I was listening to an interesting discussion on a podcast this week. Amid the discussion, one of the guests stated that Christians often view nonbelievers as under the influence of the anti-Christ. The guest said that perhaps we, instead, should view non-believers as Pre-Christ. In other words, they are on their way to Christ—they just haven’t fully encountered or embraced Him yet.
I love this perspective! Truly, we don’t know who will be drawn in by Christ and will ultimately become a believer. We just don’t know. It is much healthier for us as Christians to view nonbelievers as pre-Christians who will eventually embrace Christ fully than to see them as under the control of the anti-Christ.
Why is this the better perspective?
First, instead of our faith dividing us from unbelievers, it opens a door. We see the potential in them—not their lack of faith.
Second, it gives us hope. We genuinely don’t know God’s plans for them. Perhaps God will lead them to Himself?
Third, it gives us the impetus to pray for them. This focuses our attention on persons other than ourselves, which is therapy for us.
We see in the Bible that some of the most fervent unbelievers, once they embrace the Faith, become some of the most influential disciples of Christ.
Paul stands out above the others in this regard. Once a persecutor of Christians who advocated stoning them to death to preserve the purity of the Jewish faith, Saul had a life-changing experience when he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. As Paul the Apostle, he traveled the world, was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually martyred. This is the Paul we remember—not the Zealot against The Way.
The truth is, we don’t know whom Christ will call—and who will come to faith. We can’t judge a person’s ultimate destiny based on his or her beliefs and behaviors today.
C.S. Lewis, the great Christian writer, was a determined atheist as a young man. In his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, Lewis describes how he resisted, “kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape” until, in 1929, he came to believe in God.
Just as God doesn’t see the sins of believers but sees each of us as unblemished In Christ, we need to see each person as a child of God—who is on the road which will lead to Christ. Even if unbelievers are currently under the influence of evil. Even if they now hate God. They are on the road of life—and their walk doesn’t end until they breathe their last breath. Only then will they reach their ultimate destination.
Jesus loved the unbelievers. He came into the world to draw them to himself. While here, He spoke, ate, and socialized with those who didn’t believe in God. But, through experiencing Him, many came to faith.
We need to reflect on His goodness and godliness in our lives—and pray that others will want to walk the road we are on—that leads to eternity with God.