We see so many in today’s society that are doing so many things to destroy health and shorten life. There are many campaigns and many public advertisements to keep people from the evil of drugs, drink, and tobacco but the number who participate is ever-growing. Sober thinking people say “Why is it?” But there are areas in which preachers, elders, teachers, and concerned Christians may ask, “Why is it?”<\/p>\n
Why is it that people have to be urged to love and serve the Lord? It is the only way that man can possibly escape eternal hell. When people find out that they have some dread disease they will immediately see a doctor and hope that there is a remedy that they will be able to follow to rid themselves of the disease. But when they find out that they are on the road to eternal ruin, they very often take offense at the one who sounds the warning. Why is it?<\/p>\n
Why is it that people have to be urged to even consider what the Bible says? It is extremely difficult to find people who are even interested in a study of the Scriptures; people who are interested enough in their souls to sit down and talk about what the Bible says for a few minutes.<\/p>\n
Why is it that people have to be urged to obey the gospel after they have learned the truth and know what jeopardy their souls are in? Every assembly is characterized by repeating the Lord’s invitation. Lesson after lesson is presented to urge those who are not Christians to respond to the Lord’s pleadings But they spurn invitation after invitation. They spurn the yearnings, love, and encouragement of those who are interested in them. Why is it?<\/p>\n
Why is it that “Christians” have to be urged to regularly attend the worship and study assemblies? One would think that those who “love” the Lord would not have to be urged (and really, those who love the Lord do not have to be urged to attend). But those who take the responsibility of teaching, spend so much of their time trying to get people to do what is good for them and what they know they ought to do. Why is it?<\/p>\n
Does this not speak of the fact that others love our souls more than we love our own when we have to be urged to do what is good for our eternal security? Others spend hours in study and prayer, but we lightly turn away their pleadings. Why is it?<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Morris D. Norman via\u00a0Gospel Power, Vol. 16, No. 1, Jan. 4, 2009. We see so many in today’s society that are doing so many things to destroy health and shorten life. There are many campaigns and many public advertisements to keep people from the evil of drugs, drink, and tobacco but the number who…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[511,65],"class_list":["post-61083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-apathy","tag-love"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":84482,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-didnt-he-save\/","url_meta":{"origin":61083,"position":0},"title":"Why Didn’t He Save?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Chadwick Brewer Often, we hear people lament the loss of a loved one. They are hurting and mourning the loss of those they hold dear, and they struggle with the question of why Christ would not take away the pain, suffering, and loss - especially when He had done\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":62217,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-disease-of-sin-and-its-cures\/","url_meta":{"origin":61083,"position":1},"title":"The Disease of Sin and Its Cures","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Ezra 9:5-15 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ever since Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, sin has been a big problem for mankind. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We just can\u2019t seem to get away from it. You could almost look at it as a disease \u2014 a spiritual disease of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":38154,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-my-sins-cause-my-pain-if-i-stop-will-my-disease-go-away\/","url_meta":{"origin":61083,"position":2},"title":"Did my sins cause my pain? If I stop, will my disease go away?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Dear preacher, I am 25 years old. For the past six years, I have been walking with severe heel pain in both legs. I have consulted many doctors, and I have taken many pain killers, steroids, and anti-inflammatory medications but I am unable to walk properly. I was once\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25049,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/in-mark-329-why-does-the-nkjv-say-eternal-condemnation-while-the-nasb-says-eternal-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":61083,"position":3},"title":"In Mark 3:29, why does the NKJV say “eternal condemnation” while the NASB says “eternal sin?”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 27, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: The NKJV in Mark 3:29 has \"but is subject to eternal condemnation\" and the NASB has is \"guilty of an eternal sin\". Are the meanings different? They seem to mean something different. Isn't the NASB more accurate to the original than the NKJV? Answer: Both the NASB and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92313,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/coming-up-to-our-potential\/","url_meta":{"origin":61083,"position":4},"title":"Coming Up to Our Potential","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Morris Norman via\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 18 No. 4, December 1992 Every normal child born has a potential that needs to be tapped and pointed in the right direction. God determined before the foundation of the world to have a people that are holy and without blame. In Christ, we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17673,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/will-all-jewish-people-be-saved-even-though-many-die-not-accepting-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":61083,"position":5},"title":"Will all Jewish people be saved, even though many die not accepting Jesus?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 4, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My question is: Will all Jewish people be saved, even though many died not accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior? \u00a0God\u2019s Word says God is not a respecter of persons, and if Gentiles are going to go to hell if they do not accept Jesus Christ as their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61083\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}