"Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: (28) For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. (29) Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. (30) And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. (31) And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:27 - 31
This entire event recorded in the gospel is of great importance
to the lost soul. There is a hell and people who do not obey the gospel of
Jesus Christ go to hell. More souls will go to hell than the souls that enter
heaven. God said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the
gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be
which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Matthew
7:13 – 14 The wider path proves that the greater number of souls enter
hell’s flames than they are that enters heaven, what path will you walk when
you die? Jesus told Nicodemus “…Except a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God.” And “…Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:3 & 5 Two very
bold promises Jesus the Christ told this highly intelligent and very lost soul.
No matter how a person defines the words “born again” - from above, and
others, again or anew – a lost soul must be born again to see or to enter
heaven. Since the word “born” is involved that would tell us that one cannot
accomplish this task on their own, because one cannot cause themselves to be
born, nor can a dead soul resurrect itself. This rich man did not go to hell
because he would not help this beggar named Lazarus nor did Lazarus go to
heaven because he was poor, one was born again, and the other was not. God said,
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us…” God by His mercy saved us “…by the washing of
regeneration…” or the – spiritual rebirth – is accomplished by “…renewing
of the Holy Ghost” Titus 3:5 This tells us that being “born again or
spiritual rebirth” is accomplished by “the power” of the Holy Spirit. A sinner
must be washed by the power of the Holy Spirit in God’s word and Jesus blood to
be born again and this is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit. God
never used the terms choices, decisions, baptism, or works in His description
of salvation. There is nothing in this life more important than the salvation
of the lost soul, because every lost soul will travel the same path to hell as
the rich man did. People can ignore the prophets of the bible and listen to the
preachers of today, but when they find themselves in hell at death, they will remember
the prophet’s words. People refuse to believe the prophet’s, even as they did
the greatest of all, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus said, "For God so loved
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be
saved. (18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God." John 3:16 – 18 I can certainly tell you
that the rich man had wished he had heard that message, he even begged Abraham
to send Lazarus from the dead to tell his five brothers about Jesus, but that
would not have convinced them. Do you remember what was said to Jesus at His crucifixion,
"Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and
elders, said, (42) He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King
of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."
Matthew 27:41 - 42 However, think about Jesus ministry, how many miracles did
He perform, how many times did He by example prove He was God’s Son, the
Messiah, and for all that they called Him a devil and an imposter. If God had
sent Lazarus back from the dead or if Jesus had come off of the cross it would
have not caused one lost soul to repent. Abraham said to the rich man in hell, “…They
have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” The word of God is God’s testimony,
it is the only thing needed to save the lost soul, nothing else will cause one
to be born again. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think
ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John
5:39 That is right, the bible is the most significant tool for saving
sinners. We do not need fancy PhD preachers or philosophers telling stories, lost
sinners need to hear the biblical truth, never believe a preacher if they are
not preaching biblical truth. But Jesus knew the lost soul’s heart and knew
that without God’s Holy Spirts power, the lost would never come to Christ, “I
receive not honour from men.” John 5:41 Many of so-called Christians
will travel the wide road when they die, simply because they did not listen to
the salvation words from the prophets. Jesus ended with this warning, “For
had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. (4)
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” John
5:46 Do you hear Moses and the prophets as they proclaim Jesus is Saviour,
or are you trusting another person’s word? "Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. (2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh
is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard
that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." 1 John
4:1 - 3
