"The discussion made me think of the Hardshell Baptists and their belief that God does not use the means of gospel preaching to save sinners from sin and death. They say that they have been delivered from such feelings of guilt by believing that God does the saving apart from their evangelistic efforts. Especially those preachers who came to the Hardshells from Missionary Baptist churches confess to this sense of freedom from being burdened and worried about people going to hell because of their failure to witness to them. It reminds me of that commercial for Alka-Seltzer where the jingle says - "Oh what a relief it is!" However, after I saw the truth of scripture on the means question, I began to feel a burden to evangelize and witness to the lost and yes, there are times, when I feel guilty for not having witnessed to a person when I had the opportunity." (see here)
I remember Elder Bradley of Cincinnati Primitive Baptist church, a preacher, like father (Eddie Garrett Sr.) who came from the "Missionary" Baptists to the "Primitive" Baptists, telling of how he used to worry about whether time spent doing something unimportant, rather than in witnessing to the lost, would make him wonder whether someone will go to hell, who otherwise would go to heaven, because he failed to witness to that person. He was a happy Hardshell when he could finally be free from such worry and guilt because he came to believe that God could and would save sinners apart from his efforts. He was glad to let God do all the worrying, anthropomorphically speaking!
We ought to be burdened with witnessing to the lost and calling them to faith and repentance, and warning them of the coming judgment and of punishment for sin. If we are feeling guilty about not doing so, then confess it and do better. Don't rid your mind of guilt and responsibility by pretending that you have no responsibility.
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