You Would Do What for Them?

There may be times in life when others are in a bad situation that we want to help them get out of, and we might even be able to risk our well-being to do so. Usually the person you feel that way about is a family member to whom you have a very close tie. As husbands we are to have the type of love for our wives that Christ has for the church, for which he was willing to lay down his life (Eph. 5:25). Whether we are willing to die, suffer injury, or anything else that a selfless person might be willing to do, would you be willing to go to Hell so that your kinsmen could be saved?

You may be wondering why I would ask such a question because we would never be put in such a position as this. The motivation behind this discussion lies in Paul’s desire for his Israelite brethren who had not obeyed the Gospel. In writing to the church at Rome, he says:

I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites... (Rom. 9:1-4).

Paul was essentially saying that he would be willing to forfeit his own salvation if it meant that the Israelites who were lost could be saved. One of the things this statement from Paul tells me is his concern for lost souls. If forfeiting his own soul meant the attainment of salvation for many Israelites, he would be willing to do that.

What is another person’s salvation worth to you? Examining this statement from Paul ought to make us reevaluate what the souls of those who are lost are worth.