Christ's Message to American Christians

by Roger Hertzler

Introduction:

It is truly a tragedy for an eternal soul to end up in Hell. It is a worse tragedy for someone to end up in Hell without being warned.

In numerous Biblical passages we read of God sending clear warnings of impending judgment to backslidden, rebellious people. It seems that His desire is to extend an offer of mercy to everyone, even to those who will ultimately harden their hearts and experience His wrath.

For this reason He raised up Noah to preach to the world before the flood came. For this reason He sent two angels to Sodom before the fire fell. For this reason He anointed Jeremiah to take a message to the Jews before the Babylonian captivity. And for this reason He commands us in Ezekiel 33 to give warning to the wicked, for if we do not, their blood will be upon us. If we do warn them, however, we have delivered our own souls even if they choose not to repent.

Sometimes there are happy endings as a result of these warnings. Jonah warned the Ninevites of a coming judgment (without really offering them any hope for mercy) and the entire city repented and received God's forgiveness. Even in nations headed for destruction there are often a few lonely souls who see their plight and heed the call to "flee from the wrath to come". These results are the ones God truly desires, for He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Recently God has been burdening my heart with a message of warning for the American people. Specifically, it is a message for the Christians in America, for those who in some way name the name of Jesus. Since it is a message that will seem radical and even absurd to our American mindset, my fear is that it will be immediately rejected by all who hear it.

My prayer, however, is that this message will fall into the hands of at least a few earnest believers who care for nothing but the glory of God and for whom no sacrifice is too great to see Him magnified. My prayer is that they would take heed to the message that God has weighed us in the balance and found us wanting, and that Christ is about to spew us out of His mouth unless we repent. My prayer is that they would break their hearts before their Creator, turn from their sin, and render to God the glory He deserves from their lives.

It is not my desire to bring this message in a spirit of arrogance or harshness, and I apologize in advance if it sounds that way. It is only my desire to pass on to you the heavy burden God has laid on my heart, though it causes me to tremble greatly to do so.

By God's grace I hope to write this message clearly, reflecting accurately God's hatred for sin as well as His love for mankind. I hope to write it in a way that allows readers to verify its truth for themselves, from the Word of God, without relying on any private revelation I have received personally. I hope to write it in a way that explains exactly what our sin is and precisely why God is displeased with us. And I hope to write it in a way that gives specific answers about what we would need to do to repent.

It is not my responsibility to convince others to accept this message, but rather to simply communicate it to as many as I am able. I must leave it up to God to take this message to those who are out of my reach as well as to convince those who are out of my power. God has many tools that I do not have, very effective tools He has often utilized to coax reluctant souls to accept His gift of repentance.

War, famine, disease, economic hardship, and natural disasters are just a few of the means God has used in the past to get the attention of His people, and I have no doubt that He can use them again today. When He does choose to use such methods, it is indeed an act of mercy on His part; none of us deserve even one chance to repent, much less a second or third chance.