Do not Transit from Church to Hell
One of the greatest tragedies that can happen to anybody is the loss of an opportunity that may never come again. We have seen or heard of people who had opportunities of surrendering their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ but never did and they never had such opportunities again. I can vividly remember an incident that happened in a fellowship in 2007. I went to this fellowship in the company of a visiting minister friend of mine from Assemblies of God, Nigeria. Having introduced himself as a minister and a missionary, the organisers of the fellowship gave this minister friend some time to address the brethren. Since it was a kingdom-oriented word of admonition, the moderator made an altar call at the end of the message. Most unfortunately nobody came out. So we shared the benediction and left. This was around 9 pm. By 10 pm, one of the men who came to the fellowship suddenly became ill and was rushed to Accident and Emergency (A&E) that night. The following morning at about 10, a brother called me to say that the man was dead. What first came to my mind was I hope this man settled it with the Lord during the fellowship last night (because I wasn’t too sure he was a Christian, although he came to Church). Brethren you might be in the Church yet you are on your way to hell. Remember the two criminals who were crucified with the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 23:39-43). Both of them were with Christ, the Head of the church (Eph 5:23), both of them had the same opportunity to determine their eternal destiny. While one made effective use of the presence of the Saviour who was by his side by acknowledging Him as Lord and surrendering unto Him (Luke 23:42), the other derided and rejected Him (Luke 23:39).
The church is filled with these two classes of people. There are those who reject Him and those who accept Him. We have in the church those who are for Him and those who are against Him. We have those who are yielded to righteousness and those who present themselves to sin. Those who are on the narrow way that leads to life and those who are on the broad and wide way that leads to destruction. The way to Heaven and the way to Hell is a dichotomy. They are two strongly contrasted ways that can never align to each other. These are parallel paths that can never meet.
Many will go to hell from the church not because they have sinned and done many unspeakable things, but because they have refused to confess their sins, turn from their wickedness and serve the true living God (Pro 28:13). The thief on the right hand side of the Lord who is now in heaven was also a robber like his colleague on the left. But what separated them eternally was the difference in their attitude to their sin problem. It is the attitude to our sin problem that will on that day differentiate the wheat from the tares (Mt 13:24-30). Although we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23) but we cannot remain as sinners and at the same time be members of the body of Christ. They just won’t add up. Paul in Rom 6:16 “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
Just as we were yielded to sin when we were in bondage to the devil, God now expects us to yield ourselves to righteousness unto holiness now that we are in Christ Jesus (Rom 6:19). I can hear someone saying we are now under grace not under the law. But to that person, I advice that you look at what the Bible says, in Rom 6:1-2 and 14-15 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.”

Brethren don’t for once think it is difficult or impossible to transit from church to hell. It is very easy. It is happening and will continue to happen. But you like the thief on the right hand side can say to Him, Lord today I surrender my life to you. I want to live for you. I want to serve you with all my heart, soul and strength. Give me the grace to follow You all the days of my life and to dwell in your presence forever and ever, Amen.

God bless you.