THE judgement is coming!
Subjects that many people of our time downright refuse to consider are
life after death and the Judgement. People may think themselves to be so
enlightened and civilized that considering life beyond death's border, or
Heaven, or damnation and the Judgement, is much too childish an activity. They
think that these matters are the product of old-fashioned viewpoints and should
not be taken into consideration nowadays. They have this opinion even though
Jesus often taught about them.
However, life after death and – especially – the Judgment
should both be considered carefully because we will each die one day. The day
of your death and the death of others is coming and there are no exceptions.
One hundred people out of a hundred will die, and one thousand out of every
thousand; everyone must eventually face death. That is why it must be
considered. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we read:
- (Hebr 9:27) And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after
this the judgment.
It has also been written:
- (Rom 14:12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself
to God.
- (Rom 14:10) But why do you judge your brother? or why do you set at
nothing your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ.
Warnings. When considering the Judgement, it is good to keep in
mind that we have not been set as judge of our neighbours. For that we should
be thankful.
However, the warning about the Judgement and our damnation
is quite another matter. When one speaks with others about these subjects, one
can easily get branded as being narrow-minded or ultra-conservative. This can
easily happen, especially when speaking about the sinful or evil nature of
specific activities. During such occasions we may be immediately told, "Do
not condemn," or "You must not be narrow-minded." Because of
these attitudes, one can reject the whole message of the Gospel.
The whole debate can be resolved by asking one question:
“What is the truth?” For, if the message of the Bible and (especially) of the
New Testament is really true – that fornicators, adulterers, murderers,
homosexuals, etc. will not inherit the kingdom of God – then should not these
warnings be taken seriously instead of rejecting them straightaway? Neglecting
them can be a fatal mistake.
We can make the same kind of mistake that those passengers
aboard the ship Titanic made. As the ship neared America its officers received
one warning after another about icebergs. People on the ship were warned that
there were icebergs ahead and there was a danger of collision. However, they
carelessly continued the journey and ignored the risks and possible outcome. People
did not take the warnings seriously because they believed the ship was
unsinkable. Was this wise? Everybody knows the consequences that followed their
refusal to react to the warnings.
In the same way, we reject warnings about the Judgement and
damnation. It is important for us to take warnings seriously, just like it was
important for those people in the Titanic to take their warnings seriously. In
the same way, it is important for us to take warnings about weak ice very
seriously. When someone says, "I
am worried about you. Under no circumstances should you walk on the weak ice. Something
bad may happen to you," we should listen and respond correctly. Consider the following verses, which teach
us about the destiny we will face if we are unrepentant:
- (1 Cor 6:9,10) Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the
kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with
mankind.
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortionists, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
- (Rev 22:14,15) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators,
and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.
BASIS FOR the judgement
Just as the Judgement will come according to the Bible, there are some
basic matters that will affect its quality. The following should be mentioned:
·
Acts. The Judgement will take place according to what
we have done in this body. Each of us must reap what we have sown just like
farmers (Gal 6:7,8: Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting.). Everyone will be paid according to his or her acts;
in other words, there will certainly be judgement of different degrees for
different people. There will be a different punishment for a hardened sinner
and a decent person, and for a Hitler and an “ordinary” person. All of them
will be judged according to their acts:
- (Col 3:25) But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he
has done: and there is no respect of persons.
- (Rev 20:12-15) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of
life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up
the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were
in them: and they were judged every man
according to their works.
14 And death and hell
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into
the lake of fire.
·
According to information. The Judgement will occur
according to the light and information people have. Many ask what will happen
to people who have never heard about Christ. The following verses surely apply
to such people:
- (Luke 12:47,48) And that servant, which knew his lord’s will,
and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten
with many stripes.
48 But he that knew not,
and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whomsoever much is given, of him shall
be much required: and to whom men have
committed much, of him they will ask the more.
- (Matt 11:20-24) Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his
mighty works were done, because they repented not:
21 Woe to you,
Chorazin! woe to you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in
you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in
sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I say to you, It
shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for
you.
23 And you, Capernaum, which
are exalted to heaven, shall be brought down to hell:
for if the mighty works, which have been done in you, had been done in
Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I say to you,
That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment,
than for you.
·
Words. One of the areas where we are held accountable
is our use of words. This means that even our perfunctory words in online
forums can be significant and important. We will be
justified or condemned based on them.
- (Rev 22:15) For without are
dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and
whoever loves and makes a lie.
- (Matt 5:22) But I say to you,
That whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of
the judgment: and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of
the council: but whoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell
fire.
- (Matt 12:36,37) But I say to you, That every idle word that men shall
speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words
you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.
·
Have you led others astray? Another point upon
which we are judged is whether or not we have led others astray. The greatest
sinners are not necessarily criminals or people in prisons, but are those
people who through their own example and speech led others to go astray. This
could include opinion leaders who advocate wrong positions and thereby lead
others astray; or liberal theologians or professors who through their teaching
destroy the faith of thousands of young students; or women who intentionally
tempt men; or men who intentionally tempt women. It could include mass media
(television, radio, etc.) spokespeople who defend or advocate wrong actions and
who influence hundreds of thousands of people. According to the Bible, the
judgement of this type of person will be more severe because the misled people
are their responsibility.
- (Luke 17:1,2) Then said he to the disciples, It is impossible but
that offenses will come: but woe to him, through whom they
come!
2 It were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than
that he should offend one of these little ones.
- (James 3:1) My brothers, be not many masters, knowing that we
shall receive the greater condemnation.
The state of man without God. We mentioned
above some matters that influence our judgement. We noted that our actions, our
spoken words, and the information we understand will all be of significance. They
will all somehow contribute to our Judgement.
What about getting into Heaven and being released from the
Judgement? Many people believe that their entry into Heaven depends upon how
they lived: good people will get into Heaven and bad people will go to Hell. They
consider it obvious that the quality of their lives will determine whether or
not they deserve to get to Heaven.
This is not what the Bible teaches, however. None of us is
so good by him- or herself that he or she can escape damnation. Even if someone
no longer does wrongful things, or even if someone has always been a morally
good person, this cannot keep them from facing damnation. This is not be
possible under any circumstances, simply because we are each deemed sinful and
guilty before God:
- (Rom 3:23) For all have sinned,
and come short of the glory of God;
- (Rom 5:12) Why, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin; and so death passed on all men, for that all have sinned:
The metaphor we used earlier of the Titanic illustrates this, too: When the Titanic sank, there were sinners of
different degrees onboard but they were still all victims of the same accident
and their destiny – death -- was the same. If one person was morally a little
better than the others, it did not help him. He suffered the same fate as the
others on the sinking ship. The only way that those people on the Titanic, both
good and bad, could avoid drowning was to get into a lifeboat. The people that
were saved were not saved because they were better or because the others were
worse than them; it was because they received grace in the form of a lifeboat. This
was the only form of rescue possible for great and small sinners alike.
Can we BE RELEASED from Judgement? If the Judgement is coming and each of us is guilty before God, can we
be released from judgement and escape it? Is it possible that we do not need to
be damned for our sins whether they are many or few? Have we any hope of
escaping Judgement?
The Bible teaches us that even though God is our judge, He
is also love (1 John 4:8 … for God is love). Fortunately
for us, God does not want anyone to suffer damnation. He wants everyone to be
saved. We learn this from the following verses:
- (1 Tim 2:3,4) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God
our Savior;
4 Who will have
all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- (2 Piet 3:9) The Lord … not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
In concrete terms, God demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son
Jesus Christ to show us how to avoid being eternally damned. Jesus is our
lifeboat; by believing in Him we rescue ourselves and enter into safety, in the
same way that people aboard the Titanic used lifeboats to rescue themselves. If
you turn to Him before it is too late, you will avoid certain drowning and
damnation, regardless of how good or bad you have been. Nothing in your past,
nothing bad that you've ever done, can ever prevent you from receiving God's
grace. Turn to Him now before it is too late; He will save you from certain
damnation:
- (John 3:16,17) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might
be saved.
