One of the basic, fundamental doctrines of the Church listed in Hebrews
6:2 is that of eternal judgment. Both of those words are quite
serious. Linking the words eternity and judgment together creates an "Oh
no! What did I do?" feeling about the subject. By the time we are
finished, however, I hope you will see that, as always, God has somethi
ng good in mind for those who love Him.
Judgment is a difficult subject to approach because most of us do not want to
think about the possibility that we may have to be accountable to someone for
the actions of our lives. It is threatening enough to consider that we
will stand before God; but to stand there and have all our deep, dark secrets
revealed, and then have to answer to Him for our actions and thoughts is simply
more than we can deal with. How can we ever find peace in our lives if
there is the continual reminder that, not only have we failed, but also we will
probably continue to fail?
Guilt
The guilt that comes from the constant reminder that we somehow
don't measure up has a very simple explanation. When we fail to perform
at the level expected of us, the shortcoming is expressed in our emotions as guilt
. Some examples include the following: If we were supposed to have picked
someone up at four o'clock and didn't arrive until five, we let that person
down. If we had studied harder for a test, we wouldn't have gotten that
"C." If we hadn't said that awful thing to a friend, we wouldn't have
hurt his feelings. The result in each case was that, afterwards, we felt
guilty.
Life is full of shortcomings that result in hurts, disappointments and a whole
myriad of emotions. The crushing weight of guilt distorts values,
relationships and the potential that God created in all of us. Satan's
plan is to use guilt to disqualify us from our God-ordained task of serving
others in this world.
There are only two ways to live life in such a way as not to produce feelings
of guilt. We either have to raise our performance or lower our
unattainable expectations. Raising performance is a difficult task.
It can be done, but it isn't easy. We may try to stop smoking, lose
twenty pounds or think only pure thoughts about others by simply deciding that
we should. If it were as easy as making a decision, the weight loss
industry in America wouldn't be an eight billion-dollar a year business.
Changing is not so easy. When we try as hard as we possibly can and still
fail, it is devastating to our self-image. When the picture we carry
inside ourselves isn't a pretty one, it is difficult to find any hope that
things will ever be different.
This sense of coming up short is the essence of sin. The Scriptures say
that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If we can't
raise our performance, and we don't see any way to lower what is expected of
us, the life we live will only be filled with disappointments and guilt.
To make things even worse, the Bible tells us that the wages (fair and just
payment) of sin equal death. We try and try to get it right, but still
fail. For all of our effort to reform ourselves, we still must give an
account to God for our shortcomings.
Is it any wonder that so many people find life so difficult? It appears
that there is no way to win. The requirements for a peaceful, happy life
seem out of reach. If this were the end of the story, we would all find
the nearest bridge and jump off. The truth is that man was born into a
system that is flawed. When Adam lost his dominion to Satan, the peace in
which God intended for man to live was lost. It is Satan that exploits
our feelings of failure and guilt to create a hopeless future.
What
Is the Answer to Our Problem?
When God sent Jesus into this world to die as the payment for our shortcomings
(sins), He had more in mind than just extending to us a pardon for our
offenses. Yes, He forgives, but He also offers us a whole new standard by
which we can live. Jesus also came to clearly define God's
expectations. Knowing what God expects of us is the secret to guilt-free
living. Remember, if what God expected of us were not possible, then He
would have no right to judge us.
How, then, can you live up to God's expectations? First, read your Bible
and study it to find what God requires of you. Then ask Him for the power
to live the life you find revealed in the Scriptures. God does have
standards, and He expects you to live by them. As a Christian, you can
now anticipate God's help and also depend on
His help to live a life pleasing to Him. You will see that, as you find
God's will and with His help do it, you will not only live guilt-free, but you
will also get to know God as a friend. After all, it is the restoration
of your relationship with God that was the reason for Jesus' coming to the
earth. He came to earth to redeem you from the curse of coming up short
in your service to God.
