People often say, ‘That does not concern me, it is not my business’. In some ways, that is the right attitude to have, in that we should not interfere in the affairs of other people or even pass comments on them. Nevertheless, the attitude of being unconcerned can be very wrong. There are many things that we should be concerned about in life, but one more than all of them – the destiny of our immortal souls. Perhaps you do not believe that you have a soul, but whether you like it or not, you most definitely have a soul, and that soul cannot die. Do you see that the destiny of your soul is of vital importance to you?

There is an example in the Bible given by the Lord Jesus Christ, which highlights this very attitude of being unconcerned.  It is an illustration of a Jew travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho.  On the way, he is robbed and left half dead on the roadside.  A Pharisee and a priest pass by, but they make sure that they pass on the other side, even though this poor man is a fellow countryman. There would, no doubt, have been an element of danger involved in helping this man, as the robbers may not have left the scene.  This, however, is a very poor excuse when another person is in such need.  They were not concerned and it was not their business.  How wrong they were!  Later, a Samaritan passes by, and despite the fact that there was no love lost between the Samaritans and the Jews, he stopped and went over to help this man in his desperate plight.  The Samaritan saw to his wounds and took him to a place of safety and a place where he could be looked after until he recovered.  What a difference in attitudes! 

What kind of a person are you? Are you thoughtful and kind, like the Samaritan, or are you in this sad category of the unconcerned. You may well be like the Samaritan, in your concern for others, yet there can still be something lacking; you have not considered the vital matter of the destiny of your soul. We can be good neighbours and honest, even religious, people and yet have not attended to the matter of the future of our souls. I am referring to our spiritual well-being and our acceptance before a Holy God, for we will inevitably meet Him.

Allow me to explain to you the greatest event that ever happened in this world. To appreciate this, you have to understand your own condition and that as you are, you are not fit to face God or have fellowship with Him. Even if we are like the Samaritan to some extent, it is vital to be honest with ourselves. We must acknowlegde that, in the depths of our hearts, we are self-centred, selfish and certainly sinful. The Bible tells us that we fall abysmally short of the expectations of God. In the Bible, God has given 10 commandments which are summed up by our Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament: ‘And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these’ (Mark 12, 30-31). We have certainly come short of this high standard. These are reasons for the unconcerned to be concerned. Now, we come to the great event that I mentioned. The mission of the Son of God on earth was to help us and to show us a new and a wonderful way to come into a relationship with God.

The Lord Jesus Christ was without sin, yet He stood in our place and took the blame for our sin. He was punished in our place on the Cross where He bled and died. In this great sacrifice, He paid the punishment for our sins in full. As well as this, He fulfilled God’s law in our place. Through faith, we stand forgiven and His perfect life is counted for us.

A long time ago a man called Jeremiah pleaded with the people to turn to God. But they took little heed of him; they were not concerned. Jeremiah said to them, ‘Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by?’ (Lamentations 1.12). Ask yourself if you are able to look at the cross of Jesus Christ and say that this has nothing to do with you and that you are not concerned. If this is your final attitude, a dismal future waits for you: the condemnation of a holy God and the destiny in a place called Hell which has no exit door.

You may be very concerned and wonder: How can this forgiveness of God be mine? In some wonderful way, God enables the seeking soul to come into a glorious relationship with Him. This approach to the Lord Jesus Christ is made possible by the gift of faith, which He has given us to put in His Son; He also gives us the ability to turn away from our sin and turn towards God. If you were once unconcerned but have now become very concerned, this faith brings peace to your soul. This faith brings you to God.