BLOODY HANDS

Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. —Acts 18:6

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done? (Psalm 24:11-12).

The apostle Paul sought to share the rescuing message of the gospel with multitudes. The verse above in context tells us that “Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah” (Acts 18:5). When they rejected the message they were responsible for the outcome of their own lives— which would be judgment in hell forever for not trusting the Lord Jesus Christ. This was Paul’s heart. He wanted to warn people of the judgment to come, what Jesus had done for us so we wouldn’t have to be judged and he was faithful in doing so.

As followers of Jesus we cannot say, “But we knew nothing about this.” We know the gospel, we know that those who do not know Jesus need to hear the gospel and we know the outcome of those who do not trust the gospel—that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried and that He rose from the dead the 3rd day to give forgiveness and eternal life to all repent (turn from their sins) and follow Him— is to be cast into hell forever. Those who follow Jesus cannot say, “I didn’t know.” Jesus has given us responsibility to reach out to the lost (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Are we? We will give an account to Jesus one day (II Corinthians 5:10).

Are we innocent or is there blood on our hands because we are not sharing the gospel?

Dear Father, may the Holy Spirit work in and through me to have a great desire to share the gospel with those who do not know Jesus. May many respond.