“I have a confession to make,” Stan said one morning.
“Confession?” I responded. “What’s going on?”
“I was reading in the apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia ,” Stan said, “where he was writing about that God won’t be mocked and that we all will reap what we sow.”
“What do you need to confess about that?” I asked. “You been mocking God? You reaping something you wished you didn’t sow?”
“No,” Stan replied, “it has to do with what the Holy Spirit showed me about wrong thinking concerning those who do mock God.”
“In what way?”
“Too often,” Stan replied, “my attitude about those who mock God, as well as those who mock Christians for their faith, is that God will have the last laugh when those people find out that they are going to spend eternity separated from Him, as well as being separated from all of us who call Jesus Lord. The Holy Spirit pointed out to me that it’s no laughing matter.”
“No laughing matter? What do you mean?”
“Too often,” Stan replied, “my natural tendency is to think that those people are going to get what’s due to them. That’s what they deserve for mocking God, mocking His people, and doing all they can to disrespect His church. However, I realize that following my natural tendency with this is not what I’m supposed to do. I am to look to see God’s heart and I don’t think He sees this as any laughing matter.”
“In fact,” I said, “doesn’t it say somewhere that God doesn’t want any to perish, but that He wants all to come to repentance?”
“Sure does,” Stan replied, “And that ‘any to perish’ includes all of those who mock Him, His people, and His church. God does not see those people as a reason for Him to have the last laugh as they board the train going away from Him for eternity, and I’m not either. Mock or no mock, I am to do all I can to help those people come to the point of accepting by faith all that God has for them on both sides of eternity.”
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Bible verses to consider:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit shall from the Spirit reap eternal life. Galatians 6:7-8.
The Lord is not slow about His promises, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9.
But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. Matthew 5:39.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you do not want any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. Thank you for including me in that so I was able to accept by faith your free and gracious provision of life eternally with you when my time here is done. Thank you, too, for the gift of being allowed to know you and Jesus in an ever-deepening personal relationship on this side of eternity. I confess that too often my attitude towards those who mock you, your people, and your church has been that they will get what they deserve. Please press on my heart the truth that you do not want any to perish, including those mockers. Please help me in following every step of your lead in presenting the truth to those mockers so that they, too, will have the opportunity to accept all you have for them on both sides of eternity. Please lead me in not giving up on them. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: How do you feel about those who mock God, His people, and His church? Do you tend to think they will get what they deserve in the sense of being eternally separated from God? If so, is that the attitude God wants you to have? Why or why not? Are there people in your life that you have given up on in thinking they will never come to faith? If so, consider that God has not given up and that you shouldn’t either!
Waiting for the Train 