Rev Dr Edgar Mayer;
For more sermons and other writings
check the following homepage: www.livinggracetoowoomba.org
The
Judge
The church is always preaching Jesus
Christ. The very first sermon after Jesus returned back to heaven set the tone.
Jesus was the message and for many of us this message has become familiar. I
read from the Bible Acts 2:22-36 excerpts
from the very first sermon notice the teaching points on Jesus:
listen to this: [a] Jesus of
Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,
which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know
[b] you,
with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. [c]
But God raised him from the dead
it was impossible for death to keep its
hold on him
[d] Exalted to the right hand of God [returning in
power to heaven], he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit
and has poured out what you now see and hear
[e] God has made this
Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
This was the truth and the people who were listening to this very first sermon recognized that they had been wrong about
Jesus. Therefore, they asked the church leaders Acts 2:37:
what
shall we do? The answer was Acts
2:38-39 notice again the familiar teaching points: [a] Repent and [b]
be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. [c] And you will receive the Holy Spirit
Many of us are familiar with the
teaching points about Jesus and we know the steps of coming to Jesus in
repentance. However, how familiar are we with the urgency and seriousness
behind the preaching message? What do we make of what came next? I read one
more verse from the same Bible account
Acts
The preacher could not stop speaking. He
kept warning the congregation. He kept pleading with them: Either you accept what I am saying to you about
Jesus or you are lost for ever. Dont make the wrong choice. Consider the
facts. Have a look around. You are heading for eternal damnation. Save
yourselves, please. Come to Jesus. When
we are telling others about Jesus, how much are we sharing in this kind of
desperation? Do we look at our neighbours and friends with a heart breaking for
those that are heading for an eternity without God even worse: an eternity
under the wrath of God. In the view of
at least one pastor according to the Bible accounts of Jesus own
preaching he spoke more about hell
than any other subject.[1]
For instance, he said Matthew
13:40-42: "
so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of
Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything
that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
Matthew
25:46: Then they will go to eternal punishment, but the righteous to
eternal life. Luke 12:2-5: There is nothing concealed that will not be
disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the
dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in
the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the rooftops. I tell you, my
friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no
more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing
of the body has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Even before Jesus began preaching, the one
who prepared the way for him framed his message in the same seriousness
Luke 3:7-8: John said to the crowds
You brood of vipers! Who warned you
to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance
[Cf. Mark
Unless there is submission to Jesus Christ
a holy fear of God the
forgiveness of our sins in his name a commitment to turn away from sin and do
right, there is no escape from the wrath
of God. Has anyone ever responded to you as a Roman governor responded to Paul (one
of the church leaders). I read from the
Bible Acts 24:25: As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control
and the judgement to come, Felix was afraid and said, Thats enough for now
With what kind of seriousness are
we preaching the message of Jesus Christ? There is a judgement to come
for everyone and the basis for
judgement is what you do in this life whether you seek God, righteousness
and self-control or not.
Some people struggle with the concept of
a judging God. For them it is always Jesus
sweet Jesus. Wasnt he such a
lovely baby in the manger and when humans did their worst to him killing
him with cruelty Jesus (I quote
from the Bible):
did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats
(1 Peter
Jesus will meet us as the judge of the
entire world. We may still be alive on earth when he returns from heaven or we
may wait for him in the grave. Yet, no one will escape. Everyone will be judged
for what they have done Romans
14:9-12: For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he
might be the Lord of both the dead and the living
we will all stand before
Christs judgement seat. It is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord,
every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.
each of us
will give an account of himself to God. John 5:22-30: Moreover, the
Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son, that all may
honour the Son just as they honour the Father
I tell you the truth, whoever
hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time
is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God
and those who hear will live
Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming
when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out those who
have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be
condemned
my judgement is just
[Mark
13:26-27: At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with
great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather the elect from
the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.]
