Thought for the Week
Not everyone uses the term un-saved. But Jesus said, and our own eyes confirm, that there are people who are on paths of self-destruction, whose choices are toxic to themselves and to others.
I know, because I was one of them. One night, a woman stopped me as I swayed drunkenly from a friend’s apartment, and asked, “Do you know where you’re going?” I pointed to my car. “No,” she said. “I mean eternally.” Not long after, I began reading the words of Jesus, words that spoke to my nascent longings for God, and I started to change.
But what if I’d died that night? Would I have gone to hell? Or is it possible that God, knowing the trajectory of my heart, would have made a place for me? Can a person who is “un-saved” (i.e. has not made a formal profession of faith to others) still be redeemed?
In C.S. Lewis’s The Last Battle, a character named Emeth has wrongly served the false god Tash. But when he meets Aslan (who allegorically represents Christ), he suddenly realizes this is who he’d meant to serve all along, this is the one to whom his heart belongs. Knowing the trajectory of Emeth’s heart, Aslan accepts him.
I believe God accepts those whose hearts are his, even when their information or understanding is amiss.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a universalist; I don’t believe in a heaven made of unrepentant souls. Neither do I believe in cheap grace* (Dietrich Bonhoeffer). But I do believe that God can tell when a heart is ready, and that he sometimes allows what appears to us as an incomplete journey to be seemingly cut short. Why? Perhaps as an act of mercy, in recognition that, although that person’s heart is ready, their experiential baggage or biochemistry would cause them and others unnecessary suffering. In other words, I believe God is interested in redeeming all who are redeemable (2 Peter 3:9), even when they do not appear to us to be.
In the fall of 1980, I was on break from a recording session, when a musician friend asked us to pray for someone he’d spoken with. He’d just flown back into the country and had sat next to an iconic rock star. My friend began telling John, the famously agnostic rocker, about Jesus. To his surprise, the star admitted he’d been reading the Bible and had found himself strangely drawn to Jesus. “Yes, I think he may actually be who he says he is!” the rocker said excitedly. So my friend prayed for him, encouraging him, “Don’t stop now!” and they departed with a hug.
Did John Lennon follow through on that advice? God alone knows. But two months later, when he died, I suspect God may have looked into his heart and said,
“Welcome home, John.”
*Anyone who would use this idea as an excuse to continue in their former ways (cheap grace) proves by their very actions that their heart is not his.
Excellent! 🙌🏻✝️♥️
Thanks, Dori.
I’m not so sure about this. “If you CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH…” I haven’t seen anything Biblically that says otherwise.
Hi Sue. May I respectfully suggest you read my reply to Christopher Marcus (the Comment below yours) and the link I refer him to? Blessings.
So what about children who die before they have any idea about what the Christian faith is?
PS I don’t mean to be stand-offish, but the idea of heaven and hell and the criteria God has set for admitting some and not others (of his own creations) have always been very difficult for me. So it just struck me while I was reading, “what about … “
Point taken, Christopher. Some believers do indeed fall into legalism, insisting that “unless you do this or say that you can’t be saved.” But the theological view of most denominations is characterized by the understanding that each person is accountable to God for their response to “the light they are given.” Here’s a conservative summary of that doctrine: Microsoft Word – Light to every man.doc (eternal-productions.org)
I read it and thank you for taking the time. Not able to fully embrace it, but it made things more nuanced for me. Always a good thing 🙂
Great post with questions we all come across. I think God is always working in each life, and he knows how that life responds even if there are no outward signs like going forward at a crusade and saying “The Sinner’s Prayer.” (Which allows someone to rest on “I’m saved because I did this…”
Thanks for your thoughtful response, Anonymous.
Amen. Beautifully and succinctly stated! We don’t even know ourselves, not even at 3 a.m. when some bit of truth comes through. Only One knows us, both the bad of which we are capable, AND the good of which we are capable.
Exactly, Carol.
Mitch, what a powerful testimony! I often wonder about the salvation of “unsaved” persons as well. However, who am l to judge…✝️
Indeed, Marissa, only God knows the state of each person’s heart.
“But what if I’d died that night? Would I have gone to hell?”
