The world has so many nice people and so many moral people. It has so many talented people in many areas. It has many smart people in many areas. The world is full of religion and the many religions all join together (in some way) in a war against God. The religions of the world can join up with the nice people and the moral people. The religions of the world can join up with the talented people and the smart people. But the religions of the world (and all the other people) cannot join with the true seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus Christ. All the religions, the nice, the moral, smart and talented people are all opposed to the King of kings and LORD of lords.
When a person is faced with death, what type of person will the one faced with death want to be around? It is true that it is nice to be around nice people, but hell is full of nice people. It is much better to be around those who are moral rather than the immoral, but hell will be full of people who are moral. It is a good thing to be around talented people, but once again hell will be full of talented people. Is it a good thing to be around smart people? Perhaps if a doctor was smart one would want a smart doctor, but then again hell will be full of smart people and most likely have a lot of smart doctors. What kind of preacher or friends would one want to hang around?
What is the most important thing when one approaches death? This is not an idle question because each and every human being faces death from the moment of birth. Every moment a person lives it is a constant march to the time of death which God alone ordains. Oh how people mourn when a young person dies and yet when an older person dies they seem satisfied that the person lived a full life. There may only be 30-40 years separating a younger person and an older person, which is rather trivial in light of eternity. When each person can have his or her soul yanked from the body at each moment, age seems to be less important than what is the most important thing in life or death.
Many people find comfort in the way they have lived or in various things they have done, but how utterly inane and even blasphemous that appears in light of a thrice holy God. Many want to live just a little longer if possible and would seemingly sell the soul for six months more of life. But what is the chief end (or primary purpose) of man? It is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism). This is to say that man’s chief end is not to live a long life, but to glorify God and enjoy Him during that life regardless of how short or long it is. But even more, the Catechism teaches us that we are to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. In other words, assuming that the Catechism catches at the biblical teaching of the purpose of man, human beings are to glorify and enjoy God in their lives and in their deaths. But even more, for all eternity the purpose of human beings is to glorify God and enjoy Him. But again, that is for all eternity.
Can a human being really capture the thought or taste of what it means to live forever in the perfect delight of knowing God in the face of Christ? Yes, one can in the Gospel. Jesus the Christ came from eternity past, entered time (so to speak) 2,000 years ago, and did so in order to purchase a people who will delight in God for all eternity future. If Christ will say to a person to enter into the joy of the Master, that person will have God to delight in for all eternity. But the Catechism also says that we are to glorify God. I would argue that the greatest thing a person can do in this life is to be an instrument of glory in this world and bow in total submission to the will of God with joy in all that He is pleased to bring to pass.
When a person faces death and the mouth of eternity is getting ready to swallow him or her up, one does not want a nice person to whisper sweet morsels to comfort him or her, that person wants to hear of Christ and His glory concerning His Person and work. Who would want to hear of the weak and insipid prayers of man-centered humans when one is going to face the King of kings? Who would want to hear the proud utterances of smart people when the wisdom of God can be found in Christ? Who would want to hear of the most talented people in the world when one can have the talents of Christ in working a real and eternal salvation?
The reality of eternity can indeed bring a focus to the soul that is faced with it. This does not need to be a bad thing, but it may be that a person that has a sight of eternity may appear quite rude to the froth that the world wants to offer up. Take away the things and comforts of the world and give that person someone who will speak the truth of Christ and of eternity with Him where it will be all about His glory and joy in Him. Christ prayed for His people to behold His glory and so many preachers try to hide it in our day. Give them more of Christ and even more of Christ. Away with the nice people and nice ministers who prattle on of an unknown and unfelt Christ! Away with those who speak nice and wise words about religion but are clueless to the glories of eternity in Christ! Will their words help? Will their prayers rise out of the sound of their voices? Can their empty words comfort a soul?
God said in the Old Testament, concerning the rituals of His people (in name), away with that noise. We must have ministers and people who take eternity seriously if those who are entering eternity are going to listen. Meanwhile, people sing their happy songs of a nice and comfortable Jesus while ministers tickle their ears as the people head toward a devil’s hell. Ministers are so busy being concerned with their positions and their salaries that they preach for self rather than for the eternal good of their people. They want to comfort people in their sins rather than make them uncomfortable that they may see how lost they are and how much they need Christ. They want to comfort people who are sick and dying rather than get them to understand the seriousness of eternity. Shall we comfort people who are dying so that they can lift their eyes in hell and for eternity never have another moment of comfort? The idea of eternity is so greatly dulled in our day and people simply live for the present moment. It is a lie and a delusion of the devil.
God Loves... Himself 
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