Divine Intervention Needed

Intervention was an American television series that premiered on A&E on March 6, 2005. The series profiled people who were addicted to drugs or alcohol, and who had made life miserable for their families and friends as a result. At a planned "intervention" (which would be hidden from the addict) family members would present an ultimatum to their addicted family member, saying to that person -- "enter a drug rehabilitation program immediately or risk the loss of contact, financial support, or other privileges." Most times this intervention proved unsuccessful, the addicted person unable to give up his life of addiction. In many of these instances the family of the addict is totally exhausted with trying to deal with the addict, having been the recipient of the addict's thefts or abuse, as most addicts need to steal to fund the purchase of their narcotics.

My sister and I, both Christians, have often discussed the situation in our extended family where some members have become such addicts and have caused much heartache to their families and have left us exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically, along with the loss of the things that were stolen. All the efforts at trying to persuade such addicts to stop their drug use, by family members, have failed and those family members finally say to their addicted loved one -- "we have had enough." They give the addict a final ultimatum to either quit that behavior or be "cut off" from all family help and communication.

I have often told my sister that such addicts need a "divine intervention." I say "only God can save them." I meant that unless God by his almighty power turns the person around, that person is doomed. So, we pray for this divine intervention. This call to prayer arises from the fact that we believe that God can save any addict, or any sinner, any time he determines to do so. Paul prayed for the salvation of others (Rom. 10: 1). He said "my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Such a statement indicates that Paul believed that God could save lost Jews if he willed to do so.

Every Christian or saved person can only say that he or she was saved because God chose to intervene in his or her life to turn them around. They ought to know that -- "The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes." (Prov. 21: 1 nkjv) So, we pray to God to intervene in the lives of such lost sinners, knowing that he can save them and turn their hearts around. So Ephraim in his lost condition says to the Lord: "turn thou me, and I shall be turned." (Jer. 31: 18 kjv)

My sister and I have also spoken of how we feel pity and compassion for such lost souls. I told her the other day that I would doubt the salvation of any professing Christian who did not feel such pity and who did not pray for God's intervention in the lives of such sinners. I told her that this pity on such lost souls is why the song "Broad is the Road that leads to Death" is sung in a minor key. It is sad to think about it. So, we pray for such people, and try to persuade them to repent and turn to the Lord, but knowing all along that unless the Lord blesses our efforts it will all be in vain. (See Psalm 127: 1)

Some people may say "there is no help for him in God" as they did of king David. (Psalm 3: 2) Or, "he is so bad or so far gone that even God cannot help him." But, that is simply not true. No hardened sinner is beyond the power of God to rescue.

It saddens me to know that many of my Hardshell brethren think it is wrong to pray for the salvation of sinners. This attitude results from their Hyper Calvinism. They not only deny that the word of God, either read or heard preached, is a means in the salvation of sinners, but deny that prayer is also a means. That is why you never hear them praying for such sinners. However, they sin in failing to pray for their salvation. Said the prophet Samuel: "far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way." It is our duty as Christians to pray for sinners and to teach them the good and right way, for they will be means that God will use, when it pleases him, to turn sinners.