She had suffered and struggled against the insidious attack upon her body. But finally the disease had claimed her life. Friends and loved ones came to console and offer their deepest sympathy. With hearts filled with feelings of compassion, loved ones attempted to gently comfort the family. "We can be glad that her suffering is over." "She is in a better place now."
Christians were among those who expressed these thoughts of sympathy to a lady who had never responded to the good news of Jesus. Although their motive was positive and filled with good intentions, they undermined the cause of their Lord and his suffering on the cross. Non-Christian family members and relatives, who heard the comments and knew that the deceased was a kind lady but not a church-going woman, heard the message clearly. "Those who should know the message of the Bible are saying, 'you do not need to rely upon Jesus in order to be saved. Just by living a good life, you can go to heaven.'"
While kindness and love are clearly dominant Christian traits and fruits of the Spirit, promulgating false hope is and has never been either loving or kind. An act or word can be kind and loving only if it is based in truth. When death comes, Christians can minister to the survivors through demonstrations of love and expressing sympathy for the loss of a loved one. But how many times have God's people crossed the line and worked against the cross of Christ because of a misconception of what it means to be loving?
Barry Newton, Copyright © 2006
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To Fully Love Requires A Godly PersonHonest Hourglass, The (On Our Life, Our Enemy & Jesus' Resurrection)
Into the Heart of God: (Justice and Love)