Spiritual maturity

I had dinner last night with a friend. This person had wronged me greatly in the past. After about a year I got a long letter apologizing for the bad behavior and asking me to forgive him. He went on to say that he was now actively involved in church and was a changed person. I accepted his apology and agreed to meet for dinner.

We had a nice meal and discussion about how God was working in his life and blessing him. Later we talked about his family and he told me some things about his mother. The relationship between them was terrible and he and his siblings had been abused by her as youngsters. The bottom line was that he had decided his mother was never going to accept Christ and he seems to have accepted that fact, even though as a Bible believing Christian he now understands that if she dies an unbeliever she will without doubt end up in hell for eternity. My impression is that he feels as if it ended up that way, she would get what she deserves.

I asked him to consider as a new Christian that Jesus does not feel the same way. We are to emulate Jesus in every way. There must be consequence for bad behavior and sin, but we should not give up on people. I reminded him that he had asked me for forgiveness and I had granted it. I have many friends who stubbornly refuse to ask Jesus into their lives. It grieves me greatly and I am genuinely hurt by it and would give practically anything to be able to convince them to change their minds. Hell is forever! As Christians we should not wish that on anyone. We are all deserving of being there, but God was willing at great expense and sacrifice to forgive us our sins. Basically his mother may ultimately end up in that situation, but he should be grieved by that notion and try his utmost to lead her to Christ.

I told him that one sign of Christian maturity was to feel deep concern for the lost instead of having an attitude that one day soon they will get what they deserve. I for one am very happy and appreciative that my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does not feel that way.


Ephesians 2:4

But God who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love with
Christ (by grace you have been
saved),
and raised us up together and
made us sit together in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus.