Revelation 20:15 (KJV)
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
There is a subject many Christians refuse to bring up in their spheres of influence, particularly their unsaved family and friends. That subject is the truth of eternal damnation and the lake of fire that awaits unbelievers or back-sliders. Why would Christians skirt the issue of eternal torment when they truly love their family and friends? Don’t they want to warn them of the consequence of their unbelief that Jesus is the one and only Son of God? Don’t they want their loved ones to be in heaven? I believe many times they hold back for fear of offending anyone or they want to be politically correct. All the while they run the danger of their unsaved loved ones passing away without taking the chance of telling them the truth about eternal life. You never know when someone’s time is up, which is very sobering truth indeed.
I would like to submit to you that political correctness is fear-based and cowardly when it comes to sharing the whole truth of heaven and the fiery lake of eternal torment. We tell people what they want to hear – that everyone’s okay and everyone’s going to heaven if they are good people. However, this is a lie according to the Word of God. We tickle their ears with niceties and pretty stories of grace while all along our friends and family are completely ignorant of their eternal destination in their current spiritual state. And whose fault is it they there are blinded to the truth? Ours. The blame lies squarely on our shoulders because we only tell them half-truths to placate them in order to maintain the pleasantries of our relationships. Why? Because it is extremely risky to tell the whole truth of the Gospel.
Oh, yes, there is a real risk of total and complete rejection from the ones we love who do not know the Lord. Especially when you highlight sins they have chosen for their own lives that clearly will land them in the fiery lake if they do not repent and accept forgiveness from Jesus. When you start to step on the toes of personal lifestyle choices, look out. There will be consequences to pay and fireworks will more than likely happen. But really - which would you rather happen? Deal with the rejection that comes with telling the whole gospel and possibly save your loved ones in the end from eternal torment or remaining in good favor with them and live with the consequences of their eternal destination? I don’t know about you, but to me, the choice is clear.
What happened to Jesus when He told the truth? The bible says He was despised and rejected (see Isaiah53:3). Jesus told us in His Word that we would be hated by the world, but that the world first hated Him. If we are true believers then we should expect the hatred the world will give us. (See John 15:18-25)
People of the world cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are Spirit based. Paul talks about this in I Corinthians 2:14. The eyes of their understanding has been darkened and the gospel is foolishness to them. However, does this excuse us from sharing the full gospel of Jesus Christ? No, and we also should never be discouraged by the response of the unbeliever. The Holy Spirit will send other believers to reiterate and add to what you shared with them, and eventually, Lord willing, they will come to salvation. We must be faithful to share what we know so that we can save our friends and family from eternal damnation, even if we do not see immediate results.
The bible says that God has no pleasure in those who shrink back (see Heb 10:38). It also says that if we are lukewarm believers He will spit us out of His mouth (see Rev 3:16). He would rather we be either hot for the gospel or stone cold. He hates compromise and lack of zeal. After all, is He not the One Who gave His only Son to die for us and rose from the dead on the third day and is now seated at His right Hand? He has given the most precious offering He could give, the life of His only Son, to purchase our souls. Doesn’t He deserve to have unreserved, uncompromising devotion from his believers?
Sharing the whole gospel is not for the faint of heart, this is for certain. But it is our charge as believers to uncompromisingly share the whole Truth of eternity to save those in our sphere of influence who do not know Christ. Judgment begins with the House of God (the church). On that day when we all stand before the Judgment Seat we will have to give an account of what we did and what we didn’t do for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What do you want the Lord say to you about what you shared with your unsaved or back-slidden friends and family?