"Why Will Ye Die?"      

Ezekiel 33:11

 

     I never cease to be amazed at the wilful unbelief of many who acknowledge the truthfulness of the gospel. Many who would never deny the inspiration of the Bible, the Diety of Christ, his incarnation, or his effectual atonement, who recognize and readily declare that God freely saves all who trust his Son, yet live on in unbelief, refusing to come to Christ. That astonishes me! Indeed, God himself seems to express astonishment in this regard, crying, "Why will ye die?"

     Yet, the reason is as clear as the noonday sun. No one will come to Christ until he acknowledges his depravity and sin. Until you acknowledge your need of a Savior, you will never seek one, no matter how much truth you acknowledge.

     My friend, Pastor Don McMurray, in New Castle, Australia once told me of a hospital in New Guinea. It was built to care for those who developed a disease that comes only as a result of cannibalism. The cure for the disease is certain. The hospital has been well advertized.It costs nothing to obtain the cure.Yet, the hospital sits empty. No one uses it! Many die of the disease, though the hospital is easily within reach. Why? To go into the doors of that hospital is to admit that you have practiced the barbaric cruelties of cannibalism; and the foolishly proud tribesmen of New Guinea would rather die than admit they are cannibals.

     How sad! How pathetic! But that is a very clear picture of what we see in our churches continually. Though Christ crucified is evidently set before their eyes, though they do not question his ability or his willingness to save all who come to God by him, still there are many who perish in their sins simply because they are too foolishly proud to acknowledge their depravity and confess their sins! God's question and my question to you is this - "Why will ye die?"

 

Don Fortner