Will God let him in anyway?
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” —1 Peter 3:15
Blake Shelton described the first time he heard the song Let Him in Anyway as a “gut punch.” He immediately told the songwriters that he wanted to record it. He was interviewed about the song in the church where the music video was filmed. I also feel a “gut punch” each time I listen to the song. I imagine most of you will feel the same.
The “seeker-friendly” days of church growth had a downside. The subject of eternal separation from God is not discussed very often in our churches these days. There was a day when the possibility of hell was a weekly reminder at the close of a sermon. An invitation to come to salvation and join the church followed the Sunday preaching. The problem was that most of the people who heard that message had already chosen to ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Gradually, over time, the church services were designed to please God’s children more than to reach those people still needing salvation.
Will God let them in anyway?
Let Him in Anyway delivers a distinct “gut punch.”. Our culture elevated the message of tolerance so loudly that the church was influenced by the idea. The message of tolerance contains a lot of biblical truth, and while I would never want us to go back to the days of “hellfire and damnation” as the primary message of the church, I don’t want people to be convinced that God will tolerate us and our sin anyway. I doubt many of us believe in the message of universalism, but does our emphasis on tolerance quietly preach that idea to others?
That’s why I love the lyrics of this song that asks the question, “Won’t you let him in anyway?” We need to know that biblically, there is an answer to that question.
Have you asked God to let someone in anyway?
Most of us have attended the funeral of a friend, co-worker, or family member who really didn’t appreciate or acknowledge Jesus as their Lord. Maybe this person had great character and chose to treat others kindly. Blake Shelton’s song asks God to let a friend into heaven anyway, since the friend was already headed toward faith. He just needed more time. Have we asked God for that same thing at some point? Did we believe that God might possibly let him in anyway, because one day he would have believed?
Blake Shelton and his wife, Gwen Stefani, have both been interviewed about their faith in God. Everyone has a different faith journey, and none of us gets to heaven without tripping along our way. I enjoyed hearing these two speak about their faith and was reminded to be cautious about judging others’ faith. I don’t think show business is conducive to our ideas of evangelism. The world and the church don’t blend cultures easily. But God’s Spirit has always worked in both cultures to draw others to God.
The Gospel of Matthew serves as a good reminder. Matthew 1 opens with a genealogy of Jesus that lists several names, revealing the fact that God has always used many different types of people to bring him glory! (Consider Rahab, Tamar, and King David, for example.)
Blake Shelton’s wife, Gwen, grew up in the Catholic church. That denomination does light candles and prays for those who have already died, hoping to pray for a person’s continued purification even after death. Purgatory is based on a Jewish tradition of praying for the dead, and while it isn’t taught in Protestant churches, the idea that God knows the hearts and future choices a person would have made is something that preachers are often asked about.
How does the Bible address the anyway question?
It is a difficult question, and we have all wanted to encourage a grieving person and friend with thoughts about the love and mercy of God. That said, what does the Bible make clear that we need to keep in mind?
Most Christians are encouraged to memorize John 3:16 as the verse that lays out God’s plan for the salvation of souls.
- God loves this world and gave his only Son, Jesus, to provide for our salvation.
- Jesus was given so that anyone who believed in him could be saved and inherit eternal life.
The question for today is this: Have you memorized John 3:17–18 as well? Do you deeply and profoundly trust those two verses in the same way you have come to trust John 3:16?
John 3:17–18 says, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
John 3:16 promises salvation to anyone who chooses to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. John 3:17–18 makes it clear that those who do not believe are “condemned.” There is an eternal decision everyone can make, and one everyone must make. It is easier to teach John 3:16 to today’s culture if we omit the message of the next two verses.
Let Him in Anyway is a song to consider
I really like Blake Shelton’s new song, which, at the time of this writing, is rising in popularity on the country music charts. Blake mentioned in his interview that it was difficult to find a song these days that contains a new message. That was why he jumped at the chance to record the song “Let Him in Anyway.“
I love a song, a sermon, or a story that makes me consider God and his biblical truth. The song made me realize our need to return to the old-fashioned and ever-true theology of heaven and hell. I pray the song will prompt people to ask, “Will God let someone in anyway?”
I wanted all of us to think it through for ourselves so we can “be prepared to give an answer” (1 Peter 3:15). None of us wants to think about hell, and it isn’t usually something we are excited to talk about, either. Nevertheless, if we really care about someone, we need to find a way to let them know that God’s word doesn’t teach the assurance of salvation to anyone, anyway.
Who came to your thoughts as you read this article? It would be good to pray for them specifically and to offer your time, compassion, and theology to anyone who still needs to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. John 3:16–18 tells the whole story. Maybe we should all make certain we can quote the entire truth of God’s wonderful gospel story—his plan to save the world he loves.
