Category Archives: Gospel

WHAT WILL GOD SAY ON JUDGMENT DAY?

Gospel, ,

On the day of judgment, will God question every person about every thought, word, and deed they have ever done throughout their entire life? This sounds like an earthly court scene…bring the witnesses, bring the evidence, then argue the case between prosecution and defence. What a long, tedious process that would be, considering the fact that God will judge all the people of every generation throughout all time!

Fortunately, God is not contained within the boundaries of time. What is a process on earth taking time is instantaneous in the spirit realm outside of time. Since God is all-knowing and omnipresent, all judgment can happen in an instant.

Although we have no detailed description of what will happen on judgment day, there are hints of the event and the process in Scripture and, perhaps, in the experience of those who have had glimpses of the other side.

Revelation 20:11-13 NIV
[11] “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. [13] The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.”

Heavenly events are impossible to describe in earthly language. What is a process on earth is instantaneous in heaven, something that is outside the scope of human experience here in time.

“The books were opened…” Is this meant to be taken literally, especially in a story full of imagery? For example, David refers to the book of his life written in God’s “book”.

Psalms 139:16 NIV
[16] “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

What is divine knowledge in the mind of an omniscient God appears as information contained in a heavenly library of books.

Somehow I think that God the Father will not say anything! Now, I know that’s contrary to the thoughts and ideas we have of judgment day, but let’s look at the Scripture for answers.

First, the Father has assigned all judgment to the Son.

John 5:22 NLT
[22] “In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge…”

2 Timothy 4:1 NLT
[1] “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom…”

Second, the Son will call all people to account for one thing…unbelief, lives lived in complete disconnection from Him by choice.

John 3:18 NLT
[18] “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.”

Third, He will judge by the standard of His Word.

John 12:47-48 NIV
[47] “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”

Fourth, all human sin is the fruit of unbelief. When He judges unbelief, He judges the fruit of all the actions that humans engaged in that are evidence of their unbelief.

Humans express their rebellion by defying God’s instructions. Both the Old and New Covenant records confirm this truth.

Psalms 50:16-17 NIV
[16] “But to the wicked person, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? [17] You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.”

John 3:19-20 NIV
[19] “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
[20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

Therefore, the verdict on all humanity is “guilty”…the crime, unbelief in the Son of God…the evidence, rebellion and disobedience… the sentence, eternal death, separation from God.

Works are the record of everyone’s life, contained within the omniscience of the Judge. The marvel of His perfect justice is that He has no need to call the witnesses or to pass sentence. The record speaks for itself. Every person will have every thought, word, and deed instantaneously exposed to the light.

Ephesians 5:12-14a NLT
[12] “It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. [13] But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, [14] for the light makes everything visible…”

Not the Judge, but the words spoken by the Judge, to the guilty, in this life, that they refused to obey, will be the standard by which He will judge each person. Everyone will know that their sentence is just because it is based on their choice.

” There is a judge for those who reject me and do not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.”

1 Corinthians 3:13 NLT
[13] “But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.”

There is one exception to the guilty verdict passed on every sinner… yes, guilty as charged but absolved from guilt through faith in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:9-10 NIV
[9] “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! [10] For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

Justified…by His blood! Reconciled…by His death!

The glorious message of God’s mercy is that…

Romans 8:1-4 NIV
[1] “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, [2] because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. [3] For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, [4] in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

There, now you’ve got it! There is no escape from judgment, no escape route from hell except through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for sin.

…and Jesus will have no need to say anything! Our own deeds will condemn us and our choices cement our eternal destiny. Let’s do what Joshua counselled…

Joshua 24:14-15 NIV
[14] “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness… [15] But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

ANCIENT PATHS

Gospel, ,

Jeremiah 6:16 NLT
[16] “This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’

Our path through life is full of crossroads, with many signposts pointing this way or that way… follow this path or that path which, each signpost assure us, will surely take us to our desired destination.

How can we be sure that the path we choose to follow is the correct one? Wise Solomon warned…

Proverbs 14:12 NLT
[12] “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”

So, with so many ways from which to choose, how can we know which way will take us to life? Must we choose Allah, or Buddha, or Confucius, or the way of the Pope, or the way of some religious leader? Which one has told us the way, demonstrated the way, and proved beyond doubt that this way is the right way?

Like many of God’s wise words that urge us to go back to the beginning, Jeremiah declares that the old, godly way is the right way, the way to go.

