President George W. Bush has been accused of having some pieces of information that should have tipped him off about the 911 attacks.The prosecutors say that he failed the nation when he ignored the warnings about the attacks.
If this is true — if the president knew the attacks were going to happen, and deliberately chose not to do anything about it, he would be guilty of the serious crime of “depraved indifference” and possibly even charged with treason.
Depraved indifference is when you know of a catastrophic injustice or accident about to happen, and although you have the ability to help the victims, you selfishly choose to do nothing. Treason would mean that the reason the president didn’t warn the nation was because he was secretly helping the enemy! While I do not think the president is guilty of either of these crimes, I do think many professing Christians are.
God has been warning us for more that two thousand years of His coming wrath upon this sinful world. He said the attack will come from all directions and be so fast, severe, and overwhelming, that there will no be no hope of survivors. He has “commanded all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness.” He has given us His word that the terror of that day will be like nothing the world has ever seen.
Unlike the days of Noah, when God flooded the earth to destroy evil men, the next attack will involve inescapable heat. The earth will be destroyed by fire. The elements will melt like wax, the sky will role up like a curtain, the sun will go black, and the bloodshed will be so severe that the rivers will turn bright red, when “The Lord will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance upon them that do not know God and do not obey the gospel.” And finally, “those who names are not found written in the book of life will cast into the Lake that burns with fire and Sulfur.”
While on trial before the 9-11 committee, a representative of the Bush administration said, “We had no silver bullet that could have stopped 9-11.” As Christians, while we may not be able to stop the coming wrath of God upon this unsaved world, God has given us a silver bullet that “brings the knowledge of sin” (Rom 3:20). It is “perfect and converts the soul” (Psalm 19:7) and acts as a “schoolmaster to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) God’s Moral Law (The Ten Commandments) is the silver bullet to drive sinners to the cross where they can be saved by faith in the Savior.
No doubt you have unsaved friends and family members. You know they are facing great danger. God has informed you of the coming attack, and now commands you to “save them with fear, pulling them from the fire.” What are you going to do? Will you learn to skillfully use the “silver bullet” of His Law to bring the knowledge of sin and (by God’s grace) stop the destruction of your friends and family members, or will you keep your evangelistic gun in the holster, selfishly choosing to do nothing to help them and commit the crime of depraved indifference?
As in the days of Ezekiel, God has called us to be like faithful watchmen on the walls, warning sinners of the coming attack. Read these sobering words of God to Ezekiel:
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming, and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned; if the sword comes, and takes any person from among them… his blood will I require at the watchmen’s hand?I have set you as a watchman?and you shall?warn them from me. When I say to the wicked, ?O wicked man, you shall surely die’; if you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity’ but his blood will I require at your hand.” I am striving to be able to say with the Apostle Paul “that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God.” (Acts 20:26-27)
If you are not going out of your way to warn those you love to turn from their wicked ways and turn to the Savior, please examine your heart today. Let love swallow your fears and determine to do something.
Copyright © 2004 Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, used with permission, published by Tyndale House Publishers. Adapted from The Way Of The Master: How to Share Your Faith Simply, Effectively, Biblically — The Way Jesus Did
Kirk is best known as the lovable teen heartthrob Mike Seaver, of the award winning series Growing Pains. He entertained audiences worldwide as the charming troublemaker. He is also known to every Christian as “Buck Williams” from Left Behind: The Movie — based on the NY Times runaway best selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins.
Ray Comfort’s ministry has been commended by Franklin Graham, Josh McDowell, Bill Gothard, David Wilkerson, Joni Eareckson Tada, and many other Christian leaders. He has written for Billy Graham’s Decision magazine and Bill Bright’s Worldwide Challenge. His literature is used by the Moody Bible Institute, Leighton Ford Ministries, Campus Crusade For Christ, Institute in Basic Life Principles, and the Institute for Scientific & Biblical Research. He has also written more than 35 books and is a regular platform speaker at Southern Baptist State Conferences. His videos were seen by more than 30,000 pastors in 1992, and he has spoken in more than 700 churches, from almost every denomination. You can listen to Ray’s testimony in his own words here:
Get more information at wayofthemaster.com
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