The Real Problem

There is a question that Christians often hesitate to ask out loud, but many quietly carry in their hearts: If God loves everyone, why are some people not saved? Or perhaps you have asked it this way: If God loves everyone, why is there a hell at all?

Scripture is clear about certain things. God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Christ died for the sins of the whole world. The Gospel, the means by which God brings sinners to salvation, is preached widely and freely. And yet, not all are saved. Some hear the Word and fall away. Others never believe at all.

This is not only something Scripture teaches; our Lord Himself speaks of the outer darkness. It is also something we encounter in life. We know people who respond to Christ with open contempt, and others who meet Him with a militant indifference. The Word of God describes reality as it truly is.

Our Lord’s Parable of the Sower confronts this question directly. And it does so in a way that strips away false comfort, exposes dangerous assumptions, and finally leads us to the only place where real and lasting comfort can be found.