Friday, May 04, 2007

Will God send someone else?


Jovan argued that if he did not follow the call of God on his life to go to the unreached people group, that God would then send someone else. I asked, “who says so? what do you base this on? how do you know?”

Does God always have a second plan? Then why are there over 6000 unreached people groups listed on the Joshuaproject website? Does God have a second or third or fourth plan for them?

Needless to say, this led to a loud and intense discussion in the classroom. There clearly are few second plans in God’s design . . . He is calling . . . people ignore that call . . . people perish into eternity without God, and we sit back expecting God to have a second and third and fourth plan. Well God may, but then again He may not.

I find this sense of universalism growing in the church today. “God will accomplish it.“ ”He will find another way if you don’t go.“ The class was clearly reluctant to agree that most people are hell-bound. Shoot it even sounds harsh to my not so politically correct ears!

It seems to me that God does have a plan . . . you and me. And if we don’t do it, then who is to say that there is someone else to be sent? If you won’t go, who will?

2 comments:

Beth said...

This reminds me of a story told by a speaker about his prayer life. God awakened him in the middle of the night to pray for someone around the world who he did not know, whose life was in danger. He was reluctant to wake up and pray but did so. Afterwards God told him that God had asked many people to pray for this person but they would not, and so God finally came far down His list to this reluctant prayer warrior. He felt humbled by this knowledge.

How about the verse "I searched for a man to stand in the gap . . . "

I do think God has a 2nd 3rd and 4th plan but that should not be a reason to sit back and yawn, "God will get it done without me" Rather, that should be a highly convicting indictment of us whose lethargy is forcing God to keep calling further and further down His list.

Like you said, you and me are His plan. OK, now I feel indicted.

Heather said...

The problem here is not really "does God have another plan" but am I obeying God's plan for me. How miserable we are when we get out of His will for our lives. If I am called then I better stop grumbling and get moving. Period.

The sad thing is that people are willing to settle for less than His best, and when they do other people suffer the consequences--for many that means hell.