God's Judgement
Dear Friend,
Consider this a love letter.
God is Love.
That is absolute truth. Love is an attribute of God, along with mercy and grace.
Without these there would be no hope for us. Praise God!
God is Holy. God is Just.
These are also attributes of God. We deceive ourselves when we accept only some aspects of God's character while rejecting others. To know who God is we must understand the full counsel of God. And we get that by His Word, and by His Word we know that God hates sin.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Romans 1:18
We take no pleasure in discussing this hard reality. Again, this is said out of love for our neighbor. We present this to you as a friend who cares about you, because we are sinners too. We too have broken God’s law. We too are deserving of Hell.
But we trust, rely and place our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ who was crucified and then rose from the dead and who will, one day, come back for all believers. He is the only way to God. There is no other way dear friend.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16
Have you rejected Jesus Christ?
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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. John 3:17-18
Are you living a sinful lifestyle with a clear conscience?
Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness. But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. 1 John 4-6
Reverend Matthew Henry (1662-1714):
The dominion of sin consists in being willing slaves to it, not in being harassed by it as a hated power, struggling for victory. Those who now are the servants of God, once were the slaves of sin.
A word about sin. The war with sin.
Believers are not perfect.
Please understand, we are not talking about living a perfect sinless life. None of us can do that. No believer is perfect. We are in sinful bodies while in this world. And while a true believer may fall into sin, for a season or have daily struggles with sin, as I have, we do not live a lifestyle that is eager and willing to sin. Sin should not be welcomed as part of our daily life. Sin entices. Sin feels natural and sin feels good for a short time, but in the end it leads to bondage, sorrow, and death.
I know the power that sin can have in a person's life. I have lived in its prison for many years. But God can deliver you from it. He delivered me. Scripture even declares it:
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Though I am not perfect, God has delivered me from major sinful struggles. Struggles which I thought were impossible to overcome. I thank God for that. But, as a follower of Christ, I still battle with sin daily, striving to resist it. Thankfully His grace sees me through because I am indwelt by God's Holy Spirit. And I depend on His Word each day for strength, wisdom and truth. It is in Christ alone that we can overcome. It is in Christ alone that we are delivered. There is no condemnation for the true believer in Christ. We are sealed for Heaven. And though we are not perfect, we are justified and sanctified by God. For the believer, the battle with sin will end one day, when we are glorified in His presence.
But Dear Friend,
There is a coming day when God’s wrath will be poured out on all those who have rejected God’s gift, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who live in sin eagerly and willfully.
The Final Judgment at the end of time.
Judgment before the Great White Throne
Revelation 20: 11-15
Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and Death and Hades gave up their dead, and each one was judged according to his deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Dear friend, that future and dreadful day will come.
This is the judgment for the unbeliever, the one who is not born of the Spirit of God. The one who rejects the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This includes a vast group of people - from the most ethical person to the worst of criminals, anyone who does not have saving faith in Jesus Christ. To reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ is to live in rebellion, regardless of our human goodness. To live a life eager and willing to sin is also rebellion. We must realize who God is - Holy. We must realize who we are - sinners in need of salvation.
Everyone will fall under one of these two groups and these two outcomes:
The Believer - Repentant follower of Christ.
Revelation 21:7
The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.
The Unbeliever– Rejector of the Gospel. Rebellious sinner.
Revelation 21:8
But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
Escape God's Wrath. God has provided the way.
Dear Neighbor, you can escape God's wrath. God Loves you and desires that you be saved, that you come to the knowledge of the truth. And His invitation is for everyone - from the most ethical person to the worst of criminals. The truth is this: Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. There is no other way. Dear friend, the God of the universe is inviting you into a loving and eternal relationship with Him, through His Son Jesus Christ. Today is the day!
Jesus paid the penalty for your sins and mine.
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 1 Peter 3:18
Turn to Jesus Christ today. He will welcome you into His everlasting kingdom and never leave you. Jesus said this: ...there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved Romans 10:9
To truly believe in Christ. To truly give your life to Him.
Dear Friend, Repent and believe the good news of Jesus Christ.
He will not turn you away. God Loves You!
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35
...And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. Revelation 22:17