Even if the answers to those questions were yes, and the location of the soul upon death determined its ultimate destiny, then that would simply suggest that God does not allow death to befall until the soul had already settled in its final state. In that case, you wouldn’t have been allowed to die that night because God knew your story wasn’t done, just as the thieves on the cross wouldn’t have been allowed to give up the ghost until they had their chance to settle their soul for or against Jesus.
Solid wisdom here.
Without suggesting the extreme of Lewis’ words about Emeth, It is sad how leaving open the possibility of late and simple recognition that Jesus is “who he says he is,” leaves us open to false charges of “cheap grace.” As for the universalism allegation, that cannot be made of anyone who actually believes the Bible is true (with its ultra-clear teaching on the subject).
It would be nice to see Lennon in heaven. But then again, we will experience the same joy at seeing some unknown, formerly derelict, drug addict who joins us in Christ’s presence.
And yes, living a rebellious life under the false permission of “cheap grace” proves just what you said.
I agree about Lennon, Rob. His celebrity status didn’t make his soul more important than that of any other child of God. I closed with that story because I was fortunate enough to be one of only a handful of people to learn that, right before his death, this famous agnostic was nearer to believing in Christ than anyone seems to imagine (forgive the pun).
I’m glad you included it, and I was genuinely happy to hear it. My comment was just a reminder to those who don’t consider themselves “worthy” of God’s notice or love.
Ideally, people with a public voice can convert while they still have a voice in this life. The power of celebrity seems to grow stronger every day.
Very true.
Maybe that woman was an angel? Thought provoking post .
Thanks, Mitch, for reflecting on questions I, and many others, have entertained. Your thoughts are compelling as was your account of your friend and his encounter with John Lennon. 🙂
I think we may all be surprised at who we find in Heaven. One thing is sure, all those who are called will be there. It’s not our job to determine who that is, but it is ours to go and tell all people the Gospel.
Amen, Debi.
I hope you’re right about John Lennon. He may have made a decision to believe in Jesus but never got a chance to tell anyone. (Totally irrelevant sidenote: Lennon died the day my son was born.)
“Imagine there’s no heaven ...” Hearing that song always makes me want to shout, “But there IS!”
Me too, Annie. I didn’t like the line even when I was an atheist. But I think Lennon was saying that if people live for “the next world” they’ll never work to make this one better.
Yes, I remember well the saying, “so heavenly minded they’re no earthly good.” The reverse can be true, too. We need awareness of both, so we’ll use our earthly existence to bring as many as possible into the eternal Kingdom.
Such an important message. It has never made sense to me that only certain people would inherit Heaven because of a specific faith. I believe in Christ, but I find it hard to believe that only people who accept Jesus in their lives are “good enough” to get into Heaven. I believe it belongs to all whose hearts are in the right place, who do an abundance of good works throughout their lives, and who (knowingly or unknowingly) achieve an altruistic desire to help, not harm, similar to Christ’s life on earth, regardless of religious beliefs.
Truth is, NONE of us is “good enough,” that was the point of Jesus’s death – to pay for our sins. So, anyone, “Christian” or otherwise, who thinks himself good enough is sadly mistaken.
Mitch.
I hope so. John had a rough life. Life is horrible without the Lord. Even the best is a mess.
Thanks, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
So so true, Gary.
Very thought provoking piece – we never truly know what transactional conversation may be happening during our last moments in this life.
I’m okay with not knowing the answer to that question. But I do believe that God loves everyone, and that His ways are not our ways. We still “see through a glass, darkly…..” All I can do is trust in God’s wisdom and love.
I totally agree, Ann.
Appreciated this post. Jesus came to save sinners. Sometimes we forget that’s who we are.
So, so true, Carol.
Thank you for sharing your insights and prompting such a thoughtful discussion on these important matters of faith.
While we may not have all the answers about the specifics of salvation, we can trust in God’s perfect justice and boundless love. Our role is to share the message of hope and grace with others, encouraging them to seek God with sincerity. And we can find comfort in the belief that God, in His infinite wisdom and compassion, knows and judges each heart individually.
Amen, Willie.