One day we are all going to have to answer for the wasted opportunities and squandered blessings in our lives and of our generation. Each of us is aware of the moments we let slip by without seizing them for the glory of God’s Kingdom (Ephesians 5:15–16; Matthew 25:14–30). The memories are so painful we don’t often dwell on them, but we all know they are there in the deepest recesses of our minds.
This reminds me of when Jesus said He would cast all those who reject Him into the outer darkness (Matthew 22:13). That’s a darkness deeper than the blackest night any of us has ever experienced. Imagine combining such darkness with the pain of every regret, sorrow, and evil we have locked away in that deep closet in our minds. That is a small taste of what Hell will be like for all who don’t bow to Jesus as Lord. That pain and darkness will never end.
We all have friends and family who are going to experience eternity in Hell. Those we love most will live forever in pain and darkness. If that doesn’t cause an enormous cry to bubble up from deep inside you, you may want to check your own standing with Christ. When we desire what God desires, then we will do anything we can to keep people from going to Hell (2 Peter 3:9; Romans 10:1). The best person we know deserves Hell just like we do, yet we cannot wish Hell on the worst person we know. People are capable of horrific evil, and we want justice for their crimes. But if we wish eternal pain and darkness on someone, what does that say about the evil in our hearts?
Which brings me back to where I began, thinking about all of those moments we could have told someone about Christ but didn’t. This is true for us not only as individuals, but for the Church at large. In the 1980s, when people were first gathering online (albeit in a much more primitive manner), Christians were seeing the possibilities of taking the gospel to the world. When the internet began maturing, the excitement grew. But wherever there is an opportunity for good, deeper motivations of greed and avarice often hijack the best of intentions. The internet became a hotbed not for the Gospel, but for rampant pornography. The opportunity passed us by.
When smartphones came on the scene, Christians saw the possibility of a Bible in every hand, even in places where there are restrictions against owning a Bible. What became true instead was pornography again, and to an even greater extent, social media obsession and addiction. Believers no longer had time to read that Bible on their device because they were too busy checking to see if their latest vacation or vanity photo was receiving the appropriate number of likes. At every turn, we have sacrificed the mission of Jesus to indulge our sinful lusts and selfish desires (1 John 2:15–17; Philippians 2:19-21). Another opportunity left by the wayside.
If we place our faith in the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died in our place providing a covering for our sins, and then rose again to defeat death and make a way for us to experience eternal life with Him, and if the sincerity of our faith is evidenced by Him being our Lord and Savior, we will live in peace and joy with Him forever (Romans 10:9–10; John 14:1–3). But for everyone who does not, they will spend their eternity in pain and darkness, engulfed in flames that never die out (Mark 9:47–48) and forever separated from their loving Creator (2 Thessalonians 1:5–9). These are the only two paths.
As Keith Green used to say, “This generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls.” Are we telling this generation about Jesus? Are we using every tool at our disposal to glorify the name of Jesus? Or are we squandering the blessings of this life, content to revel in our selfishness and pride? This life is not a game; people are dying and going to Hell while we sleep and look the other way. What will we say to Jesus when He asks us, “Why” (Matthew 25:41–46; Luke 12:47–48).