Ezekiel 3:18

Givest him not warning. When the watchman saw the danger coming, he was to blow the trumpet. When Ezekiel saw the wicked going heedlessly on to perdition, he was to speak to them, warning them of the sure results of their course. These words may be taken in their wider application to refer, not merely to physical danger and death, but to spiritual danger that might bring a verdict of eternal death before the judgment bar of God. The decisions of that court mean either eternal life or eternal death for every soul that has ever lived. Annihilation is the ultimate fate of all who persist in transgression. The watchman is charged with the responsibility of warning men of this inevitable doom. His failure may result in the loss of souls.

The question is often raised, “Is it fair for God to permit the salvation of a soul to be dependent upon whether another individual discharges his responsibility of warning or not?” The answer is that God is fair, but that sin is exceedingly unfair. God works for the salvation of men in a manner consistent with His character and with reference to the issues of the great controversy. He does not use coercion. This places a limit on what He can do directly for the salvation of a soul. Yet when others cooperate with God in His effort to save that soul, immediately there is an increase of influences now operating upon the individual, and a greater likelihood that he will accept the divine plan for him. This consideration lies at the basis of foreign mission endeavor. Let us consider an island untouched by Christian influence. God, who through Jesus “lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:9), is doing all He can to save its every inhabitant. Any greater effort would be charged by the adversary as coercion. However, with the arrival of the missionary the opportunities become much greater. As a result many more are saved. Thus the charge of unfairness, instead of being directed at God, must be directed at us. It is we who have been unfaithful watchmen, and our own souls will be lost unless genuine repentance removes the guilt.