The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 1301-I, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 11."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1980. All Rights Reserved.

Question

I’ve been passing out the tapes that you’ve preached on in Revelation...prostitution, religion, in the last days to a lot of Catholics and I recently passed one out to this Catholic, and this is what she wrote to me: She says, about the tape, we have been Catholics all of our lives and don’t intend to change now. We are content believing in our faith and have no desire to search elsewhere. What do I do?

Answer

The problem is you cannot bring someone to the water unless they’re thirsty. You can’t create a change in a person’s commitment until they sense the inadequacy of the system they are in. Therefore, and that is a work of God. That’s why, for example, whenever you want to bring someone to Christ, the primary thing you do is not go to them, but go to God about them. Because it is God who has to draw. It is God who has to create that dissatisfaction. So, the greatest thing we can do is to pray and to be available. And, in that availability, when the time comes, and their heart breaks and they sense the faultiness of that way, and in their desperation they reach out. They know you are there.

Question (continued)

Okay, but they claim to be born again, saved Christians. What happens to them? Do they go to heaven or hell?

Answer (continued)

Well, only the Lord knows that because you could be truly regenerate and stuck in a false system. You know, I mean, you really could--just because you’re unwitting or because of tradition or whatever. In most cases, they come out eventually, but anybody in a false system is going to tell you they're okay. Because they have to do that to preserve their own sense of security.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 119
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Our websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986