Why Are Not All Saved?
Why are not all saved? Why do some refuse to obey the gospel, and be a Christian? Let us consider some of the reasons made by those not desiring to be saved.
First, many do not become a Christian because they do not love the Truth. Christ said that "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32), whether spoken or written. The Bible is the word of God. Therefore, many are not saved because they do not live the Bible. If a person persists in closing his or her ears to the Truth and not obey it, God will send a strong delusion in order for them to believe in lies and disbelieve the Truth (2 Thes. 2:1-12); each time the person's heart is hardened makes it difficult for the person to accept and obey the Truth. Two causes of this rejection of the Truth are prejudices and preconceived ideas. We show our love for God and spiritual things by our acceptance of and obedience to the Truth.
Second, many do not become a Christian because the world keeps the person from paying attention to spiritual matters. Anything that interferes with one's relationship with God is a sin, although the thing may be right in other circumstances. It can be business. It can be marriage or family relationships. It can be worldly pleasures. We should not love the world, but should first seek the kingdom of God. (1 John 2:15-17; Matt. 6:33) I am not referring to the beautiful things of the world, but the things of the world that would keep a person from serving God in a pleasing manner.
Third, many do not become a Christian because they do not accept the authority of God and Christ, but some other authority. What is authority? Authority is the right to make and enforce laws and regulations because of the position occupied.
Authority is essential. Without it, there will be confusion and chaos. It is essential in worldly things. But it is also essential in things of a spiritual nature. The cause of this religious confusion is the non-acceptance of the authority of God, and the acceptance of some other authority.
God has primary authority. He gave delegated authority to Christ, who sent the Holy Spirit to guide the apostles into all Truth. The only way to hear God is to hear the Bible, or, the word of God. When you hear the word of God, you are hearing the Holy Spirit speaking through the apostles as He reveals the will of God, not His nor the apostles' will.
But many accept another authority in religious matters. One may accept his or her conscience as the authority. But the conscience is a fallible guide. It is not the function of the conscience to guide, but to condemn or to approve. The apostle Paul before his conversion persecuted the church, and he thought that he was doing the right thing. His conscience was clear; a person has a clear conscience if the person thinks that what he or she is doing is right. After his vision, in order to continue to have a clear conscience, he obeyed God. We are guided by our conscience on the basis of what we have been taught. Our conscience should be educated by the word of God. Your conscience has never told you what is wrong and what is right.
Another person may accept reason as the authority. Certainly we ought to be reasonable. But reason is a fallible guide. It does not tell you what is wrong and what is right. Reasoning power varies with people. We are human and imperfect; therefore, our reasoning will be imperfect.
Another person may accept feelings as the authority. But feelings cannot guide you in religious matters. Feelings do not affect persons in the same way; a feeling might affect me in one way, and the same feeling might affect you in another way. Feeling cannot tell you what is happening elsewhere, much less in Heaven and Hell.
Another person may accept as the authority the creed of a human religious organization, or the creed-makers or the human heart of the organization. But the creeds of the denominations are human and not divine, and changeable and not unchangeable. The word of God, whether spoken or written, is divine and unchangeable. God has not given any degree of authority to any council or man, and that includes the Pope of Rome. The creed of the church of Christ is perfect as God, the Author, is perfect; the creeds of denominations are imperfect as well as unscriptural despite the claim that the items are found in the Bible. Human authority in religious matters is fallible.
Still another may accept direct and divine revelations from God as the authority. Two of the persons who have made the claim of receiving direct revelations are Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science Church) and Joseph Smith (Mormon Church). But God does not do such things now. He did those things during Bible days until the completion of the Bible. We do not need direct and progressive revelations now because we have the full and complete revelation from God, namely, the Bible. (Jude 3; 2 Peter 1:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:15, 16; James 1:22-25; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10) God now speaks through the Bible, not in a dream or in a small, still voice out in the cornfield. Inspiration is not needed today, much less miracles which occurred during Bible days in order to confirm the Word spoken until the completion of the Bible.
What is the conclusion of this matter about authority acceptance? "0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jer. 10:23) Human authority is imperfect; the authority of God is perfect. Human authority cannot guide man in religious matters; we must accept the authority of God alone in religious matters. God speaks through the Bible. The Bible was written by inspired men. When you hear them, you are hearing God through the Holy Spirit, whom Christ, who has delegated authority, sent in order to guide the apostles, whom He sent. God has primary authority, and it is our duty to obey that authority instead of human authority.