Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our longsuffering God. II Peter 3:9 states, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." The second coming lingers in the future, while God waits for more to be saved.
We all have people that we are praying for and working with. We long for their salvation, but so far they have not responded. We can easily get discouraged and lose hope regarding certain individuals. Thankfully, God faithfully loves them. He continues calling them and offering them opportunities. There is still time for them.
I have recently incorporated something new into my prayers for such people. I ask God, “Would You do at least one thing today in that person’s heart?” I desire that God would at least once during the day bring a Christian across their path, remind them of a Bible verse they have heard, plant a seed of dissatisfaction, lead their thoughts toward serious things, arouse their curiosity, etc. I know God could do more than that, and what I really want is for them to agree to a Bible study or ask serious questions or finally give in to God’s urging. But when weeks and months go by with no apparent results, it helps me not to be discouraged if I think that God is gradually working, little by little each day.
Some people get saved the first time they hear the gospel. I believe that was true for both of my parents, who grew up in churches that didn’t proclaim the gospel, but as teenagers they each visited other churches where they finally heard the truth and responded. It wasn’t true for me, and I don’t think it was true for any of my four siblings. We grew up hearing the truth, and we responded at varying ages. Those who grow up in false religion or in unchurched backgrounds have unique challenges. Some are seekers and respond immediately. Others have so little understanding of the Bible and so much deception that it takes time for them to understand the gospel and respond.
I was trying to think of Bible examples. The easy ones to think of are those who respond immediately. Both Cornelius and the Ethiopian eunuch were already seeking, and they responded immediately. Some, like Zaccheus and Paul had such dramatic revelations that they also responded immediately. This happened for multitudes at Pentecost, for people who had a foundation that prepared them for finally hearing the gospel for the first time.
But were there others who were a “long time” coming? Is that a reasonable possibility? Jesus’ own half-brothers are an example. “For neither did his brethren believe in him” (John 7:5) during much if not all of Jesus’ ministry, but later at least James and Judas (Jude) were converted and wrote books of the Bible. Nicodemus had a perfect presentation of the gospel in John 3; although we don’t have definite details, it seems that he probably believed in Jesus at a later time, possibly after a few years.
Paul’s practice was to preach in the synagogues or to the Gentiles week after week. Records of his journeys use phrases like “the next sabbath day,” “three sabbath days,” and “every sabbath.” He preached in Corinth “a year and six months.” Not everyone was saved as a result of Paul’s preaching, but many were, and they were not all saved on the first week. Surely there were still people being saved in the eighteenth month in Corinth, even though they had heard Paul many times.
In Acts 24:25, “Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time.” This was not the first time Felix heard Paul speak, nor was it his first exposure to “that way” (24:22). Felix did not respond, but he was clearly under more conviction at the later meeting, and he continued listening to him for two years (24:26).
Converted women are encouraged in regard to their unbelieving husbands. “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won be the conversation of the wives” (I Peter 3:1). This verse perhaps corresponds most closely to my prayer that God would do at least one thing each day to influence these people toward the gospel. The wife, in this case, is not even speaking the gospel, but she is living it day after day, and it is that continual exposure and consistent testimony that gradually works in the husband’s heart. (I Corinthians 7:12-14 seems to indicate the same possibility.)
Finally, I think of Nebuchadnezzar. How many exposures did he have to God before he finally believed? And these were not minor things. Among these would be the outstanding performance and character of Daniel and his three friends in Daniel 1:19-20. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar relied on these men for counsel, implying repeated exposure (1:20). In chapter 2, he had such a traumatic experience with a dream that he was ready to kill all his advisors, but then Daniel did the impossible (2:11) by revealing the dream and the interpretation (2:27-45). Nebuchadnezzar was impressed, and he acknowledged God’s greatness, but did not apparently believe (2:47). After this, he continued working closely with Daniel and his three friends (2:48-49). What was believed to be around twenty years later, he was still involved in self-worship and believing himself to be a god (chapter 3). Talk about dramatic incidents – he saw three men delivered from a raging furnace. He again acknowledged the power of God (3:29) and took more steps of religious tolerance, but apparently still did not believe. It is probably another three years before Nebuchadnezzar has another dream (chapter 4); Daniel predicts his humiliation, but even this does not happen for another year (4:29). After living as a beast of the field for some time, it seems that Nebuchadnezzar finally is subdued and believes in God (4:34-37). So how long is this? Thirty years? Thirty years filled with regular exposure to very godly men, and in which he had purposeful dreams from God and saw dramatic events take place.
Can God work gradually? Yes. Does He call some people over a long time? Yes. Is He still waiting and desiring them to be saved? Yes. May He help us to trust Him and be patient and faithful in our prayer and ministry.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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