How Smart Do I Have To Be?

I am not sure how many people struggle with this question but it is one I find hard to dismiss and which continues to force its way back into my thoughts.

As an educator, I do not feel strange telling others how our education begins shortly after that first breath and though some people seemingly bring and end to their education at some point, I believe their level of understanding and education continue to grow until they take their last breath.

Having been raised in the church, I was taught or either felt I was taught to believe I existed in my early years without any need of the blood of Jesus (this was never taught in these words). As I grew older, this concept changed and I was told "you know better than that," and I was taught that those who knew better (education) were sinning and the "wages of sin was death." This teaching went on to convict me of my sin and remind me of my need to come in contact with the blood of Jesus. Eventually, I was told, "you have to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins" if you want to be covered with the blood of Jesus and I was "obedient." Later, I even took this responsibility upon myself and even encouraged those who had not been baptized for the right reason (education) to complete the baptism once again for the "right" reason (I have since considered I may have been asking those in the RIGHT to participate in what I only considered to be "right").

Recently, I have been reading Eternity In Their Hearts by Don Richardson and with the thoughts from this book in my mind combined with the thoughts from our lesson Sunday morning on the Holy Spirit, I was reminded how I don't think SALVATION is our educational issue (Just a note, but I paused for maybe 45 seconds thinking of how to put it and I left it as thought). Yes, my Christian education taught me how, once entrusted with the knowledge of God and what one needed to do to be saved, I was responsible for taking salvation to the rest of the world. Without me, God's plan to save the world could be frustrated. I now realize how this understanding might be the very definition of arrogant. I might be a disappointment to God and I have definitely failed Him at times but I am not capable of FRUSTRATING His plan. I will also add how I do not think I am capable of frustrating his plan with any individual.

I often find myself seeming to be describe a situation negating the importance of missionaries and yet this is most distant to my thinking. I want to do nothing more than exalt and lift all who have chosen and will choose to be missionaries for God and I am thrilled (also a bit fearful) to see my youngest daughter have this goal in her heart. However, I do think the concept of missionaries needed to take salvation to the lost is a bit misguided (off track).

In the book mentioned above, the author makes it clear how the idea/concept of taking the message of God to other peoples has existed since the 12th chapter of Genesis. I do not think this mission has ever ceased and yet I do believe we have been "reformed" into thinking the purpose of the mission has changed and our participation is much more important.

Lest I get too long with these comments, I believe salvation to be the work of God. I believe the Holy Spirit is living inside of every last person recognized by God as belonging to His family and guiding them to make righteous choices in their lives. I also believe the Holy Spirit is working on everyone who is not currently recognized as a member of God's family to convict them of their sin and encourage them to change direction. In other words, it is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit to instruct/educate people as to "what they must do to be saved" and not MIKE. My purpose is to tell the story of God!

Yes, like Abraham and so many others throughout history, I am to continue with my specific portion of God's plan to tell someone else of all that God has done. Some of us may only reach a few with greater knowledge of God and others might reach thousands or millions.

At this point in my life, I have come to believe and accept God is in control of everything. I believe God (Holy Spirit) will successfully bring salvation to the world and offer it to every last individual. In my life and the life of those who choose mission work, I hope others will learn of what God has done for them so they can take joy in knowing of His work.

To answer my own question, I don't believe man is capable of answering it for each individual. I do believe the Holy Spirit is more than capable of bringing each person the answer and making sure obedience is possible for everyone and not just those capable of man's wisdom.

In reality, I do not believe the choice to be covered by the blood of Jesus is one we make through the process of education about God but rather the choice made in our hearts to be like God because He has made the difference.

Man's wisdom will never be sufficient to make sure we are obedient enough for salvation so lets forget about our misguided thoughts of SAVING people and simply continue telling the story of what He HAS DONE!