Deuteronomy 32:29 If they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern their latter end!
As I read these verses of the Wrath of God and who deserves this wrath, I am both in awe and wonder at how God’s love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ broke through into my heart, mind, and soul. I gave no thought to God or things of God. (For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God) Though I would know I was doing something wrong it did not bother me. My life was cast in Lies, cheating, stealing, cursing, lusting, envy, hating, pridefulness, boastfulness, unkindness, etc…..
I was able to shut down any part of my conscience that would shout out this is not right. I willing chose to follow my worldly heart in whatever pursuit it saw best for me. There was no love of or for God. There was no thought of God at all, that I can remember. If there was it was a very small spark. The reason I say this is because, somehow in the grace, mercy, and love of God, He opened my heart, mind, and soul to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I deserved His Wrath. I deserved: “And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right.”
Was I not this person? – YES
Did I not deserve God’s Wrath? – YES
Why are the eyes and ears of the soul opened to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and others are not?
How far does a person have to be away from God in their thoughts and actions to be given over and delivered over to a corrupt mind?
How can a person explain this mystery? (For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)
Sometimes when I hear of things people saying and doing, I think they deserve God’s Wrath, and then, I think about how that was me before I was saved. I was giving no thought to God, and I relished in my sin(s). I said and did things that deserved the wrath of God. I had impure thoughts. I did impure things. I gave no thought to God. Yet, God did not deliver me over to a corrupt mind, He delivered me through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I know who I was. I know the actions I took. I know how I thought. I know what I said. I know I had no remorse for what I thought, said, or did. I would brag of things I did and not get caught. I would say things that were unkind, mean, hurtful, slander, boastful, etc….. and give it no thought. I would curse using the name of Jesus. I would lie whenever it suited or benefited me. I lived to fill the lust of my heart and mind. I was not in the least bit concerned with God or His Wrath. I gave no thought to judgment, heaven or hell. I certainly did not give any thought to sin.
You would think there would have to be some sort of spark of conscience, some desire to do what’s right, some thought of God, some recognition of God, some thought of heaven, some thought of hell, something shouting or whispering within your conscience that you are living wrong with wrong thoughts, wrong words, wrong actions. I cannot remember any such thoughts. I was very comfortable in my way of life, following by own worldly and fleshly thoughts (sin).
So when I look at where I was and how I lived and how far away I was from any thinking about God and Things of God, and how in grace, mercy, and love He opened my heart, mind, and soul to not only see my sinfulness, the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ, the need for repentance, the forgiveness of sin, and eternal life, and I read where He finds some who are deserving of being delivered over to a corrupt mind. I am not sure how a person could have been further away from God than I was, having no remorse or regret about how they were living.
I do not know how God determines when a person is delivered over to a corrupt mind, but I know there is hope of salvation for every single person while they still have breath. We have to acknowledge that we do not have the mind of God so we cannot make this judgment of deliverance over to a corrupt mind. We must, in grace, mercy, and love, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with hope that God will open their eyes and ears to the mystery of Jesus Christ, and use it in a person’s life like He did in us.
We can see and hear sinful things people do and are doing. Yet, there is still hope for them. There is no reason for us to doubt what God can do or how He could do it.
Too often I think we write off people as obviously unsavable. We see their actions and what they say, the wickedness they do, the depths of depravity they enjoy, and we shake our head and possibly think there is no hope for them, they are too far gone. How could they get this far gone and be able to hear the saving grace love of salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The light of the Gospel can penetrate the darkest mind and soften the hardest heart. So, until the day of God’s Wrath comes, we must continue to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ while there is still time for these lost souls.