When you find that it is indeed possible to live a life pleasing to God and you
actually begin to live that life, you will also find the fulfillment which
causes life to make sense. Life will no longer be filled with the dread
of someday facing a Judge that you could never please. Instead, life will
then be a wonderful journey that leads you to a reunion with the God who brings
true meaning and hope for your future.
For all of you there will come the time when you must present yourself before
God to find out your eternal dwelling place. His judgment will be
completely fair and completely final. There will be no purgatory of
second chances. When that day arrives, the criteria of judgment will not
be whether or not you lived a perfect life, but whether or not you accepted the
perfect gift. God's gift of eternal life is offered to all who believe
and accept it. Whatever you do in this life, be sure that you are properly
prepared to face God's judgment that begins your eternity.
Everybody Exists Forever.
The truth is that everybody will exist forever. The sad truth is that,
while those who have properly prepared to meet their God will enter into
Heaven, those who have not prepared for judgment will exist forever away from
the presence of God in punishment. Yes, Heaven and hell are both real
places that will be the final destination of all mankind. Heaven is the
place of eternal life in the presence of God, while hell is the place of
eternal death and separation from God. Just being separated from all that
is good and holy would be bad enough, but hell is also a place of torment.
Some
religions incorrectly teach that people will have a second chance to make their
peace with God after they leave this life. No, we don't get to come back
to earth and try again either. The Scriptures don't support these false
teachings. The Bible says that it is appointed unto man once to die and
after that comes the judgment. Revelation 22:11 tells us to let
the just be just still and the wicked be wicked still. In other words,
once God has made His judgment, there will be no way to change His
decision. The time to determine eternal destination is now, in this
life.
Because you were born into this world of sin with the need to be reconciled to
God, your first response to judgment may be to try to avoid it. It is
important that you begin to think differently about your standing before God in
order to find fulfillment in this life and to be fully prepared for the next.
Suppose you were notified that a relative had died and left you a large tract
of land worth millions of dollars. You were also notified that another
relative had claimed ownership of the same property. In order to take
possession of the land, you were ordered to appear before a judge, due to the
challenge to your ownership. The judge you were to appear before was
going to issue a judgment as to the true owner of the property. Would you
avoid the court, fearing that your claim would be denied; or would you arrive
full of confidence, knowing that the truth would be upheld and you would be
awarded what was rightfully yours?
While you did nothing to earn or deserve the ownership of the property, if it
was legally given to you, you would expect to be declared the rightful
owner. In the same manner, all judgment isn't to be dreaded. Even
though you and I don't deserve the gift of eternal life, it is still offered to
us through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The fact
that you and I are not worthy of such a gift has nothing to do with our legal
standing, once we accept Heaven's generosity.
Eternal judgment is based solely on whether or not we accept the
death of Jesus Christ as payment in full for our sins. God has already
said that He accepts Jesus' death as payment in full to meet all requirements
for our entrance into Heaven. He cannot award in our favor, however,
unless we agree to the terms of the offer. By accepting Jesus Christ as
our Lord and Savior and determining to live a life pleasing to Him, our names
are written in the Book of Eternal Life
. If we do agree, we are then judged eternally blessed and
forgiven.
What Are the Terms?
Someday this life will be over for all of us. On that day we will all
stand before God and be judged on how we lived our lives. Isn't it nice
to know we can be fully prepared to face that day with joy and
excitement? When judgment comes, we won't have to defend ourselves.
We will be able to confidently rely on His mercy and grace.
"For
we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers
lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one
another.
"But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man
appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His
mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost;
which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;
that being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life."
Titus 3:3-7
What Should You Do?
Once you have found your own peace with God, you will find a genuine desire to
share what you have found with others. There is no greater gift you can
give to the people of the world, caught in the same destructive cycle of sin
you have just escaped, than to help them find their own relationship with
God. When you recognize the hurt in others that used to be in you, take
the risk to introduce them to the God who can give meaning to this life and
offer hope for the life to come.
Discussion Points:
1. How can judgment be good?
2. What is the basis for our eternal judgment?
3. Will anyone get a second chance after death?
4. After we find peace with God, what should we do?
Memory
Verse:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this
the judgment.
Hebrews 9:27
