“Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

                                                                                                                   Jonah 4:11 

The people of Nineveh were ignorant about God. They were invested in wickedness and needed to repent and experience life in the saving knowledge of God. Although God had made a covenant with the people of Israel, He was willing to extend that same goodness and restoration to this foreign land. As Jonah completed his mission of preaching good news to Nineveh, the people responded, ushering in God’s grace and forgiveness. As we conclude our study of Jonah, we need to understand that through the gospel, God is extending this same offer of grace and forgiveness to all who will receive it. I believe there are three biblical truths that we always need to keep before us as we move out into the world to proclaim the goodness and mercy of God.

1. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

“Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?” “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.”

                                                                                                                   Ezekiel 18:23, 32 

Consistent with a God who is love is the reality that He takes no pleasure in seeing people suffer and experience spiritual death. As wickedness continues to spread through the world, the kindness of God and the offer of salvation through the gospel remain. We should always approach people with the understanding that, just like Nineveh, God is willing to extend His grace and forgiveness to them.

2. God desires for all people to be saved.

This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

                                                                                                       1 Timothy 2:3-4 

Consistent with a God who is love is the reality that He desires for everyone to be saved. The word being used in this passage is the origin of the word anthropology (the study of man). It can be translated “mankind” but it literally means humans. While many will reject the gospel, the good news is still being extended to “all who will call on the name of the Lord” (Romans 10:13).

3. God instructs us to preach the gospel to everyone.

And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”

                                                                                                           Mark 16:15-16 

Consistent with a God who is love is the reality that He desires that the gospel be preached to every soul. The church must never lose its primary focus and reason for existing, to preach good news. If lost, sinful, and hurting individuals cannot find a place a spiritual refuge among those who profess saving knowledge of God, then that focus has been lost. It is our mission to make sure that everyone around the world has had an opportunity to respond to the gospel.

Jonah did his job. The people responded and God saved. We must do our job in speaking truth into the lives of those around us. Trust God with the results as you continue sharing good news of redemption and restoration with a lost and hurting world!