When no need is sensed, no remedy is sought: Written by Alan Wimbish State Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship of New Mexico
What keeps a person from getting saved? What about the person who recognizes that they are a sinner, yet doesn’t see the need to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ? I think the answer is simple, maybe too simple. The person simply doesn’t want to be saved. I have shared the Gospel with children, teenagers, and adults alike. By the illumination of the Holy Spirit, some people recognize their sin and that they have a need to be saved from the penalty of their sin. Others recognize their sin, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but don’t see the need to be saved from its penalty. They may even know that Jesus died on a cross and rose again the third day. But that’s where it ends.
When I was a child, my family went to the beach one summer and I went into the ocean to swim. Just a few minutes into swimming, I realized that I was further down the beach than where I had entered the water. I was actually only a few yards away from a fishing pier with lots of anglers who had their hooks in the water. I had been caught in something called a rip current. A rip current is a strong current that is very subtle but strong and almost impossible to swim against. It began to pull me under the water. Many people have died from being caught in a rip current. I was in trouble and I knew it. I recognized my need for help and began to call out for that help. By God’s grace, someone was nearby and heard my cry for help. They swam out to save me and brought me to shore. I was so thankful.
When it comes to faith in Christ, a lot of people just aren’t interested. Everyone I’ve ever spoken to about Christ acknowledges what sin is and has an understanding of it, but whether a person acknowledges their sin or not, their day to day life continues to go on. There is no sense of impending doom like I had when I was caught by the rip current. The average person, child or adult, doesn’t have to dig far to realize that they have done things that displease God. They will probably agree with you that they have a sinful nature because no one had to teach them to do those bad things. Most people will say something like, “Well I’m trying to do better.” By stating this, they are agreeing with the Bible that they are born into sin. If you have to “try to do better”, then you are implying that you are not perfect yet. Of course, there are those people that refuse to acknowledge God all together and will simply not agree with you on anything related to spiritual matters. Anyway, very few will hear the Gospel and get saved. Most will hear the Gospel, still refuse to sense their need for a Savior and therefore will not want the remedy. I can realize that I am lost, but still refuse to ask directions from someone who knows the way. Realization of sin is not the need that is sensed, it is the penalty of sin that needs to be grasped. The penalty is separation from God for eternity in hell. Recognition of sin in one’s life does not usually facilitate a desire for a remedy, probably because most people like their sin. Before I knew Christ as Savior, I really enjoyed my sin. I still like sin and it is an everyday battle, by God’s grace, to overcome my sin nature. But the remedy, the remedy is Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Man was made to know God. This includes His holiness and righteousness. The Bible says that men loved darkness rather than light. Most people don’t want anything to do with God because they are too consumed with themselves and living life the way they want to live it. There’s no need sensed, so no remedy is desired.
By Alan Wimbish
State Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship of New Mexico
505-881-9848
Facebook/CEFofNewMexico
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