real life problems biblically
- Many people caught up in these movements have also fallen victim to just bad theology all around.
- One of the best ways to help those still trapped in the movement is not to assault the whole movement or their pastor, but speak to life challenges they may be experience through a more conservative and theological lens.
- Pray
- Pray for opportunities to speak into their lives with the true Gospel.
Those who never heard of the Gospel
How do we as believers deal with the issue of people going to hell without hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Points to Remember
- Not everyone wants to be saved
- Everyone’s trajectory is hell to start with
Not everyone wants to be saved
- The topic of people dying without ever hearing is a hard topic but we need to fully understand the plight of the world; then it becomes a bit easier. A bit.
- There’s an assumption that if people would hear the Gospel they would come to Christ. But that isn’t what we see in the Bible.
- Satan attempted a mutiny
- Adam and Eve rebelled against God
- Cain slew Abel out of rebellion and they knew God because they were already providing offerings
- Noah preached and was ignored
- Pharaoh rejected God despite God proving Himself through his encounter with Moses
- The prophets God sent were slain by the people of God
Matthew 23:29-32
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!
- Jesus was God in the flesh and Judas rebelled
- The Jews and Romans killed Jesus
- After the death of Jesus the Romans started killing the followers of Jesus
- There are stories of missionaries who traveled the world and were killed or eaten by cannibals for attempting to spread the Gospel.
- Bottom line is that God knows who is going to respond to the Gospel and who will not. Many people will never respond even if God Himself (Jesus) was before them.
- We need to trust in God’s omniscience. Those who come to God are no surprise to God.
Hell is everyone’s trajectory
- Remember Romans 3:10
Romans 3:9-10
9 What then? Are we any better off? Not at all! For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, 10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.
- Common thought about hell is people aren’t really destined for it, they just end up there because they reject Jesus. This isn’t true. Hell is everyone’s initial trajectory from birth.
- God made a conscience decision to intervene and provide salvation via Jesus Christ.
- God was never under any obligation to save us.
God cared enough to Intervene
- People were saved before Jesus Christ arrived.
- Those who believed through faith in God were sent to Paradise (which was once part of Sheol) before Jesus arrived.
- Remember the many who faithfully followed the God of Abraham before Jesus arrived to purchase all souls.
- Remember God sending Noah who was operating under the Spirit of God (1 Peter 3:18-20) sent to save the wicked.
- Then we have Jesus on the scene; God in the flesh to provide salvation
- Lastly we have the followers of Jesus here to proclaim the good news until He returns.
- What we see in scripture and throughout history is God fighting to ensure the gift of salvation is made readily available to those who would respond in repentance and faith.
- Only our God has gone through these lengths because He truly loves us.
- Only our God is the ONE true and living God.
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