songsofjesus.com

The “unsaved church”: Do we care at all?

---

Recently a friend of mine sent me a story about an unsaved preacher.  In the story the minister watched his dying friend pass into eternity all the while realizing he had nothing to offer him as death approached because the minister himself was an unsaved man!  The preacher had religion, but he lacked a real relationship with Jesus.  Sitting at his dying friend’s bedside revealed his emptiness; he had nothing to offer him at that moment but empty “comfort”.

Empty comfort is something the bible talks a lot about; the false prophets specialized in it: “They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.  ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”  (Jeremiah 6:14)  Empty comfort coming from pulpits that refuse to speak the truth for fear of offending.  Telling people what they want to hear has always been more popular than telling people what they need to hear.  Many servants of God have been put to death simply because they refused to give empty comfort, and instead told the truth.  The pages of the bible are filled with such martyrs of the faith, and warn of those who bring empty comfort. “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”  (Jeremiah 5:31)

That is the issue, isn’t it… the end?  The end will come, and then what?  Well, the answer to that is the “empty comfort givers” will be right there at your funeral, still giving empty comfort!  They will attempt to assuage the pain of your grieving family and friends by telling them that you are in a “better place”.  But are you? I’m not trying to be insensitive here.  I’ve lost both sets of parents, my grandparents, and most recently, my Mom, just 3 years ago after a battle with Ovarian cancer.  I understand the pain of losing the ones I love most.  I also understand that not everyone goes to heaven.  As a Christian I understand that without Jesus, without being “born again”, there is no entrance to heaven… everything else is empty comfort.

This is why I keep sounding the same trumpet.  False peace will do you no good on the day you die.  Everyone might be at your funeral talking about how you’re in a “better place”, but what good will that do you if you really aren’t?  The “unsaved church” has been lulled into believing that all will be well with their souls.  Religion can be comforting; that is until you die.  Then you have to face a very uncomfortable truth; no amount of religion can get you into heaven.  How can we just sit back and say nothing while people slip into eternity unprepared?  We’re so worried about offending others, but it isn’t really being “nice” not to warn people, is it?  Eternal life is a gift.  It can’t be earned, and being religious doesn’t guarantee you’ll get it.  Find out more here.

Tags: death, empty comfort, eternal life, eternity, false comfort, false hope, false prophets, funeral, going to heaven, Jeremiah 6:14, peace. peace when there is no peace, religion, unsaved church