The unsaved
Preachers and teachers often speak about the “lost,” the “unsaved,” or
“non-Christians,” but who are these people?
What does it mean to be
lost? What does it mean
to be a non-Christian?
In simple terms all these descriptions mean people are not in a
right relationship with God and they will be punished for their sins.
Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach that the lost
(unsaved) will perish eternally in hell, but this article will only cite
verses from the New Testament.
John the Baptist said many “Pharisees and Sadducees” coming to his
baptism and he warned that deity was ready to “purge the threshing
floor” (the righteous would be separated from the unrighteous).
The “chaff” (the unrighteous) would be “burned with unquenchable
fire” (Mt. 3:7-12). Jesus
said most of the world will fall into the category of being unsaved and
this choice will lead people to “destruction” (Mt. 7:13).
By “destruction” he meant a fate where there will be an eternal
“weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt. 8:12).
In Mt. 10:28 Jesus further described the destruction of the
unsaved as involving both “body and hell.”
The unsaved will experience eternal pain, not annihilation.
This punishment will be very, very severe; in Mt. 13:42 Jesus
said the unsaved will experience a “furnace” of fire.
In Mt. 15:13 the unsaved are compared to a plan which is “rooted
up.” Throughout His
earthly ministry Jesus spoke about the unsaved and their eternal fate.
When the apostles began to write the New Testament letters, they
also spoke about the unsaved and their eternal fate.
Paul said (Rom. 1:18) that the “wrath of God” is “revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”
In the next chapter (Rom. 2:5) he said men “treasure up wrath”
for themselves. A little
later he said sin leads to “death” (Rom. 6:16).
The unsaved will face God’s “severity” (Rom. 11:22).
In the next letter, First Corinthians, Paul said the
“unrighteous” (the unsaved) will “not inherit the kingdom of God.”
In other places like Eph. 5:5 he said “no whoremonger, nor
unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.”
The “wrath to come” (1 Thess. 1:10) will come upon the unsaved
and this will involve “flaming fire” on “those who know not God, and
that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:5-8).
Paul said the unsaved will be “punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his
power” (2 Thess. 1:9).
Peter said God’s “face is against them that do evil” (the unsaved, 1
Pet. 3:12).
Several descriptions are associated with the unsaved throughout the
Bible. They are compared to
abominable branches (Isa. 14:19), ashes under the feet (Mal. 4:3), bad
fish (Mt. 13:48), the blind (Zeph. 1:17), corrupt trees (Lk. 6:43),
early dew that passes away (Hos. 13:3), fading oaks (Isa. 1:30),
building upon the sand (Mt. 7:26), a garden without water (Isa. 1:30),
goats (Mt. 25:32), horses rushing into battle (Jer. 8:6), stony ground
(Mt. 13:5), swine (Mt. 7:6), wayward children (Mt. 11:16).
Because the unsaved reject God and His will, God is angry with them (Ps. 5:5-6) and His spirit is eventually withdrawn from them (Gen. 6:3). Even the worship of the unsaved is an abomination (Isa. 1:10-15).
Several descriptions are associated with the unsaved throughout the
Bible. They are compared to
abominable branches (Isa. 14:19), ashes under the feet (Mal. 4:3), bad
fish (Mt. 13:48), the blind (Zeph. 1:17), corrupt trees (Lk. 6:43),
early dew that passes away (Hos. 13:3), fading oaks (Isa. 1:30),
building upon the sand (Mt. 7:26), a garden without water (Isa. 1:30),
goats (Mt. 25:32), horses rushing into battle (Jer. 8:6), stony ground
(Mt. 13:5), swine (Mt. 7:6), wayward children (Mt. 11:16).
Because the unsaved reject God and His will, God is angry with them (PS.
5:5-6) and His spirit is eventually withdrawn from them (Gen. 6:3).
Even the worship of the unsaved is an abomination (Isa. 1:10-15).
Are you unsaved? Do you wish to be saved? Learn how to become a Christian and live as the New Testament describes today!