Too many churchgoers never take their sin seriously. They presume on God’s grace by either persuading themselves they will repent eventually later in life, or by persuading themselves that they can sin safely because God is merciful. 

How Can Churchgoers End Out in Hell?

How do churchgoers wind up in hell? We should not be surprised by these words. Jesus warns that many who attend church, who call and think themselves Christians will on the last day find themselves unconverted—their names not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. In one of the most frightening passages in the Bible Jesus warned that there will be many a churchgoer (not a few) who will find the gate to heaven shut and themselves condemned: “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:23). How did this happen? There are three ways this will commonly occur.

First, they have a knowledge of the Bible, but it is not saving knowledge. The Puritan Thomas Watson puts it this way: “Men have mere notions of Christ…but are not warmed with love to Christ. Their knowledge is like the moon, it has light in it—but no heat. The knowledge that hypocrites have of Christ, has no saving influence upon them, it does not make them more holy…it is informing but not transforming…Many in the old world knew there was an ark—but were drowned, because they did not get into it! Knowledge which is not personally applied, will only light a man to hell!.”

It is not just the average church attended[er] who will fall into this trap—pastors will find themselves in hell if the knowledge they have is purely theoretical. We can memorise scripture, sing all sorts of hymns by rote and be leaders inside the church and still wake up in hell all because our knowledge was not transforming.

Consider this warning to pastors and leaders from the Puritan Richard Baxter (1616-1681): “God never saved any man for being a preacher, nor because he was an able preacher, but because he was a justified, sanctified man, and consequently faithful in his Master’s work. Take heed, therefore to yourselves first, that you be that which your hearers to be, and believe that which you persuade them to believe, and heartily entertain that Saviour whom you offer to them.”

In the period immediately before the Reformation most preachers were unconverted but even since the Reformation till today many a preacher behind the pulpit has wound up in hell because he did not believe what he knew. Baxter writes with great concern the following “Many a man has warned others that they come not to the place of torment, which yet they hastened to themselves; Many a preacher is in Hell, that has a hundred times called upon his hearers to use the utmost care and diligence to escape it.”

You may be an orthodox Calvinist and find yourself in the very bottom rungs of hell if your knowledge does not come to you in life-saving Spirit power.

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