Judgment!

Text:

‘Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God’ – Hebrews 9:27 Good News Bible

Thought:

Recent atrocities in France evoke many emotions, especially as trouble has come much closer to home. Of all the people completing the survey form we use when making house calls, the majority have indicated that the one question they would like to ask God is, “Why is there so much suffering in the world?”

It does concern people when they witness suffering caused by evil perpetrators, especially the older generation who grew up in a relatively crime-free society, able to leave windows open and doors unlocked.

Many are often confused as they try to marry the notion of an all-powerful God of love who appears to do nothing to intervene when there’s famine, floods, persecution and suffering.

How people responded to suffering and adversity, as recorded in the Bible, varies greatly too. Abraham said, ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?’ ¹ when learning that judgment was imminent on Sodom and Gomorrah. ¹ We can be assured that God will only do what’s right and there will be no miscarriages of justice at His judgment throne.

Job cried out, ‘Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him’ ² as he went through the awful trial of losing his possessions, children and health. He didn’t know it was the devil who was the author of all his trouble.

Zechariah prophesied to the King of Israel about the nation’s idolatry and was stoned to death for his trouble, crying out, ‘Lord, see what they are doing and pay them back.’ ³ Whereas Stephen, the first Christian martyr, suffering the same fate said, ‘Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!’ ⁴    He echoed the cry of Jesus on the cross, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.’ ⁵

So what does the Bible say about judgment and how can we prepare accordingly? In reality there are only two judgments we need to consider.

• The Judgment that has already taken place

‘About judgment [the certainty of it], because the ruler of this world (Satan) has been judged and condemned.’ ⁶ As far as God is concerned, He has already made a judgment about the devil and demonic powers. He has determined their punishment and the day on which it will be carried out.

• The Judgment to come

This concerns everyone, because it takes place after death. No doubt this will come as a shock to the suicide bombers promised many virgins in Paradise, if they are willing to blow themselves up taking as many other lives as they can.

It will be a shock too for all those who believe that when they die that’s it. They will discover that although their body has died, their spirit lives on. They have an appointment with God they will not be able to avoid.

For the Christian there is nothing to fear. We can have a sense of reassurance concerning the Day of Judgment because our trust is in the Lord Jesus Christ and what He achieved on the cross for us. The key is whether our name is in the Book of Life. ⁷ Jesus had to die on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins, that we might be forgiven and have eternal life. All those who ask Jesus to be their personal Saviour will find their names have been entered into that Book of Life.

The Bible records a very interesting encounter between the Apostle Paul and the Roman Governor Felix. With Paul talking to him about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became afraid and ended the conversation abruptly. ⁸ This ruthless, all-powerful Roman official trembled at the thought of having to stand trial before God for the wrong that he had done. He chose to avoid the issue by not talking about it anymore. What he didn’t realise was that it was the goodness of God trying to reach him that he might be saved through the witness of Paul. ⁹

Apart from Jesus Christ, I don’t know of anyone who could honestly say, “I’ve done nothing wrong, I’ve lived a perfect life!” On the contrary, we’ve all said and done things that fall far short of the standard God requires. For this we will have to give an account of our actions, unless we humble ourselves and put our trust in a saviour – the Lord Jesus Christ.

‘For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.’ ¹⁰

‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ¹¹

 

1 – Genesis 18:25                     2 – Job 13:15                           3 – 2 Chronicles 24:20-22

4 – Acts 7:60 GNB                  5 – Luke 23:34 NLT                6 – John 16:11 AMP

7 – Revelation 20:15 NLT        8 – Acts 24:24-25                    9 – Romans 2:4

10 – Romans 3:23                    11 – Romans 10:13