Hell at the End of the Path

There is a quote by Charles Finney, which may seem strange to many Christians today, but I believe Mr. Finney was on course when he made the following statement, friends. Listen to his words. The church is filled with hypocrites who were never told to give up the world.

No one ever showed them that unless they entirely consecrated themselves to Christ, time, talent, and influence, they would never get to heaven. Many think they can be Christians and yet float along through life, using their time and property for themselves, only giving a little now and then to save appearances or because it is convenient. It is a sad mistake.

If they don't use their energies for God, when they die they will find hell at the end of the path they pursued. I believe that, friends. You see, our view of Christianity today has gotten more from the present atmosphere of the established church.

We think that being a Christian consists of going to church, listening to a message, singing along with some songs, and giving some of our money to the church. And between Sundays we can live as we want to and sit on the throne of our heart and rule there and heaven help the person who crosses our will or keeps us from doing as we please. But Mr. Finney is saying our current view of ourselves is all wrong if Christ and his gospel is not the foremost thing in our lives and the thing we give most of ourselves to.

Let me ask you, friend, when you became a Christian, did you give up the world? I believe the Apostle Paul would agree with the statement from Charles Finney for Paul wrote in Galatians. But God forbid that I should glory save him the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. But the church today, friends, has embraced the world, invited the world into the church, and the church has become like the world, worldly.

It is no wonder we have a generation of worldly Christians today who don't know a thing about the cross and the life of a believer. You see, friends, a crucified Christ must have crucified followers. Is this not what Jesus taught his disciples? Then Jesus said unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Our young people today are self-centered, and their main goal in life is to make a lot of money so they can blow it on themselves. We have failed as a church to teach our young people the doctrine of discipleship and the crucified life.

And I think the main reason for this, friends, is that we have very few crucified pastors out there. I was sitting in a church not long ago, and the young, sloppily dressed pastor said his favorite pastime was watching the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and this pastor had a potty mouth as well. And you wonder why our young people in our churches today see little reality of a living Lord, and they see nothing wrong with sin.

The church has set the example. But to be a Christian means you give up the world and live for eternity rather than living for ourselves. This is what the apostle Paul meant in 2 Corinthians, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.

Like Charles Fanny said, friends, if they don't use their energies for God, when they die, they will find hell at the end of the path they pursued. Let us pray.