Don’t Pray for the Lost to be Saved – its not scriptural! (part 2: Jesus)
12
Sunday
Apr 2015
There are two spiritual truths that are the foundation of why there is little emphasis in the New Testament on praying for the lost to be saved.
Jesus didn’t pray that people would respond because he knew that people were desperate for Him even if they didn’t realize it. In Matthew 9: 37-38, Jesus commanded his disciples to pray for not for salvation for the lost, but rather for more workers in the fields: “the fields are white, pray that The Lord would send more workers into the fields.”
Lets consider Jesus’s “evangelistic mission” when he sent out the 72 in Luke 10 and the 12 disciples in Matt 10. When he instructed the 72 and the 12, did he give them extremely specific instructions? Yes. Did those instructions include telling them to pray? No! He told them that he had given them authority, just like he has been given authority for the benefit of the church (Eph 1:22-23). He just sent the workers into the field and knew that those the Father has called will respond.
As an ekklesia that is healthy grows and operates in unity, it will naturally produce workers that will be sent out to plant other ekklesias. This is the example in scripture, and His pattern still operates in the same manner as it did back then. I am living proof of this, as well as the other trainees currently with Milt.
Additionally, imagine if all the praying for the lost that we do suddenly turned into praying for more workers in the fields, as Jesus instructed his disciples? Would that not lead to more of the lost actually hearing the good news? Would that not also make our prayers more personal and more concrete in their application? I think they would.
Lets get back to Jesus’s view of evangelism.
John 14-17 is a window into Jesus’ heart. Its the speech and prayer he gave to his disciples the night of his arrest. I consider this his “deathbed” words, and just like someone in the hospital on their deathbed, whatever they say in that moment is what is truly in their hearts. So lets focus on his prayer in ch 17. Amongst other issues, he prays for you and me: future believers, and I will include that portion of his prayer here:
JOHN 17:20-23 I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one_as you are in me Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. [after this he prays again for the disciples]
Notice that he didn’t pray that they would have sound theology, or great ministries, or even great evangelism. He prayed that we would be ONE. Why? Because Jesus knew that the church that is most reflective of him would be the church that has the most true conversions. Right there Jesus just displayed his heart for the church AND his plan for reaching the lost. He said it clearly himself in verse 23: when we are in unity, the world (i.e. the lost) will believe. This is true because in some mysterious way, He knew that unity and oneness was an extremely effective at winning the lost. I’m sure there are multiple reasons for this, but one of them is that some people are longing for a taste of Heaven, and will convert simply on the “heavenly taste of the Godhead” that unity provides.
Imagine this: what if all the efforts we as believers have made towards evangelism in the past 100 yrs was instead put into becoming one heart and one mind? I GUARANTEE you that we would be more plentiful harvest of souls than we have had.
Lets also look at what we label as “the Lord’s Prayer” in Matt 6 {Which, by the way, is not the Lord’s Prayer, thats in John 17. In Matt 6 he gives instructions on how we should pray}. Read those instructions from Him on how to pray; is there any hint of evangelistic tone in it? I say no. The only line that could even be construed to touch upon reaching the lost is “let your kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven” however, lets remember that Jesus also said “the kingdom is within you.” The Kingdom of God does not exist in an unbeliever, but only in believers, so I think it is fair to interpret that line of his instruction to be interpreted in the following manner: “I know the kingdom is in my people, but let them exhibit the qualities of Heaven-love, unity, compassion, forgiveness, etc- to a greater degree” because Jesus understood that if his people exhibit the kingdom of God in their own lives, some people will be drawn to it.
Let me share with you my personal journey: the great majority of my family (including extended family, roughly 40 people) do not know The Lord, and most of my grandparents have died without knowing him. So don’t think that I’m not intimately concerned with the lost getting saved…but I must subject my paradigms to the example seen in scripture in Paul as well as the commands that Jesus gave.
Also, we must remember that in reality it is only those that the father draws (John 6:44) that will be saved, also, lets remember another unpleasant truth: that most people will not come to a saving knowledge of The Lord (John 7: 13-14). Of course, he also said that when he would be lifted up, he would draw all men to himself (John 12:32).
I am NOT telling you not to pray for the lost. “What???” you say? I’ll repeat that: I am NOT telling you not to pray for the lost. My goal here is just to give you information. What I recommend you do is to take this info, research it yourself, and allow Jesus to reframe your thoughts and actions, not just some blogger you’ll never meet.
Lastly, I final word from my heart: I only desire for the Bride of Christ to love unabashedly and worship with full abandon. If anything in this post is not Truth, scrap it. I have thought of the subject matter for over 10 yrs, and other than telling my friend mentioned above about it, this is the first time I’ve really shared. I would love for everyone to know the King, but thats just not going to happen, and we must be realistic about it (Matt 7: 13-14).
In all of this, don’t just take my word. Look for yourself :)
your brother,
Thomas
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar