Q&A23:How should we view unbelievers?Q&A24:How about unbelievers who die?

You will want to have a handout, we'll follow with that. The other thing that's a little different is we'll be going through some slides, which ordinarily is a rarity, and we won't do it a lot, but we'll be doing that some. We have this question, how should we view the unbelievers we love right now? How many of you have an unbeliever that's either family, friend, you love them, care for them, they're not safe? Yeah. It is something that a lot of us have to deal with in different places and stages, but real common. So this is not a hypothetical question, is it? It's a very real and relevant question.

One of the key things is that it's a primary need of the unbeliever to be saved. Sometimes Christians get off track by getting concerned about other things about the unbeliever. There are whole churches that are famous, or maybe infamous is a better word, for going and getting all concerned about moral standing and things of that sort. One of them that's become famous for that is the Westboro Baptist Church where they go and you know, protest gays and all sorts of things. The reality is there are all sorts of moral issues out there. There is no issue greater for the unbeliever than needing to be saved. And Christians can, especially with some of these moral demonstrations, Christians can really get off track and communicate the wrong message. A message frequently of condemnation, by the way. And that's not the ministry we have, is it? We don't have 2 Corinthians chapter 3. We don't have the ministry of condemnation. That's not our ministry. So what we have is actually good news to tell them and not a ministry of condemnation.

So, as Paul made clear in the writings of Dr. Luke in Acts 16, here is the account in Philippi. We have an overhead here. Here's Philippi looking down. Philippi is a flat area at the base of a mountain. The mountain rose right above the city. This is a view from up on the mountain looking down on the city.

Right in here was a gymnasium and a bathhouse. Right in here was the Agora or the marketplace where the Apostle Paul cast the demon out of a slave girl and the owners of the slave girl were quite upset and had Paul and Silas beaten with rods, the Roman lictors.

That's where you hear, you ever hear of taking a licking? The Roman lictors beat Paul and Silas with rods and then they threw them in prison. Well, what we hear about is, here's Paul and Silas in prison. They are singing in prison. And you need to understand what Paul and Silas were going through. The place where they put them in the stocks in the prison was the lowest part of the prison.

They didn't let you off for bathroom breaks, so it was really stinky. There was no drainage or sewage system. And so the person who had sat there before, you know, left a mess. And Paul and Silas were in the mess. The other thing is when they put them in stocks, they would cut a hole back into the rock about the size of automatic dishwasher. And so at the front of that then they would put bars across that they could take off but then put back on. So here's Paul and Silas sitting with their rear and backs and their legs in something about the size of an automatic dishwasher.

It was stinky and smelly. Their legs and their hands were tied to, or locked to, these stalks out in front of them and it was fairly dark. It was in that circumstance that they were singing praise to the Lord. So here's Paul and Silas and the account starts like this. Matter of fact, while this is contested, this is believed by some to be the prison where Paul was located.

And so that circumstance, that's where the account starts here in Acts 16.25. But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

I guess they had no choice, right? Okay, and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. That was quite an earthquake.

And when the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. A jailer who let prisoners escape was punished oftentimes very shamefully and at times with death. And so that's why this jailer was reacting this way. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.

And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Now, it's interesting that he would suddenly ask that question after all that had proceeded. I get the impression two things. One, he was rather shaken by the events that had just taken place that essentially put a threat to his life, right?

But also the amazing behavior and message of Paul and Silas. My guess is that most of the guys that got shoved in one of those little, you know, tiny holes with the stocks on the hands and the feet didn't sing. At least not that kind of song. And the message that was in the Psalms that Paul and Silas sang was rather unique, something that he'd not heard before.

So by the time he had been brought to this place through certain stances and message, just, sirs, what must I do to be saved? Right down, bottom line. What's it going to take? So they said, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved and that goes for you and your household. All of you. First one's own fellowship with the Lord and walk with Christ and beholding him through the written word will be the best preparation for being an instrument for bringing a loved one to Christ.

Just like we see with Paul and Silas, there is no way that in the flesh that kind of behavior is going to get generated. You get put in a place where it smells like pee and poop, and it's downright uncomfortable, and they don't take the stalks off because it hurts. And it's dark and stinky, and you really wish there was better circulation of air.

And in the midst of those circumstances, these guys are singing praise to the Lord into the night. I guess you're probably not going to sleep, so why not, right? It's in that circumstance that you have to say, This is the Lord doing that through these guys. This is not the normal response to those kinds of circumstances, right? Usually, if you're going to keep quiet, gripe a lot. So that's the first preparation.

Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ.

It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. Christ is the one who does the kind of living that sings songs till midnight. when the circumstances are wretched. I will translate it this way so that it gets the point across. Christ does the living in me. See the distinction there?

Christ does the living in me. The life which I now live in the flesh, this body, I live by faith in the Son of God. I live by faith in the Son of God so that he does the living, not me. Who loved me and gave himself up for me. So the question is, are the unbelievers that are around you seeing Christ's life lived out among you?

That's what this Philippian jailer saw. He said, this is a life I have never seen. I've seen a lot of prisoners in this prison, and they've had some pretty bad circumstances to endure. I have never seen a life like this lived out, as I have with these two men.

First John 1, 1-3 says, What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life and the life that was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life which was from the Father and was manifested to us.

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also so that you too may have fellowship with us and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ. So as others see the love between believers, and a life that is inexplicable in earthly terms, that they may be drawn to ask where the life and love come from. We're on the top of page two here. John 17, 22 through 23.

In the glory which you have given me, I have given to them, that they may be one, just as we are one. I am them, and you are me. that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that you sent me, and love them even as you have loved me." I'll give you a quick story here, if you can endure such stories.

Nancy and I were married almost 36 and a half years ago. We reached age 21. Nancy had become a believer six years before, at age 15. some neighbors across the street and down about two houses, Betty and Ron Farrar. And Betty had been particularly praying for an opportunity to bring someone to the Lord. And so, anyway, here's Nancy doing babysitting, right? So Nancy the babysitter is asked to come along to Mount Hermon, Christian conference grounds, to watch the kids, right? During the time when Betty and Ron were there at the conference grounds. Dr. Alan Redpath, now home of the Lord, was the speaker there, and in the end he remembered some of the things that he said.

In short, one of the things he said was, you're either mad or you're glad. You're either mad or you're glad. And she said, here's Nancy, she was walking, it was either in or out of the restroom, and she saw this lady who smiled at her, and she said, I want a love like that lady has.

And that's what drew her to the Lord. That's what drew her to the Lord. So I would suggest to you that you have an opportunity. You have an opportunity to impact, and maybe to impact people you don't even know you're impacting. It's amazing what the Lord does. This lady who smiled at Nancy probably had no idea. She won't find out until they're both in heaven. But what an interesting thing. There was a lady that Nancy, she never saw her before or since, didn't know her name, but had an eternal impact on her. It's the life of the Lord, isn't it?

Living through believers. Right there under John 17 passage that we put there, also praying regarding your unbelieving loved one that the Holy Spirit would convict that person's heart. And as we saw in the Acts 16 passage above, to bring about whatever circumstances are necessary to bring that person to recognize their need for Christ. Sometimes we're inclined to just pray that the Lord would get the person out of this trouble and that trouble, but sometimes that's exactly what they need. But there is also, in addition to these set of circumstances, there is also a convicting work of the Holy Spirit. John chapters 14, 15, and 16, each of them talk about the Holy Spirit's ministry, and Jesus is speaking to the disciples in the anticipation of the Holy Spirit's coming. So this is an opportunity here.

In John 16, 5-11, it says this, But now I am going to him who sent me, that is the Father, and none of you ask me, where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. They don't understand yet, do they? But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And he, when he comes, will convict the world.

About what? Concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin because they do not believe me. If they don't believe, they need to understand about the sin problem, right? And concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see me, where does righteousness come from? It comes from Christ. How are we righteous? By His righteousness, right?

Not our own. And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged, there is a tendency for people to think that they're getting away with things. They ever talk to somebody who feels like, you know, I'm glad that didn't come back to bite, you know, and they feel like they're getting away with things. The reality is, in the eternal perspective, nobody gets away with anything, nothing. Everything, always, down to the finest detail, is dealt with either on the cross, in this life, or in eternity. Absolutely everything, no exceptions.

The next thing in the middle of the page there after that passage says, also pray that you would see the opportunities the Lord has opened up before you, as these are some of the good works that God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It's Ephesians 2.10. There is a place for the Lord to open doors of opportunity for the believer.

We have that from 1 Corinthians 16.9 and Revelation 3.8. Ever see a door of opportunity? Nancy befriended a lady when we were living, in fact, pretty close to where Chad and Bronwyn are living. We live not too far from the Apple headquarters in the Silicon Valley there.

And Nancy had taken the kids to school and and run across the path of this other lady and so Nancy was at her home and for a moment Nancy and this other lady were in separate rooms and Nancy was saying, Lord open up the door of opportunity for me and just help me to be aware of what that opportunity might be and So then the next moment, Nancy and this lady were in the room. And the lady says, well, what about this Jesus stuff?

And it was like the Lord answered in less than 60 seconds. And the Lord can do that. You can pray as well that the Lord would bring bold believers into the life of the unbeliever whom you love. Ephesians 6, 18-20, which, by the way, follows the weapons of our spiritual warfare, the spiritual armor, as it's sometimes called, and I think it is part of a spiritual strategy. Ephesians 6, 18-20 reads this way, With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. and pray on my behalf that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly as I ought to speak." Another story. This is my dad's mom, my grandmother.

She lived, turns out, in the 1930s in three different places in the Denver area. in Denver proper. This is her with my dad and his brother. And this is her in her last home, which was in Healdsburg, California. By the way, that's also where Elizabeth Echol got married, just so some orientation there. So here she was in Healdsburg. She had come down with cancer and it wasn't looking good.

Various family members were quite concerned about her, myself included, and we were all praying for her and at different intervals taking the chance to try to present her with the gospel and with the spiritual issue in front of her. She did then, as she had done over the decades, and that is when you bring up spiritual issues, she would just Locked tight. No response. Not a word. She wouldn't say, don't tell me about that. She would just zip the mouth and no response. Nothing.

And that's what she did too. And as the cancer proceeded and it was looking like her time was getting closer, she wasn't pursuing any treatment or anything of the sort because it didn't look real good anyway. So she just endured it. And the family kept, you know, kept praying for her and different family members who were Christians would come in and talk to her about the Lord. No response. The same mouth zip. It's like she'd, you know, put Loctite in her lips and just, and that was the end of the discussion. No response whatsoever. Not even a facial response. Just completely dead response.

But nonetheless, we did continue to pray for her, and very interestingly, the Lord did. About three weeks before she died, there were some neighbors that we didn't even know about, who were helping her. Because, of course, she had various difficulties, physical difficulties, and other difficulties dealing with things, and so these neighbors were stepping in to help her. And the neighbors told her about the Lord. And she listened. And she responded. And she believed. And I got to see her just one more time before she died. And I saw an expression on her face I had never seen in all the years I've known her.

So the Lord can move in ways we don't even expect. None of us had contacted neighbors and said, you know, hey, she needs to know about the Lord. We had no idea that these believers were in her life and were doing what they were doing. But the Lord did, and the Lord knew how he was going to answer that prayer. So that was a neat thing to see.

The last paragraph there on page 2, Though we would certainly like to see ourselves as an instrument to bring the one we love to faith in Christ, the Lord may have in mind to do that more indirectly. It may be that the one you love will come to believe in Christ by means and persons that you did not even know about or anticipate. And it may be that the Lord will bring people to faith in Christ whom you know, but don't particularly love. The Lord may also use you in the life of someone you don't even know and that's okay too. It's like this lady that smiled at Nancy. I'm going to jump ahead a little bit.

This guy here, this guy's name is Bill. Bill and I went to high school together. It was not a pretty picture. He and I were at fisticuffs and pushing and shouting matches a lot. Bill was from a, well, boy, I hardly know what word to describe. Quite a household. He was abusive to people, abusive to animals. I saw him just hurl a cat against a wall, just almost point blank. Just an awful guy.

So anyway, when I got out of high school, it was kind of a relief to have him not in my life. Well, guess what? Within the last month, Bill contacted me on Facebook. And he said, would you like to be friends? And he said, I could understand if you wouldn't want to be. And I said, okay, let's check this out. Turns out, here's the information on his Facebook page. He's come to know the Lord.

Favorite quotation, John 3.60. He's a changed man. A very different kind of guy. It's kind of amazing.

And what did the Lord use to have to do it? He got hit by a semi. Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes. But this guy that I couldn't get along with and was always struggling and wrestling with. He's a different guy. He's a different guy. The Lord can do some amazing things. He works in street ministries and prison ministries and things like that. He's on disability since he got hit by the semi. He can get around, although life is a little painful. So, that's Bill.

Okay, let's take a look now at page 3. Any comments, questions, thoughts so far? I haven't asked very many questions, but maybe you've got some thoughts or things to share. Wow, okay. Let's take a look. This is question 24. How should we view the unbelievers we love who have died? Or you might put that past tense, whom we loved but who have died. Many of us know one or more unbelievers, and of course I asked that question earlier, even some whom we love who, so far as we know, have died without being saved. How are we to view that unbeliever? What are we to think? A few things to bring forward here. I think we've got several points to look at this. First, there are a few points to bring forward about the opportunity before you and other believers who may be involved. While there's nothing to be done for the person who has died, that person's friends and family may be more open to spiritual things following the death of their friend or family member.

You know, I told you about my grandmother, my dad's dad, dad's mother rather, and her account. Her daughter, my dad's sister, became a believer and also went through cancer. And she was alongside her quite a bit. I was amazed that at least at that point in time, my grandmother was not willing to yield and willing to talk about spiritual things. But she saw all that was going on. My dad's sister, when she was struggling through this cancer, had various people in her church body who would, as things got closer to the end, round the clock be there with her, helping her as she was going through the last stages, the last days of her life. The woman who was with her when she died said that my aunt, her name was Marilyn, at the very last said, look! And then she died. Amazing. But my grandmother was untouched by that. At least so far as we could tell. Let's take a look here.

There will, of course, be opportunity in many cases to talk about memories of the person who has died and that you cared about them and will miss them. It is fine for us to say, we'll miss them. It's fine to talk about memories. I think it's a mistake to start talking about, oh, they're in a better place or something like that because that conveys a wrong message. But it is fine to say we'll miss them.

Are we sad that they died? Yeah, yeah, that's definitely there. There may even be a place to say that the death of your loved one makes you even more appreciative and mindful of those who are here. So that's okay too, isn't it? It does kind of bring an awareness, a mindfulness of those people that we're still with, and the opportunities that we have with them, and the relationships that we share. While it will do not good to make false reference to the unbeliever being in a better place, or any other vague references to the unbeliever being in heaven, there may be a place to speak of your own hope and to offer hope to others through Christ.

Titus 2, 11-14 is a passage about the blessed hope that believers have. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, that being Jesus Christ. instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus." And by the way, this is one passage where both the Greek structure and I think even English, who is the great God? Our Savior, Jesus Christ. It proclaims His deity. who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good deeds.

We have as believers the blessed hope. It's not the blessed I hope so, but it is a hope with certainty. It is a hope with an absolute outcome. It's not hoping for a certain outcome as opposed to other possibilities. It is THE blessed hope because it is the hope that is absolutely certain. It is the hope that is a locked-in outcome. We all, as believers, have THE blessed hope.

There may indeed be pains of heart for the one you loved who has left this life without believing, so far as you know. Is there a grief of missing them? Yes. a sadness that, so far as you know, they weren't safe. Yeah. Yes, there is. We cannot always tell what someone may decide in the fleeting final moments of this life. My grandmother, as I've shared, became a believer about three weeks before she died. How close can you get and believe and still be saved? Well, until the very last minute, right? It is possible that some people may in fact come to believe but not be able to communicate.

Perhaps they did come to believe in those final moments but had no time left to communicate that belief and it is not wrong to hope that was the case, knowing that God knows for certain. In truth, It is not up to us to decide who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. And it is not up to us to know with finality the answer to that question. God is the one who decides and God is the one who knows with finality the answer to that question. Who is saved and who isn't? Who believed and who didn't?

There's perhaps one other question that I have not addressed in here, but I want to bring up, and that is this. Some of us may have people that we love and care about who once expressed belief, but now no longer do, or who live in such a way that it seems to be in conflict with their having been Christians.

What I would suggest to you is that while ultimately the Lord knows for certain, that I would recommend to you that you hold on to that belief that they once had. And the reason that I say that is because as we went over here basically for five weeks, I believe scripture is abundantly clear that once a person is saved, they are saved for eternity. Scripture is also abundantly clear that there will be those who are saved but have nothing to say for it in eternity in the way of reward. It is possible for a person to believe, to have been saved, and yet not to have any fruit apparent after that point in time. And I would recommend to you that you hold on to that. I've been in that spot myself, where there are people that I love and care about who once expressed belief, but now who do not. And ultimately the Lord knows for sure, but I think it is best for us to recognize that the Lord saves eternally even those who, when they get through heaven's gates, have nothing to show for it.

As Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 3, 10-15, particularly in verse 15, some are saved, yet it's through fire. The kind of joking way we put it, some people get to heaven naked and smoking. They've got nothing to say for it, but they are saved. They are saved.

And I would recommend to you that if you have that circumstance in someone that you love, that you hang on to that. Certainly pray that they would be restored to fellowship with the Lord. Yes, do that. But it is possible for someone even later in life to have quite a change. I've seen it. I've testified to some degree about it. And the Lord can do miraculous things. Quite the unexpected. Let's take a look at page 4. Question. Yes, Doug. Back up here in Titus. Yes. It says, Our Savior Christ Jesus. Yes. Very seldom you hear that Jesus Christ normally. Is that implying something? Putting Christ before Jesus? I would say there is a possible implication. I wouldn't say there's an absolute implication, but a possible implication.

Think about what Jesus and Christ actually mean two different roles. The name Jesus as Savior is really focusing mostly on his first coming, is it not? And his second coming would be Christ. So Jesus Christ is not his first and last name, right? But those are two different names and actually declarations of his function. Christ is from the Greek Christos, which means anointed one. The Hebrew would be Messiah. And when the Jews would think of the Messiah, they're thinking most commonly would be the one who comes at the end of the seven-year tribulation period.

So your point's well taken. Essentially putting first emphasis on that Christ part of the two-part name. puts an emphasis on his identity as Christ the Anointed One. Yeah, it's an unusual sequence. You're right there. It's an unusual sequence. Most often Jesus Christ, here it's Christ Jesus. And it's not the same as Peterman Verne, right? It's not first name, last name.

I'll start over again on page four. But though there will be understandable sadness for the one we loved who died without believing, the Lord will not allow that sadness to continue past heaven's gates. We talked about previously, there will be a recognition of those who are saved.

There will even be a recognition, a connection to this life. We will, for example, hear the Apostles. They're recognized as Apostles of the Church there in the New Heavens, New Earth. There will be recognition of people who have their names written in the Book of Life in the New Heavens, New Earth. Our memories will not be erased, but somehow the character of them will be different.

This is how Revelation 21 reads in the first four verses there. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband." That means beautiful in the extreme. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them. And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death, there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain. The first things have passed away. It is not as if there will be a complete disconnect from this present life.

We will still acknowledge the Lamb as the Lamb who was sacrificed from the foundation of the world. We will recognize Christ's death for us for eternity. There will be a connection, but in some way that it's admittedly difficult for us to conceive of right now, no more mourning or crying or pain. We now know what it means to have a sadness for those whom we loved who did not know the Lord. Somehow that sadness, and I can't explain quite how, but it's clear that it's there, somehow that sadness will no longer be when we leave this earth and are with the Lord. No more mourning, no more crying, no more pain. wiping away every tear. We will not go through eternity thinking about this loved one or that loved one who died without being saved. We will not go crying and aching of heart over that.

And so one of the One of the ways of dealing with this is there are approaches and attitudes and things that we can do now. There are viewpoints that we ought to have, but the other viewpoint to hold to is that when we pass through heaven's gates, the things that cause us mourning and sorrow and pain and regret and even all the I shouldas and I couldas, that'll all go away. That'll pass. The last paragraph there on page four, in some way that may be difficult for us to understand now, while we may not simply have our memories erased, and I quote, he will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will no longer be any death and there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain.

The first things have passed away. We will not endure eternity with the nagging pains of this world, including the pain of a loved one who did not come to believe so as to be saved. But we will rejoice in eternity over those we never expected to see there, but in fact will. Except for Facebook, I would not have known about my friend Bill. I can call my friend now. He wasn't there. What an amazing thing. The guy has miraculously changed.

It could have been that I wouldn't have found that out until we walked through heaven's gates. And I would ask with great shock, Bill, what are you doing here? Right? So we may in fact have those amazing surprises as well. People that we never expected to see in heaven that are impacted.

Interestingly, it's also possible the other way. I remember years ago my dad had a little gospel tract written by a fellow who titled the tract, I was a pastor for 50 years and then I was saved. It is quite possible for someone to be in a role where everybody just assumes, oh of course that guy is saved, but not necessarily. So the Lord may have a lot of surprises and some of them may even be some very pleasant ones when we get past heaven's gates. Other thoughts, things to share, questions?

That's right. The Lord does not give any merit whatsoever to coming on a certain piece of real estate. It's not any merit of ours that saves, right? Good. Any other thoughts? Ponderings? You know when he talks about the Holy Spirit will come and convict you of sin? Yes.

I think it's important to know that there's all kinds of sins, but the sin that he's talking about is not believing in Jesus. Yeah, well, let's take that in two parts. One is, there is a conviction of sin that has to do with You have sinned and therefore you need to believe. There is also the ultimate sin, and that is unbelief. In other words, it's as Jesus put it to the Jewish leaders in the Gospel of John. He said, unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.

And that's a problem. Die in, what's that? It's an identity truth. But it's not a good one. Okay? Identification truth that says you're going to die in your sin. See, a lot of people think, well, you know, I'll die because I'm not saved. You know, then that's how someone would end up going to hell. It's not just a problem of not being saved. The person who is not saved is in their sins.

They've identified with their sins. They have an identity that sticks with them. And the Lord knows even if nobody else knows. That's why in Revelation chapter 20, what do they do? They open up the books. And one of the books is the book of works. Here's the sins that have stuck to you. Here's the sins that you're in.

And it is only by faith in Christ that we're taken out of that place of being identified with the sins. When we are identified with Him. Right? Then we are in Christ. The one who is not saved is in their sins. But the one who is saved is in Christ's righteousness. Right? The righteousness is not our doing, it's entirely His doing, because He is righteous and we're in Him.

Really important perspective. Any other thoughts, questions? Lord, we do thank you for what you've revealed here. Your points of encouragement, points of things that are biblically revealed about what perspective is helpful for us to have, both about those who are still alive, ones that we love dearly and yet don't know you, and ones who don't yet know you but still have a chance. that there's there's even some opportunity for those who have died without believing so far as we know with those who are still here and also an offer of hope for us that the the nagging pain the sorrow about one that we love but didn't believe so far as hope. But that pain won't be with us forever. And we thank you for that. We thank you for that hope that we have as well. We do pray this, Lord, in Jesus' name.