In SBS (School of Biblical Studies), we have been reading the bible. Which is an amazing book, because its actually 66 smaller books. And depending on which books you read, they are actually personal letters or corporate letters, gospel accounts, books of wisdom, books of poetry, books of prophecy, apocryphal (about the last days before the return of Jesus) and historical books. It was written by about 40 different authors, in 3 different languages, spanning about 2100-1500 years from start to finish (depending on the dating). When you read this book, you will learn many things about the God who created the universe, you will see that he loves to give good gifts to His children (Matt. 7:7-11), He is love (1 John 4:16), he is gracious and compassionate (Psalm 145:8-9) he is dazzling, majestic and beautiful (Revelation 4-5). He is all of those good things and more.
But while I was reading the bible
lately, especially the book of Revelation, along with almost every
other book, I noticed something that I think is so crucial to
understanding a fuller picture of who God is, and that is God's
judgement. And I think that understanding this aspect of God will
compel us even more to love others and warn them of the coming
judgement for those that don't choose to follow God. It will also
cause us to live like God is really holy, just and is really real. We
will be reverent, fearful and trembling before the presence of God
Almighty. At least this has been the case for me.
Another product of studying and
meditating on the judgement of God is the fear of the Lord. Which is
awesome, because “The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
(Proverbs 1:7, ESV) “The
fear of the Lord
is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is
insight.” (Proverbs 9:10,
ESV).
So, I would just like to encourage you
to consider a few scriptures with me and ask God to increase the
revelation of Him as a just, holy judge in your life, that you would
fear Him, love Him, honor Him, live holy and warn other people of the
judgement of God that is coming to unbelievers. I heard a secondhand
quote from atheist that went about like this: “Even though I don't
believe in God, I really respect the people that tell me about the
reality of eternal punishment, and I think that if anyone believes in
hell for unbelievers and doesn't tell people, they must be very evil
and unloving.” So, WE HAVE GOT TO WARN PEOPLE of what will happen
if they don't repent and follow God!!! We must also warn our fellow
Christians of what will happen if continue in sin and live as
lukewarm Christians, maybe even intellectually believing in God but
not seeking to love and obey Him wholeheartedly. And we must do it
with love, gentleness, humility, respect and complete Christlikeness. For the sake of love, people have to know.
And depending on where you decide to
read, I guarantee that at one point you will run into a verse that
talks about the judgement of God. In case you haven't found them yet,
here are some verses from the New Testament and God's judgement on unbelievers (I bolded most of the parts that speak of judgement):
“For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in
him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his
Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world
might be saved through him. Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only Son of God. And this is the
judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the
darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For
everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to
the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John
3:16–20, ESV)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)
“This is
evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered
worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—
since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who
afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as
to us, when the Lord Jesus is
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire,
inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do
not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the
punishment of eternal destruction that comes from the presence of the
Lord and from the glory of his might,
when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be
marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you
was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may
make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good
and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord
Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace
of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2
Thessalonians 1:5–12, ESV)
“and the
devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and
sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From
his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for
them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the
throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is
the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the
books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead
who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them,
and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had
done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is
the second death, the lake of fire. And
if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was
thrown into the lake of fire.”
(Revelation 20:11–15, ESV)
“And the smoke
of their torment goes up forever
and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of
the beast and its image, and
whoever receives the mark of its name.”” (Revelation
14:11, ESV)
“And he said to
all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take
up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life
will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses
or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:23–25,
ESV)
“For it is time
for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with
us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of
God? And “If the righteous is
scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?””
(1 Peter 4:17–18, ESV)
“For if, after
they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them
and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the
first. For it would have been
better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than
after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to
them. What the true proverb says
has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the
sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.””
(2 Peter 2:20–22, ESV)
““Then he
will say to those on his left, ‘Depart
from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. For I was hungry and
you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a
stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me,
sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will
answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did
not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
And these will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
(Matthew 25:41–46, ESV)
I just can't get away from the constant
warning of Jesus and His apostles that there will be eternal fire and
punishment for those that choose to disobey and reject Jesus. I don't presume to know exactly what is like, but I know it will be terrible, absolutely terrible. And in
my walk with Christ this has been one of the most difficult things to
comprehend, but one of the most rewarding, because to understand this
truth brings into the reality of the universe that were living in,
and causes me to share the gospel with greater urgency.
Sometimes I start to think, if God is love and he loves everyone then why would he send them to hell? As the answer that I keep coming back is that He is absolutely loving, and he loves righteousness and hates wickedness. He loves to reward the righteous, and he loves to bring justice to the wicked. And while we deserved death, Jesus came to die for us (Romans 5:6-11). God is actually patient in sending Jesus back to earth because he desires that everyone would repent and come to the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:8-10). Like Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13, ESV)While at the same time he loves to show mercy, he has also drawn a line where there is no more mercy, but judgment that is deserved. Let us boldly proclaim the full counsel of God, that He is loving, just, merciful and holy, and so much more, all at the same time.
In love, let us tell others the good
news, that through simple faith (which naturally leads to repentance
and obedience), people can have eternal life with Christ instead of
eternal punishment with the devil.
““For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in
him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John
3:16, ESV)
“And this is
the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his
Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of
God does not have life.” (1 John
5:11–12, ESV)
“For by grace
you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it
is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
(Ephesians 2:8–10, ESV)
“for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his
grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by
faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine
forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his
righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the
justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans
3:23–26, ESV)
Dear Jesus, thank you that you are so
holy, just, loving and kind. I pray for myself, those reading this,
and the global church, that we would have great understanding of the
destruction and punishment that we deserve as sinners that fall
short, and that we would have even greater understanding of your
grace of mercy, of your displayed through your death on the cross.
God I ask that you would put an all-consuming in our hearts by the
Holy Spirit, that as we come to understand it more, we would take
this good news to our neighbors, our friends, family, children and
even our enemies, that you would have the glory God. I love you
Jesus, and its in your name I pray. Amen.
Praise the LORD!
