Some of the
toughest times in our lives are when close friends or family members pass
away. The death of a loved one hurts,
because that person who was so special in our lives is now absent. We can no longer turn to them for advice,
companionship, or the simple joy of just being together.
What doesn’t
help during these times is when some people say things that—even if
well-intentioned—only make the situation worse.
One of the most awful: “God wanted another angel in heaven.” In addition to being of no comfort, this kind
of statement (and others like it) completely misses the point of God’s truth
revealed in the Bible.
- Yes, God desires all kinds of people to come to Him (see 1Tim 2:3-4). But He doesn’t do that by killing them. Instead, He opened the door for us to enter heaven through the suffering of Jesus Christ.
- Humans do not become angels. Angelic beings and humans are different categories of God’s creation. When we die, our spirits are separated from our bodies and we remain that way until God reunites us with our resurrected (glorified) bodies.
- Sadly, not everyone goes to heaven at death. The Bible makes that clear over and over again. It is most vivid in Jesus’ account of Lazarus and the rich man. To tell someone that their dead friend is now in heaven—absent any indication at all that they ever followed Christ—is spreading false hope. No, I don’t like to think of my loved ones suffering eternally. That is exactly why I want them to know and follow Christ here and now. It is too late after they draw their last breath. On the other hand, for those who followed Christ in this life, we are assured that they are with the Lord and await us to one day join them.
If we want to comfort those who grieve, then let’s simply be there for them and extend our love to them, rather than say things that may actually be hurtful. We embody Christ best by showing compassion, especially in times of hurt and loss.
Again...I always enjoy your posts. Will you provide me with greater clarification regarding "...they ever followed Christ" comment. I know you don't believe in works as a determinant for salvation, thus, I am confused as to what "follow Christ" means in the connotation of salvation. Best.
ReplyDeleteBig Billy,
ReplyDeleteYou are right--we are saved by God's grace, not through anything we do. When He grafts us onto the vine of life, He produces good fruit through us, and that fruit is evident of following Christ... obeying His commands, allowing Him to work in us and through us, growing in Him, etc. All of that evidence actually originates from God (even our faith comes from Him, Heb 12:2, Rom 12:3), so we can't boast about it.
I definitely didn't mean to imply that because we may "act Christian" that we reserved ourselves a spot in heaven. I was actually trying to come at it from the other angle: If God saves us, we can't hide it (which I think is the point of Jesus' parables about the lamp in Luke 8, as one example).
Did I just muddy the waters? ha ha!
Timendous,
DeleteGreat answer! Now, we just need you to post more often. Keep writing.