HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU DESERVE TO HEAR THE GOSPEL?

Matthew 11:23 - And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

We know that God wants all mankind to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9).  We also know that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.  He would certainly rather see them turn from their wicked ways and live (Ezekiel 33:11). 

So, if that’s true, then why did God NOT send the same gospel message and the same great miracles to Sodom for them to see and repent, as the verse in Matthew above indicates would have happened?  If He did, they would have repented, right?  But Sodom was utterly destroyed.  Doesn’t this seem unfair for a loving God to neglect to send some really great miracles to that city, if He knew that this would lead to their salvation?

But no, God is not obligated to provide any and every conceivable chance for the lost to be saved.  Not everyone gets to see the miracles that the people of Jesus’ day did (Luke 7:21-22).  And not everyone gets to see the glorified Jesus face to face like the apostle John did (Revelation 1:17-18), or gets to visit the third heaven, like Paul (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).  But remember, all these great signs and revelations made them more accountable!

Not everyone gets to see this type of supernatural evidence… but again, God has provided SUFFICIENT evidence to every human being to turn to Him and be saved.

Do you think that Sodom didn’t have enough light or understanding of God to know that what they did was wrong?  The Bible tells us that even the general revelation of creation (the things of nature, the sun, moon, stars, etc.) is enough to make us all accountable to Him and sufficient to cause mankind to reach out to God and search for Him (Acts 17:24-27).  This common revelation strips us of all excuses (Romans 1:18-20).  Therefore, the light that God gives us is sufficient.  He owes special revelation or greater miracles to no one.  The people of Sodom had enough light and enough revelation to know who God is and to know NOT to live the type of life they did.   

So, if God judged Sodom for its sins (even with their limited revelation), then He must surely judge our modern society for its sins, with its abundant sources of information, with the internet, with its multitude of churches, and its ample supply of Bibles and related information.  We are far more accountable than the ancient city of Sodom.  There is no excuse for any of us in America to be ignorant of the Bible and the things of God. 

Don’t think that you will get an infinite number of chances to hear the gospel.  You don’t deserve it, and I don’t deserve it; no one does.  That’s one reason why the apostle Paul said that today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).  Remember the foolish rich man who planned to tear down his barns and build bigger ones, looking forward to a long and prosperous life, only to find that his soul would be required of him that very night (Luke 12:16-20)?

 

My friends, the gospel is a precious thing.  It is the simple message that we are all guilty of sin, and undeserving of Heaven.  But God sent His only Son to suffer horribly and die on a cross to pay for mankind’s sins.  That debt has been paid, but it is now up to us to believe it and embrace it.  This gospel should not be squandered on those who continually reject its message.  However, God, in His grace, sometimes gives us many chances.  But remember, we don’t deserve to hear it more than once before we accept it, and you might not get another chance.  Let’s treat it as the precious gift that it is.