What Must I Do to Be Lost?

Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;

Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

This question could be answered on only two words: do nothing! You can be lost by doing nothing. Our Scripture text says that we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time they slip, or we just forget them. Herein is the secret of our victory giving special heed to the Word of God. Many people have the idea that you have to do something bad or wrong to lose your salvation. Friend, just do nothing, and it will soon be gone. You may refrain from all willful transgressions and still be lost. You can be lost with the sin of omission, failing to do what you know God has commanded.

In Mathew 25:24 is the example of the man with the one talent who did nothing with it. The Lord was very displeased with him and took the talent away from him. Then He said, “Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness.” This man was doing nothing! We can become overly absorbed in business and lose out soul.

In Luke 14:16-20 we read of three men who become so busy with other thing that they missed the marriage supper. Two of those men became overly engrossed in business. One had bought a piece of land and he needed to go and see it. How foolish! It seems like he should have seen the land before he bought it. Another man bought five yoke of oxen, and he wanted to go and prove them. What feeble excuses! The third man had married a woman and he said he could not come to the supper. It looks like he was henpecked from the start.

None of these excuses were accepted, and God does not accept excuses today. Others have fallen in love with the pleasure god. In Proverbs 21:17 we read, "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man.” Here again we find that when we do not pay close attention to the Word of God, we get careless and then we let the love of God leak out of our hearts.

One of the greatest neglects is the neglecting of secret prayer and devotions with God. Many people are coming to the altar in revivals, complaining of not having any joy and having a hard time praying through. Friend, after much neglect, you need to repent in earnest-ness of the carelessness and then work hard at the job of paying the more earnest heed to the Word of God.

Another way to be lost is to be content to stay in the same old rut of self satisfaction, saying, “Oh, I'm doing okay, preacher. You don't need to worry about me!” I am afraid of that attitude. This life is a life of progress. You may say you are not doing anything wrong, but are you doing anything that is right? You may be free from the sin of commission, but guilty of the sin of omission. Jonah's sin was not of commission, but of omission. He just failed to do what God wanted him to do. You may fail to attend the place of worship and violate Hebrews 10:25. Yet, you are in serious trouble long before this. This is the last telltale sign. The secret prayer life, the studying of God's Word, and the witnessing to others has stopped long before one quits going to church.

Then you can be lost sitting in the church pew, looking nice and smiling at the preacher, giving tithes and offerings-by just being a hearer of the Word and not a doer (James 1:22). You may look good to the preacher and the congregation when they see you sitting in the pew, but God is not impressed with that unless you are doing His Word.

We read in John 9:31, “Now we know that God heareth not sinners [that cut out a lot of folks who profess to be Christians]: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” If you are guilty of the sin of commission or the sin of omission, God will not hear you. The reason many people are praying and not getting anywhere is because they have left undone something which God wanted them to do. At first they felt keenly what it was, but now they do not seem too disturbed about it.

What most I do to he lost? Just be contented to go through the routine prayer life with never a real burden and compassion for lost souls. Contented to go to church and sit in the sanctuary and just talk while others are pouring out their souls in the prayer room, in real agony for the lost, the careless, and the indifferent. While others get under a real burden for a fast, too many never get under such a burden. So, they go on and feast while the true saints carry the burden.

What must I do to be lost? Just sit and listen attentively to the good testimonies and never get up and praise God for what He has done for you. Amos 6:1 warns against this by saying, Woe to them that are at ease in Zion."

The church at Ephesus was lost and backslidden because they failed to give the more earnest heed to the Word, and they left their first love. They were still playing church like many today and were not even aware that such a terrible thing as backsliding had taken place. This is true with many today. The devil has worked this thing called backsliding on people so gradually that they are not aware that anything has happened.

In the Old Testament, Samson, after Delilah had the men cut off his hair, thought he was as strong as before. He knew he had not kept his vows, but he felt he was just as powerful us before. He soon found out that he was not.

A good check would be to ask yourself these questions: Do I still have the power with God as I used to have? Do I still have the zeal for soul winning that I used to feel? Do I still have the joy, unspeakable and full of glory, and the peace that passeth all understanding like I used to have? Do I still have that great love like I once had?

There is no doubt about it-we are living in the Laodicean age. When we look at Revelation 3:14-19, we see, their sin was the sin of carelessness, lukewarmness or just plain neglecting to give heed to the Word. We can read of Agrippa in Acts 26:28 saying. "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” As far as we know, this man was lost by doing nothing about his soul's salvation. He felt his need; he knew what he should do, but he had fears.

Felix. in Acts 24:25, said, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." Here again the spirit of procrastination or neglect is working. Surely in these last days we need to stir ourselves lest the spirit of neglect takes hold of us and robs us of our joy and we are not even aware of it.