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Eight Reasons Why People Won’t Accept The GospelReason 7 – They have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants
Intro
The seventh reason of why people won’t accept the Gospel:
They have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants
Boston said:
They have no anxiety for the supply of their soul-wants.
They want grace and holiness, but they can be easy without them. Like foolish virgins, they sleep on at ease, while they have no oil for their lamps:
Proverbs 6:10 “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,”
Their desires are keen after the world, but weak, faint, and languishing after spiritual good things. They have no hunger and thirst after them. Hence, they value not the gospel, nor the fountain of living waters.
Do you know the story of the foolish virgins? You can find it in Matthew 25:1-13. Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God and how it will be for many people when it comes. He talks about ten young women who are all waiting for the bridegroom to come. Yes, there was a wedding about to happen. The women all had their oil lamp with them in case the bridegroom would be later than expected. Five of the young ladies decided not to bring some extra oil for their lamps and when finally the bridegroom came their lamps already ran out of oil. They couldn’t see a thing! The had to get oil from a shop that was still open. Well a 24/7 shop seems to be normal now but back then… Never mind. They missed the party because they didn’t pay attention earlier that day.
Now, let’s assume that these foolish virgins were in fact very busy during the day. I mean, nowhere Jesus says that they were lazy. And to back my story a bit, the parable says that they all fell asleep. So, they were tired, probably from their activities during the day. Why else do you fall asleep while knowing that the bridegroom is coming.
Anyway, the young ladies might even have been very diligent during the day. Taking care of the house and family. Maybe doing some good business. I mean, it is always good to have some extra cash, right? Who doesn’t want to have financial security! Of course, they had to maintain their good standing in the village. After all, they were the ones who got invited to the wedding. One needs to be in a good standing when you’re so important. But what about their supply of ‘oil’?
The five wise women prioritised their activities. They knew things can always turn out a bit different from that what you would have expected. The foolish women didn’t felt the need to be anxious about the oil. Surely, they could lift along with others, if they needed to that is! No need to be nervous, there is time enough.
This is a very dangerous attitude! Many will ease their minds by coming up with fancy variants of the Gospel.
- “God will never make me feel guilty!”
- “The sleepless nights I have can not come from God”
- “God wants us to have a total peace in our hearts, so, that spiritual anxiety I experience, can never come from Him”
They deceive themselves with these lies. That’s what they are, lies!
How often have you heard it before?
“No worries, I’ll turn my life to Christ when I am ready. I want to make promotion first, then I would like to marry a beautiful man or woman. Of course, we are going to get children, preferable two or maximum three, as we also need to stay busy to get even more security in life.”
It is the typical excuse coming from someone who doesn’t have a clue about the importance of the Gospel, about that what their soul really needs. Like the five young ladies in our story, they have been diligent, thoughtful to many things, except towards the most important thing of all, oil!
In the story the oil was the refill the lamps. In real life the oil points to God’s grace which saves and fills the soul. It is God’s Spirit who will direct you to God’s grace.
CORRECTION: In the video I mention the text in which Jesus talks about the coming of the Spirit. I said that He said that in Matthew 16 but that should be John 16!
John 16:7b-11
…if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”
The Spirit of God Himself wants to supply the soul and nurture it. Ignoring the Spirit, or thinking that He is there for the take whenever it suits, is a grave mistake. Because somewhere down the line you get tired and might say what the preacher in proverbs already saw around him:
Proverbs 6:9-11
“How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth [like an approaching prowler] , and thy want as an armed man [making you helpless]…”
Don’t ignore that voice which is telling you that you should turn to Jesus! Make sure you have your lamp filled to the neck with that oil of God’s grace and just make sure you will never run out.
