Hi Pastor John,
It has been a long 2 weeks for me, filled with sadness and some of the most wonderful feelings I have ever felt from God. He has been very close to me while I have been going through the death of my father, and I will never be the same. One thing that I really felt the most is the hopelessness for someone who dies without being born again, filled with God’s spirit. There is no hope outside of the spirit of God for anyone who dies without it. I felt a sadness that no one else in my family could feel because I know that my father died without having that hope in him, and, in turn, that left me feeling all the feelings of hopelessness that he went to the grave with. I never knew how much that would hurt me and how much I hope I never see that happen again to anyone else, but I know it will unless God calls them to him and they yield to his spirit.
My daughter and I were going over to the funeral home to take care of some business there, and I told her how hopeless that my dad left me in this life, knowing where he is now. I told her I would never leave her with the feeling of hopelessness that I felt for my father (and if she does that to me, it would only be because of her not being where she is suppose to be in the Lord, but I did not say this to her. It was not the right time and I did not want to add to the hurt she was already feeling, but I will when the time is right.) I said, “What we are seeing right now is real, this is the end of the matter.”
We don’t want to leave anyone we love with the feelings of hopelessness when we fall asleep in Jesus.
Bro. S. H.
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Brother S. H.,
I have said many times that the greatest form of child abuse is for a parent to die without hope in Christ. That sin of dying in rebellion against God wars against the heart of the child and forces it either to suffer with the truth or to pretend the parent is not lost. But that latter choice only delays the suffering until the Final Judgment; it does not do away with it completely
I think it is wiser to be faithful to Jesus and suffer now, for we are told, “If we suffer with him, we will reign with him.
We hurt with you, S–, because we have fellowship with you in Christ, and you have chosen to suffer with him.
Pastor John