WHY?

With someone from our church dying this week it has made me think about a few things. One of them is the issue of eternity and where the deceased person goes when they breathe their last.

I am not speaking about the person who was in our church who passed away. I am talking about people in general.

Why is it that when someone dies the people around them automatically give the deceased person a free pass into Heaven? Oftentimes nothing is brought up about Christ or if that person repented of sin and trusted in Christ. I suppose that this is meant to comfort themselves and others as to the whereabouts of their dead relative/friend.

But let's be honest. Just as no preacher can preach someone into Heaven; family or friends cannot wish or speak someone into Heaven either. It is sad when we as believers let down our convictions and think or assume that God will let someone "slide" into Heaven by the "skin of their teeth." There is no such thing as that. God has never nor will ever allow someone into Heaven except through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus.

Then we descend further into our worldly thoughts on eternity.

It is awful when we discuss Hell and how we want to avoid it because it is such a bad place. Nevermind that we have sinned against a holy God or that we have lived a life of wanton pleasure of self. We just don't want to go because it is such a bad place and we would not be happy there.

So Heaven is a place that want to go to because we will be happy there. We're going to get a crown or catch up with relatives that we have not seen in a while or ever.
So Hell is a place to be shunned because we will not be happy there. We're going to be tortured there without our iPods or Facebook. Horrors!!

It should be about God's glory. Hell exists so that judgment is shown. Heaven exists for grace and mercy to be shown. In the end, it is all for His glory.

Let's not cheapen Heaven by allowing, preaching, wishing, or speaking someone out of Hell and into Heaven just because we want it.