Words of Wisdom from the Babylon Bee – There is an obvious difference between the funeral of a born-again Biblical Christian and one who is not. Typically the believer is plugged into the church where the funeral service is held. The pastor knows him/her and can speak from personal experience. Often the family of an unbeliever has to seek out a church to do the service or hold it at a funeral home. Those officiating the service don’t know the individual and so rely solely on the stories offered by those in attendance.

Christian Funerals

Of course, the real difference is how eternity is handled. Most nominal Christian services try to project a belief that the individual was a good person and they are now in a “better place.” The focus is on all the good work the individual has done while on this earth as justification for a ticket to Heaven. Those in attendance are a mixture of saved and unsaved.

The first group is hoping there was a deathbed conversion and the second group is in blissful agreement with the liberal pastor that all is at peace. However, funerals of this type are also a reminder to both groups of a nagging uneasiness.

For the saved, it is a reminder of family and friends who are currently lost and headed to Hell. For the unsaved, God has placed a vacuum in their heart over the years of infrequent church exposure that perhaps “being good” and “loving one’s neighbor” may not be enough. That missing element in the formula of salvation nags at them as they reflect on their own mortality.

Non-Christian Funerals

And then there are the services conducted in parks, funeral homes or other secular places. Family and friends gather to remember the departed, officiated by the lost for the lost. Eternity is typically not a topic of conversation, nor is God, Heaven, Hell or even death itself. Depending on the wishes of the family, perhaps reincarnation is the focus, or some form of dust-to-dust, Mother Earth, or other mystical worldview is presented as a way of appeasing the crowd.

Conclusion

What sounds better … a believer’s celebration of life with Heaven the final destination, or a rejection of the Creator of the universe and the provision He made for all of mankind who accepts His Son as personal Lord and Savior?

Philippians 4:7 - And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Babylon Bee article ended with a quote …

“We’re all worm food in the end,” said George W. Bush. “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. I read that somewhere. MAD Magazine, I think.”

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words

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