FOUR WAYS TO END UP IN HELL

“WE, THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA: ACKNOWLEDGE the supremacy of God Almighty;

DECLARE the Republic a Christian Nation while upholding a person’s right to freedom of conscience, belief or religion.”

Those are the words in the preamble of the Zambian constitution. In some ways, the declaration and tag as a Christian nation has set us up to be different. There is a sense that Zambia is more conservative than most African countries, and the church enjoys great freedom and favour in our beloved country. There is even a sense that the church in Zambia is sounder and more mature than in other countries. That said, the tag comes with its problems and challenges. Christianity and church life are part of the culture and lifestyle; people are easily deceived into thinking they are Christians by virtue of being Zambian. Sadly, we have many who are on their path to hell, and yet they do not even realise it. So here are four ways to be sure you will end up in hell.

You Believe you were born a Christian

You were born to church-going parents; after you took your six weeks shots, you attended your first church service and were dedicated, in some cases, baptised (that is a conversation for another day). You went to Sunday school as a child, youth meetings, and now maybe you are an adult. You have sung Christian songs, memorised verses, held some positions on a committee, and even married in the church. When someone asks you how you became a Christian, You find the question strange, but after recovering from the surprise, you cannot remember when you were not a Christian. So, you genuinely believe you were born a Christian. Except, people are not born Christians. On the contrary, people are born sinners, dead in their trespasses and outside the family of God (Eph 2:1-3, Rom 3:9-19).

You Believe baptism saves you

It is common to hear people say they are Christians because they were baptised. Either as a baby or an adult. They would believe that the waters of baptism “wash away original sin and impart sanctifying grace while marking individuals for eternal life.” Their source of assurance is the baptism certificate. However, the scriptures tell us that baptism is the means of publicly testifying one’s faith in Christ (Acts 2:38-41, 8:12-13) in obedience to the Lord’s command (Matt 28:19-20). Further, Baptism is an outward demonstration of an inward reality, namely, the believer’s union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (Rom 6:1-3, 2 Col 2:11-12). Finally, salvation is not of works, purely by grace, through faith, in Christ alone! (Eph 2:6-9).

Baptism assumes faith and regeneration. It does not bring about regeneration, nor is it necessary for regeneration. But it is the next logical and obedient step for one who has experienced regeneration.

You Believe your goodness merits God’s acceptance

“I am not that bad.” It is the core idealogy of the day. I have some shortcomings and make mistakes; I am human, after all. But I am much better than most people. I lie, I steal, and I indulge in some sort of sexual activity, but who doesn’t? I still go to church and serve in some ministry. I am a prayer warrior, and I am committed to giving. So, the good I do outweighs the bad I do. On that account, God will accept me. Friend, this thinking has damned millions of people. You and I are born sinners and stand condemned before the righteous and just judgement of God (Ps 51:5, Rom 6:23). Unless you agree with God’s assessment of you, that you do not meet his righteous standards (Rom 3:9-23) and unless you accept God’s answer to your sinfulness, you can not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You Equate salvation to Delieverance from Evil Spirits

We naturally believe in spirits and the spirit realm as a people. We attribute almost everything to spirits. If good things happen, good spirits are at work; if bad things happen, evil spirits are at work. As a result, for most people, the primary preoccupation is getting protection or receiving some form of deliverance from evil spirits. Unfortunately, sin is also attributed to spirits. You hear people say, he has a spirit of anger; she has a spirit of adultery. So, people flock to ministers for deliverance prayers and equate that to salvation. No manner of deliverance prayers can cleanse one's sins. Our sins are forgiven because Christ dies and pays for them once and for all (Heb 9:23-29).

Conclusion

To be Christian is to acknowledge and admit one’s hopeless and helpless sinfulness and realise you stand justly condemned before the holy and righteous creator of the universe. But it is also believing and trusting in the only way to salvation that God the Father has provided in and through His Son, Jesus Christ, who died to pay the penalty for sin so that those who call upon his name will be saved. That is the only basis of assurance. No manner of declaration, deliverance or deed can make one a Christian. Trusting in any of these things is the highway to hell.