- (John 5:39,40) Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal
life: and they are they which testify of me.
40 And
you will not come to me, that you might have life.
Receiving GRACE. Even though
everything is ready and eternal life is true according to the Bible, we can
turn our backs on God and refuse His call for salvation. This is possible if we
are indifferent to the whole matter and refuse to consider it. Grace is
available to us, but we can reject it.
Do not reject God's grace and turn your back on eternal
life! After we die there is no way to change our fate or erase our bad choices;
that is why we must make the decision to turn to God immediately. Today. It has been said that most of the pain of
damnation comes from our grieving for wasted opportunities, regretting our sins
and suspecting the existence of Heaven and Hell. It is certainly true. Therefore,
take this important matter into consideration!
”Oh, damnable, nasty! Damned
for ever! How foolishly have I done to myself! Of what stupid absurdity was I
guilty as I chose the pleasure of sin for a short time at the price of high
eternal torment? How often to me was said that it would happen like this? How
often was I warned to give up the paths of sin that certainly would lead me to
cells of eternal death! But I, like a deaf, did not listen to those warnings
even though they warned so wisely. They said to me often that my short pleasure
will soon change into eternal torment. And now my too sad experience says to me
it, it really says, but it is too late to help because my eternal part has been
determined for ever.
"Why was I
given the chance? Why had I been equipped with an immortal soul? Why did I not
care about it? Oh, how my own neglect pierces me so dreadfully and I still know
that I cannot and will not die. But to live a deadly life is worse than ten
thousand deaths, and I still could have been helped once but I did not want to!
Oh, this is the gnawing worm that never dies. Once, I could have been happy;
once I was offered salvation but I rejected it. If it had happened only once
and I would have rejected it, even that would have been unforgivable
foolishness, but it was offered to me a thousand times, and I resisted it as
often (so lousy I was). Damn the sin, which with its deceitful enjoyment
enchants mankind to eternal destruction! God called me often but I resisted Him
as often. He reached out his hands but I did not care. How often did I go
against His commands, how often I resisted His reprimands! But now, the
situation has changed, for now He follows my accident and mocks the ruin that
has come for my part. He could have helped me then, but I did not want His
help. Therefore, these eternal pains are just a reward for my own deeds and I
am condemned to suffer." (John
Bunyan, Näkyjä taivaasta ja helvetistä [Visions of Heaven and Hell], p.
67)
So, if you want to receive eternal life and get into connection with
God, it is possible. The following actions are important:
1. Turn to Jesus Christ and give your life to Him
The first step in being saved is to turn to Jesus Christ because,
according to the Bible, He is the mediator, the way to God and to Heaven and
only in Him is there eternal life. You can tell Him that you are a sinner who
needs salvation and that you want the plan of God to come true in your life. At
first, there is no need to try to become better, just go to Him as you are with
all of your faults.
- (1 Tim 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus
- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that you might have life.
- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no
man comes to the Father, but by me.
2. Receive
The second step is simply receiving. Eternal life can be received as a
gift through the Son of God, Jesus. You must receive Him into your life (You
can simply say, " Lord Jesus, come into my life!). According to the
Bible, He already stands behind the door of our heart and waits for a chance to
step into our lives:
- (Rev 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with
him, and he with me.
If you do this, then – according to the Scripture – you are a child of
God and you have received eternal life. You have this eternal life, no matter
how you feel at the moment. Do not base your knowledge of salvation on your
ever-changing emotions, but rest in the word of the Bible and on Jesus Christ,
in the same way that sailors set the anchor of a ship outside the ship, not
inside.
- (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name
- (1 John 5:11-13) And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He
that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not
life.
13These things
have I written to you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may
know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the
Son of God.
THE PRAYER OF SALVATION: Lord, Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I
have sinned against You and have not lived according to Your will. However, I
want to turn away from my sins and to follow You with all my heart. I also
believe that my sins have been forgiven through Your atonement and I have
received eternal life through You. I thank You for the salvation that You have
given me. Amen.
