If you have ever been to a Christian rally of some description, you will have no doubt heard the following question:

    What if you died tonight, would you be ready? Would you go to heaven or hell?
    
In retail circles this is known as the hard sell. It is a pointed question to force you into a decision without full facts, full knowledge or full understanding of what you are committing to.

This question has always grated against my soul for two reasons"

First, as I've already said, it's a hard sell and you don't know all the facts. Christianity is about becoming Christ-like, but asking a question purely on eternal destination is like asking "Will you be catching the right bus home tonight?" It's orthogonal to the conversation.

Second, following of from the first, the question gives no appreciation to the question, "How now shall we live?" What happens after you make a commitment to Christ (praise God) and like the 99.9999999999% of people who leave the rally you don't die? How are you going to live?

This should be the informing factor of faith development. To do otherwise leaves us with churches full of people in Spiritual arrested development only concerned with the destination and not the journey.