From cover to cover, the Bible shows us the godly way. Its counsel takes us to God as the only centre of our lives from whom we get direction, assurance, and support.

God does not crave sacrifice. What can animal blood do for our sinful hearts? What can fasting or washing our dirty bodies or hands do for our polluted souls? What can rituals do to cleanse us from sin?

Micah 6:6-7 NLT
[6]”What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? [7] Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins?”

These are all wasteful and futile attempts to appease God for our sin. What does He require now that He required from Adam in the beginning? Like Adam, we have all blotted our copybook and stand guilty before Him.

Micah spells it out in three simple instructions.

Micah 6:8 NLT
[8] “No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Even clearer to us in God’s Word is the way Jesus lived. He is not only the signpost but also the God who is with us, Christ in us, and Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Jesus is the “old, godly way”. He was before time. He will be when time ceases. He lived an entirely God-centred life, perfectly submitted and obedient to the Father and in harmony with His will.

Thus, He could call His people to come to Him and to follow Him because His way brought rest to the soul. He promised to provide the same rest of soul for those who lived as He did.

Rest! What is rest? Don’t people everywhere crave rest but don’t know where to find it? Is rest about our circumstances? Freedom from stress? Will plenty of money in our bank account bring us rest? No family worries? No conflicts in our circle, or circumstances at work, in our community? Is this even possible? Can we still have rest when stuff is happening around us which we can’t control?

Jeremiah assured God’s people that real rest was a consequence of living God’s way. David said that God’s Word lights our path and shows us the way. So, the old, godly way is simply living the way God intended for us by following His instructions. This way gives us no reason to be afraid of the future or ashamed of our past because God has taken care of both. He has forgiven our sin through Jesus and opened the way to fellowship with Him, now and forever.

This is real rest. Our circumstances don’t matter if we are at rest in our hearts. However, we can only have this test if we follow God’s path. Going God’s way will cost us our independence but… the reward far outweighs the cost.

However…

In Jeremiah’s words, people are stubborn. They would rather have their independence, their self-will, and their stubborn resistence to God’s way to enjoy their sin than surrender to Him and experience His rest.

Let’s look at Moses for a moment. He is a great example of someone who looked at life from the correct perspective.

Hebrews 11:24-26 NIV
[24] “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”

Tragically, our own way leads to destruction. The only reward for rebellion against God is hell.

As Jesus said, there are two paths, one that leads to hell, a fiery place of torment and regret, and the other to life, a heaven of love and peace. The way that leads to life brings conflict with the world outside now but rest of the soul within. The other way satisfies the cravings of the sinful nature but never allows the conscience to rest. The price we pay for rest now is miniscule compared with the price we will pay if we reject God’s way.

CHOOSE LIFE!

Gospel,

Matthew 7:13-14 NLT
[13] “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. [14] But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Hell… Life… What are these in the context of our existence on earth? Many Bible commentators explain Jesus’ statements as relating to our future destiny in eternity. However, as much as eternity is our ultimate goal, we must live this life here on this planet before we reach the destiny we want for eternity. How we live, what we do now will determine our eternal destiny.

To understand the difference, we must put these verses about life and hell in the context of what Jesus said about living in God’s realm as opposed to living in this world’s system. The first way can be a foretaste of heaven and the other a foretaste of hell.

Since there are only two realms in which we can live, either the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Satan, i.e., the world, we have a choice. Jesus said the one way is very narrow, the other a highway. What did He mean?

First, we must choose…not which way is the easiest and most convenient way but…which way will end up where we want to be.

The way of God’s kingdom is a narrow way because truth is specific. Truth is narrow. Truth includes single options, for example, sexual purity means saying “No” to every other option but faithfulness to one’s spouse for life and abstinence outside marriage. . Honesty means saying “No” to every other option but absolute transparency in every situation, no matter how difficult it might be.

The world’s highway, by contrast, can be the choice of any one of many options to evade the truth or to enjoy sin, even if there are serious consequences.

Whichever way we choose, we must first enter this way. Entering God’s kingdom demands a dramatic and drastic change of heart. Only God can make that change but we must make the choice. It means that we give the reins of our lives to Him. We die, once and for all, to everything that the world’s way offers, and follow truth.

The world’s way is easy. All we need to do is to go through the wide gate simply by continuing on our path of self-will without boundaries, and obeying the dictates of our selfish nature. We don’t need to be concerned about our destination. It’s too far ahead to worry about now, so we think!

