“Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.” -Ezekiel 18:31-32

Here in Ezekiel, God pleads with His people to repent and be saved. And an interesting comment is made towards the end of the passage: that God has no pleasure in those that die in their sins.

In discovering that God is not pleased when He must send a soul to hell, we gain insight into how God views evangelism and missions. Look at man’s very purpose for coming into being:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” -Revelation 4:11

If we know that our purpose is for God’s pleasure, and if we know from Scripture that God does not have any pleasure in sending a soul to hell, then this should teach us that part of our purpose is to save souls from hell.

If we truly love God, and want to please Him and bring Him honor and glory, then we ought to see the value in redeeming a human soul. Not that we, in and of ourselves, have the power to redeem a soul, but that we bring others the good news that Jesus Christ has already paid the terrible price to redeem them. So we ought to endeavor to spread this message, as Christ has commanded us, for the glory of God, and for His pleasure.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” -Matthew 28:19-20

• Feeding on God’s Word
• Jewels in His Crown
• Our Heart is Restless Until it Finds Rest in God
• Does God Like You?
• Oblivion, or Everlasting Glory?

Filed under:
Christian Devotions/Bible Study by Dean