Reading through a J.I. Packer book these days and I came across a reference from Ezekiel.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman over the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”
Two things struck me as important to comment on.
First, we have all been made watchmen over the people we live with, over the people who fall into our sphere of influence. We have heard the warnings of God to those who live in unbelief. If we ourselves have turned it is our responsibility to warn those who have not yet turned. If they die with their sin without hearing warnings from us, then God will judge them and hold us accountable for the death of their souls.
Secondly, we often try to apply justify what we do. In evangelism we justify our lack of action by reasoning that those around us would probably not listen to us if we did warn them. But God highlights a very pertinent point. If you don’t warn them they will not turn. Certainly they may not turn even if you do warn them. But you can be assured that if they are never warned they will never turn. No one can turn to Christ without someone or something pointing them to Him.
I’ve not much to say about this, it’s pretty clear. To whom much is given much will be expected. We have been given the eternal and powerful gospel of Christ. What are we doing with it? How many people’s blood will be on our hands on the last day?
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