The narrow way into God’s kingdom also requires a choice. We must enter through the little gate. It’s small because we must choose to shed everything that prevents us from going through the gate…every shred of self-will and self-effort must be nailed to the cross.

So, both ways have an entry point, a course of action, and an end result. Everything depends on what we choose. Our choices, in turn, depend on whether we care less about our destination and the way to get there and more about our comfort and convenience now.

Let me illustrate. I need to travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town. I go to the station, buy a ticket and look around for directions. I can either watch which train the majority of people are boarding, assuming that they are also travelling to Cape Town or I can look at the notice board to see which train will take me to my destination. How can I be sure that I will arrive in Cape Town? Only if I check the destination of the train I catch and board the correct train.

Jesus said that only one “train” will take me to life. All other “trains” will lead to hell. This means that, since life involves making a multitude of choices every day, every choice I make will take me closer to my destination. The entry point is a choice. The day-to-day choices I make are part of my journey. I must choose to follow the narrow path of truth to experience life, or follow my own way to experience hell both here and now and at the end of my life.

Foolish people think that they can go any way they like and reach heaven! That is as crazy as climbing on any old train, expecting to get to Cape Town. Wise people who want real life will choose to live by the truth because Jesus said that this is the only way to life both now and then.

Each one of is already on our chosen path. We can only change our destiny if we choose to change our entry point…the broad gate or the narrow gate. We will end according to where we started.

So, every choice we make today is important!

God’s passion for us is “Choose life!” but He can’t do it for us.

TWO CHOICES, TWO DESTINIES

Gospel,

Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV
[19] “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live. “

The Lord, through Moses, threw down this challenge to the Israelites on the eve of their entry into the Promised Land. For forty years, they had tasted the faithfulness of God. He had led them, fed them, protected them, and taught them through every adverse circumstance the hostile wilderness could produce to discourage them and send them back to Egypt.

On the strength of their experience of God’s faithfulness and power over the natural world, Moses called the people to make the choice to trust in this God as a permanent way of life before they ever set foot in Canaan. It was their choice either to stay within the boundaries of God’s covenant, that would guide them towards their eternal destiny, or to walk away, choose their own path, and perish in the wilderness of unbelief. Life or death, which one?

Israel’s responses to the tests they faced revealed how fickle their trust in God. When all went well, they trusted Him. When the going got tough, they complained and rebelled. This kind of “faith” would never hold them steady when they crossed into Canaan to face the enemy. They needed a confidence in God that would engage His supernatural favour and power again all the savage forces in the land that were determined to protect their territory. The lives of God’s people, the lives of their descendants, and their new life in the land God promised them depended on this kind of trust.

From Israel’s turbulent history, we know that they continually wavered between belief and unbelief, obedience and disobedience, prosperity and adversity until their stubborn disobedience cost them their land and for many, their lives.

Israel’s ups and downs in their land are a picture for us of life in this world as citizens of another realm. Just as Israel was surrounded by enemy nations and needed to depend on God for protection and provision, so we are living in a hostile world and need a faith and obedience that will keep us safe and strong to the end of our days. We are not only surrounded by enemies, but also inhabited by an inward adversary, our own “old nature” that is equally determined to destroy us.

The Israelites were under constant pressure to replace their faith in God with the worship of their neighbours’ gods. When they turned to idols, they put themselves in danger of God’s wrath and punishment. When they stayed within the boundaries of the covenant, they enjoyed His protection and blessing.

So we, too, are under constant pressure to substitute God’s will and ways with our own will and ways. Our old, sinful nature demands that we do life “our way”. Our sinful desires relentlessly require satisfaction.

God, in His grace, resurrected our spirits when we were dead because of sin. Before He confronted us with the good news that Jesus paid our debt to free us from the power of sin and death, we were unable to have any communication with God. We were dead to God. However, faith in Jesus and what He did for us brought about a miraculous resurrection of our spirits.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

God promised that those who have been raised to new life in the Spirit will also be physically raised from the dead when Jesus returns for us to share His eternal reign in resurrection bodies like His.

John called this “the first resurrection”.

Revelation 20:4-6 NLT
[4] “Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years. [5] This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) [6] Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.”

Whoever these are who were beheaded for their faith, we are assured that all who believe in Jesus will be raised to life in bodies like the Lord’s resurrection body.

