In speaking with people on a daily basis, I hear folks all the time telling me they have a relationship with God but in the same breath denying that Christ is the only way to Him. If the following analogy has ever been used before, you'll have to forgive me, but I feel that God gave it to me this morning.
Any relationship with God that is founded on anything other than the redemption and justification found in the sacrifical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is akin to the relationship that a death row inmate has with the guard who will soon become his executioner. The inmate can send kind and thankful notes to the guard, give him gifts, shine his shoes, tell him he loves him, call him his best friend, or even sing him songs that hail him as the best thing since sliced bread... but unless a pardon comes, the guard will do his job and carry out the lawful sentence when the appointed time arrives.
The appointed time will arrive, often sooner than we think. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. Every human on the planet will find their way into His hands after they die. Some will fall there, as the scripture indicates, and it will indeed be fearful. But others will not have to fear because they will have already placed themself in His hands by heeding the warnings in the bible and placing their full faith in the sacrifice of His Son.
This is why we preach the gospel, because without a firm understanding, acceptance, and appropriation of it, the only "relationship" we will have with God is the brief moment when He tells us to depart from Him because He never knew us. It doesn't matter if you profess to be a Christian or not.
Are you preaching the gospel to a lost and dying world? Or are you scared that someone might get offended and reject you... or worse yet, Jesus? The sad reality is that often times we're more afraid of them rejecting us than we are of them rejecting Christ. Be honest. :) In either case, when we allow this fear to dictate our actions (or lack of), we may need to question to whom we truly have allegiance. The bible promises that there will those who reject both you and Christ, and yet still tells us to go. Get over yourself, get out of your comfort zone, and speak the word boldly, faithfully, and do it with gentleness and respect. Let your compassion swallow your fear and watch God produce fruit in a faithful servant.
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