I have a list.
A written list of people in my life, family, close and beloved friends, some close acquaintances, some people that friends have asked me to remember in prayer, and folks I have yet to meet but have found their way to my list.
I regularly open this list, read their names, if I can visualize their faces, and I pray for them.
Today is a particularly sobering day with my list.
Many of those names coming before me today give me no confidence of salvation for them.
I said to Father I want to see evidence of salvation.
I want to see fruit meet for repentance – fruit that is evidence that they are saved, that they have been delivered from Darkness to Light.
I am confident they know. I am confident they have heard the Gospel – repeatedly.
And then a word came — appropriated.
Appropriated is a tricky word.
I looked it up.
At first glance, it looks like a word not applicable but on closer examination, it surely is just the word.
You see it does mean to take or make use of without authority or right.
And in that sense, it is way not applicable.
But it also means to take exclusive possession of
And that does fit. So fits!
I think many people, lots and lots of people – particularly Americans, have heard the Gospel over and over.
They are so very aware that JESUS is the Son of GOD.
They are so very aware that He died and even rose again – they celebrate Easter and Christmas.
So they have heard. They know. But they don’t know.
They don’t know because they have not APPROPRIATED the Gospel to THEMSELVES.
JESUS has not become personal to them. He is not THEIR Savior, He’s just the One who claims to be the Savior of the world.
This means these precious, loved people are still LOST.
And this disturbs me – greatly!
Do you have people in your life this way too?
What do you do?
