Are we responsible for another person's salvation or loss of salvation?
My pastor arranged us to give a lift to a sister who lives nearby whenever there is a cell group meeting. She would bring along her two sons while I, my only son. During cell group meeting, she would not lift her eyes from the bible or discussion paper, leaving her two sons running and shouting about. I would then have to take care of the children. So I didn't want to go to cell group anymore. When I shared with my pastor, she said, "You can stop going if you feel like it. Your husband can go and give the sister a lift. Otherwise the sister will say we are without love." Another friend said probably the sister would stop going to church due to our reluctance to give her a lift which would cause her to lose her salvation. Is that true? I know I need to forgive but I can't let go of her arrogant and ignorant face when she let her son beat mine and made the excuse 'children are naughty by nature'. I really want to have peace and find a solution for this Christmas. Please help.
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Asked December 23 2013
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Anonymous
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Iyke Onyenorah
Yes, we are responsible for the salvation of others. That as a matter of fact is the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-16). In fact apart from our personal salvation, that is our basis of being Christians. this injuction started from the old testament (Ezekiel 3:18) "When I say unto the wicked, Thou shall surely die; and thou givest him not the warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will i require at thine hand" KJV.
Beyond this charge from God, Jesus said that we "should love the Lord our God ....." (that is the first commandment) and the second is also like it "and your neighbour as yourself". That means that whatsoever we wish to have happen to us , we have a responsibility as Christians to wish it for our neighbours too.
It is a sin if you receive the gospel and refuse to preach the gospel. Failure to preach the gospel is a sin of omission and that is the gravest danger facing many Christians today. God's question "Who will go for us?" did not stop with the Prophet Isaiah, God is consistently asking all of that question.
Regarding your own case, the bible says that offense must come, but we have an obligation to forgive. Check if that sister has offended you up to seventy times seven times and that will help you to take a Christ-like decision on her salvation. What you are actually doing in this case is follow-up, and effective follow-up may even involve solving problems.