1 Corinthians 15:51, 53-54 NLT
[51] But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!…
[53] For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. [54] Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

The Bible also speaks of a second resurrection. God will also raise the bodies of those who have refused His mercy and chosen to live their own way, following their own sinful desires and appetites. God’s Word does not give these people the possibility of annihilation. They will face wrath just as surely as those who believe will be raised to eternal life.

The first death is physical, separation of body and spirit. The body will return to dust. The spirit will return to God who made us.

The second death is spiritual. Unbelievers will be separated from God and all good forever, consigned to a place of fire and torment. Hell is a real place without God just as heaven is a real place with Him.

God’s justice is perfect since He leaves the choice of our eternal destiny to us. He gives us the option to choose life based on His mercy and His gift of righteousness which Jesus made possible by removing our guilt by His own sacrifice. Our choice carries with it the inevitable outcome of life or death. We choose our path and our destination.

Why would any sane-thinking person choose an eternal destiny in the torment of hell when God offers us eternal bliss in His presence?

Jesus gives us the only possible answer…

John 3:19 NLT
[19] “And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

Those who love their sin more than the hope of eternal life will receive, in the end, what they chose…and no one can blame God for what they get!

On the other hand, those who choose life, who win the war between the flesh and the spirit, will get what they chose and fought to keep…eternal, everlasting life.

WHAT THEN?

Gospel, ,

On judgment day, when the Son is on His great white throne, all nations before Him, and the books are opened, what then?

Matthew 25:31-33 NIV
[31] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. [32] All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. [33] He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.”

First, the nations…

What will Jesus do with my nation? Sheep or goats? Does my nation fulfil all the criteria for being “sheep”?

Sheep belong to Him; He bought them with His own blood. He knows them and they know Him.

John 10:14 NIV
[14] “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…”

Why are the sheep sheep? They entered the sheepfold through the door, the Good Shepherd. They follow Him. He gives them eternal life. They will never perish. No one will snatch them from Him or out of His Father’s hand.

In the main, South Africa as a nation falls far short of these requirements. We are not sheep. Why are we not sheep? As a nation, it’s everyone for himself. Governed by greedy and self-interested, power hungry, corrupt, and godless politicians, the fight for survival unleashes in the main, the worst that is in us.

Who are the goats? Every nation that does not qualify to be “sheep” is “goat”. Goats are all set aside for judgment. What comes next?

In this process, there is no safety in numbers. Every “sheep” and every “goat” nation must be scrutinised. Every sheep and every goat in every nation will be tested, to receive either reward or punishment.

Revelation 20:11-12, 15 NLT
[11] “And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. [12] I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books…
[15] And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Though God’s judgement will fall on every nation, like Lot from Sodom, He will preserve everyone who belongs to Him. Jesus promised that they will never perish.

The Lamb’s Book of Life has an indelible record of the names of every “sheep” belonging to the Shepherd.

Let’s examine the criteria. First, Jesus is the judge.

John 5:21-23 NLT
[21] “For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. [22] In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, [23] so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.”

Jesus’ judgment is based on the objective standard of His Word, by which He condemns or acquits.

John 12:47-49 NIV
[47] “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. [49] For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

The Father judges by one standard.

John 3:16-18 NIV
[16] “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands CONDEMNED ALREADY because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Why, then does the Bible say that God will examine our deeds?

Revelation 20:12 NIV
[12] “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

Matthew 25:34-36, 40 NIV
[34]“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. [35] For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, [36] I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’…”

Revelation 19:7-8 NIV
[7] Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. [8] Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the RIGHTEOUS ACTS of God’s holy people). “

… L[40] “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

All sin is the fruit of unbelief. “Good works” are the response of faith in Jesus.

John 15:5, 10 NIV
[5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…
[10] If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.”

What we do, then, reveals what is in our hearts.

We must never be fooled into believing that all people are intrinsically good. The Bible declares judgment on all people because the human race is rotten at the core.

Jeremiah 17:9 NIV
[9]”The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”

Even the Apostle Paul concluded…

Romans 7:18 NIV
[18] “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

Sin is both universal and incurable.

Romans 3:23 NIV
[23] “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Only those who, by faith, receive the gift of righteousness through the mercy of God will escape God’s judgement and share in the blessing of eternal life.

John 5:24 NIV
[24] “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

For those who reject God’s mercy and choose their own way, the outcome is…well, what then?

John 3:18 NIV
[18]”Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

This statement is neither intolerance nor hate speech. This declaration is both the sober truth and the greatest of all offers of mercy. How can a warning and a promise ever be anything else?