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Should
A Christian Attend A Funeral Of A Lost Person?
One of the hardest decisions a saved person will
ever have to make is whether or not to go to a funeral of an unsaved relative or friend
in an apostate church.
This month saw the sudden and tragic death of a
sibling to one of our brothers in the Lord. Like us he is justifiably critical of
organized religion and therefore didn't really need any persuading from us about what
to do.
For the record his sibling wasn't saved and the
funeral took place in an Anglican church.
The only dilemma he faced was whether or not to
go to the graveside and say a few words to those present before the coffin went into
the ground. We were all of the same mind that this was something he could do (if he
felt led to) and after a couple of restless nights, he finally plucked up the courage
and made his way to the crematorium and even managed to pass out tracts to family
and friends (it's always harder to do this inside a church.) He then quietly made
his way home.
For anyone that doesn't understand this predicament
for a redeemed sinner, please allow me to explain.
Unless a person is born again than they are lost.
There is no point sitting through a religious service for an unsaved person, conducted
by a priest or vicar (whom is paid incidentally to do this), when the person who has
just died didn't even attend the church in question. Such a service is an abomination.
In fact for a vicar to offer any prayers for the
deceased (another abomination) seeing as they didn't even know the person in the first
place, is nothing short of blasphemy.
Only saved people should conduct funerals for saved
people that they personally know. (Non-Christians shouldn't be given Christian burials
in churches either.)
The thought of a saved person sitting and praying
with unsaved people for an unsaved person is totally foreign to Scripture. In fact
for a saved person to even be at such an event is clearly seen as nothing short of
condoning of this travesty.
The prayers from the clergy and those half-heartened
replies from the pews are totally discarded by God. They don't know God and He doesn't
know them.
(If a saved person attends
a Catholic mass for
example, they are expected to stand, sit, kneel and even pray to Mary.
By their very presence and participation, they are crucifying Jesus afresh because
the mass dictates this and therefore many will go on to lose their testimonies!)
But as far as
a "protestant service" is concerned, the vicar is simply telling those present what
they want to hear. The service is all about them. It's humanistic through and through
and designed to make them feel better about their loss. No gospel will be preached.
No talk of holiness or repentance will be explained. No message about sin or the need
for people to examine themselves in light of Scripture. And no warning about eternal
Hell for unbelievers.
After the service
the vicar will normally travel with the family in the possession of cars and conclude
the funeral at either the crematorium or graveside. More prayers are offered before
heading off to either the nearest pub or someone's home to commence the wake.
Vicars are nearly
always invited to attend and many of them will. Food and alcohol are on tap and with
the rawness of just burying a friend or relative, the booze is quickly consumed and
this is when problems arise.
On two separate
occasions my father and I, while still babes in Christ and not knowing any better,
attempted to preach the gospel to family and friends at an Anglican and Catholic funeral.
It isn't something
either of us would ever do again. Such "services" are arranged by the world for the
world. The child of God has no mandate or business being there.
By all means one
should and must witness to family, friends, work-mates and associates, but the moment
this takes on a religious connotation, we stand aside and have no part to play.
Our brother made
the right decision and we totally salute him and others that have done likewise.
I will conclude
this article with some verses to contemplate, should the reader one day also have
to make this decision.
"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead"
(Matt. 8:21,22.)
"Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath
he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath
the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of
the living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be
ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I
will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty"
(2 Cor. 6:14-18.)
JGB
November
2010 (All Rights Reserved) |
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