"Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"
By Micky Galloway

In Jeremiah 8:18-22, Jeremiah revealed a sad condition in Israel. "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." Jeremiah asked, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" In spite of all that God had provided for His people, they were still lost. Why?

Isaiah spoke of Israel being sick from the top of the head to the sole of the feet (Isaiah 1:5-9). Again, we ask why. Is there no physician?

Attitudes today are very much like they were then. God has done, and is doing, everything necessary for our salvation. Why then "are we not saved?" The apostle Paul told the Galatians, "Ye were running well, who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Galatians 5:7) Paul was speaking to Christians who were hindered in their continued obedience to the truth.

In spite of the rich blessings God has offered us, many things hinder us. These hindrances may well be the cause of our not being saved. What hinders you?

Many remain unsaved because of indifference. Many parents are losing their children by teaching them that the Bible, worship, and faithfulness to God are not important. In what way do we teach this? Our actions speak louder than our words. It is no small wonder that many sons and daughters of Christians cannot find time to worship and serve God. They are worshiping and serving God, just as their parents taught them. We may as well forget about trying to reach and arouse interest in others until we ourselves awaken and become deeply concerned about promoting the cause of Christ within our own families.

We devote ourselves to the people and things we love. Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." (Matthew 22:37) When we become indifferent toward spiritual things, perhaps it would be good to reflect on the tremendous blessings God has given us. The solution to indifference is within reach, but we must realize the danger, recognize the symptoms, and implement the solution. In order for any of this to be effective, we must want to change. What about you? Is it your desire to grow to greater service in the Master's vineyard, or are you satisfied with an "I don't care" attitude.

Many are not saved because of ignorance. As Jesus hung on the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Of course, they knew they were executing Jesus of Nazareth, but they did not understand. They did not know the significance of what they were doing. "God hath made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified." (Acts 2:36) Peter acknowledged, "And now, brethren, I know that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers." (Acts 3:17) Paul also acknowledged when he wrote, "Which none of the rulers of this world hath known: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Corinthians 2:8)

The Jews were "ignorant of God's righteousness." (Romans 10:2-3) Nothing in this world compares with being eternally lost because we didn't know (cf. Ephesians 5:17). What a tragedy to stand condemned before the judgment bar of Christ and say, "But if I had only known..."

Many are not saved because of divisions among God's people. When there is division, sin has occurred. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment." (1 Corinthians 1:10) Sometimes, division is an unavoidable reality. Paul said, "For there must be also factions among you, that they that are approved may be made manifest among you." (1 Corinthians 11:18-19) Sometimes, truth even divides families (cf. Matthew 10:34-35)

The people in Caesarea accused Paul of sedition (Acts 21:38), and the Athenians accused him of "turning the world upside down." (Acts 17:6) Certainly, Paul had "upset" or "unsettled" the minds of these people, but he was not guilty of sedition or division. He had "unsettled" Judaism and the sects of that day, but he did not do so by disseminating religious error. Woe unto those who divide the Lord's church by disseminating error. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent." (Romans 16:17-18)

R.L Whiteside commented: "Contrary to the doctrine which ye learned" covers a wide field. The man who, by introducing things not taught in the Bible, causes division in the Lord's church is Christ's enemy, even though he may not think so. His interest is in himself, not in Christ. They that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own bellies. Danger exists when we have so much confidence in men that we are willing to follow wherever they lead. We may follow them into error and become party to division. Study the Bible for yourself. With confidence, we can say, "Not everyone is right, but the Bible is" (cf. Ephesians 4:2).

Many are not saved because they love the world.

Indeed, many things hinder salvation, even of God's people. Satan is a worthy adversary, described as a "roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) We must be sober and watch for any hindrances in our way, for these hindrances will rob us of our salvation.


Go Back to our Main Page