The ignorance of the dead

A few years ago I asked someone if he thought America needed spiritual revival. He said “No.”

Do dead people—that is, spiritually dead—know they are dead?

I read in 2 Kings 22 tonight, and it contains the story of Josiah. They found a book, read it, and then read it to the king. His heart was broken. Only a few lines later, in the message from God himself, did it explain why: because of the warnings.

If ever there were a time when death is celebrated in our culture—which is evidence of America's need for spiritual revival—it's at the end of October. (As much as I find Daylight Saving Time to be annoying, I was glad how extending it as of 2007 pushed the end of it into November. Perhaps it being “lighter later” when darkness is celebrated is a good thing.)

The sad part for America is the watchmen are not sounding the alarm.

(That's also the sad part for the watchmen—see Ezekiel 33.)

A question for preachers: If your Gospel presentation contains no warning of the judgment to come, how is the net result any different from the multitude of self-help techniques available today?

People don't just need Jesus to get their life together. They need Jesus to be saved from the wrath to come. Self-help can't do anything about that. We cannot save ourselves. Only Jesus saves eternally.