This is serious. People around us may
look so cool or be so talented and rich or they may simply be so full of life
but unless they also get right with God, they face eternal condemnation a fate worse than death. Therefore, why would not all Christians do what happened from the
beginning Acts
Now I know that even many Christians (especially) in
the Western world go easy on the judgement. They think about the immense
goodness of God and finally come to the conclusion that a nice God would not
condemn anyone. However, this does not line up with the current facts. If God
was so nice that he never judged sin, why then do we live in a world which is
beautiful but for most people on earth not nice. If God cannot bear to see anyone suffering in judgement, whey
then are so many people suffering right now. Whats the story behind that?
The Bible makes far more sense. There is
a terrible curse on this earth which is decay and death. You may want to live
in denial (our culture does) but the wrinkles, poor health and the
affliction of old age will catch up with us all. According to the Bible this is
what happened Romans 5:12:
sin entered the world through one man
[the first man committing the first act of disobedience against God], and
[with that] death [entered the world] through [this mans] sin,
and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned
Because of
sin death came to our bodies and also spirit
nature Ephesians 2:1-10 I read:
you were dead in your
transgressions and sins
gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature
by
[that] nature objects of Gods wrath
Therefore, even before Jesus executes the final judgement, we are
already living in judgement. There is decay and death and a dead nature toward
God which as a result leads to
enslavement to sin and the oppression of the devil including possible
demonization. Thus, the more complete
version of the Bible quote from before reads Ephesians 2:1-10 I read:
you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live
when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the
air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient
Judgement is coming and the first
disciples knew. They said Acts
10:42: Jesus Christ commanded us to preach to the people and to testify
that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
If this was not the case (if there
was no judgement), then not only
would the urgency of our preaching be taken away soon there would be no preaching at all and then no Christians because
we would ask ourselves: Why suffer any inconveniences or even
persecution, when none of this matters in eternity? Why tithe, fast food, pray,
resist temptation
? Relax. Enjoy and be comfortable. God will simply save
everyone.
When some Christians thought that there
may not even be a resurrection no
judgement and no eternal life at all the
apostle Paul wrote to them 1 Corinthians 15:29-32:
[Then] why do
we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day I mean that .
If I
fought wild beasts in
What would you say to the Christians in
There is a judgement coming and you may
learn about it even from the cross. Jesus died for us because he loved us but
his death was an execution of judgement. Our sin was judged in his body on the
cross 1 Peter 2:24: He himself
bore our sins in his body
He was
punished on our behalf and the punishment was terrible and the same punishment
still awaits everyone that does not accept the sacrifice that Jesus Christ has
made. If you reject Jesus and his gift of paying the penalty for your sins,
then you will have to pay for them yourself in eternity.
All of this is rather confronting on a
warm Sunday morning (during the
summer school holidays) and maybe it
seems too confronting when God is performing miracles among us. For two Sundays
now the glory of God manifested among us with gold glitter on our hands, faces,
upper body, arms and legs (on Tuesday we saw gold sparkles on Tatjanas
left leg). [Tell testimonies of Sonya Doecke, Tamara Stiller, three teenagers
after the service
] This is such a
season of joy for us. I love watching when we are all checking our hands after
the service and then everyone is smiling and getting excited. Therefore, why
spoil the atmosphere with any talk on eternal judgement? The intention is not
to spoil anything but understand the fullness of God. He makes us rejoice in
his glory and he adorns us with his very presence but at the same time he is
also calling us into a deeper relationship with him encouraging us (with
so much love) to be more committed (repent of the half-heartedness in our
lives). Furthermore, any miracles among
us are not there to make us look good (or bad) but serve the purposes of God which include his purposes in mission
work.
At one time Jesus himself charged
people, saying Luke 10:13-15: Woe
to you, Korazin! Woe to you,
Miracles go beyond the bla bla bla of everone knowing something. There is evidence accreditation (of
Gods messengers) and therefore
here at Living Grace we have wanted to
operate in miracles for so long to save people the Bible way Romans
15:17-19:
my service to God
leading people [original: the
Gentiles] to obey God by what I have said and done by the power of signs
and miracles, through the power of the Spirit
Another recent sign happened to
Lutherans in the USA. [Abbreviate radically
and share the content of the following articles in your own words.]
Christianity Today Magazine: During last week's biennial Church Wide
Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the church
affirmed major policy recommendations to allow for the blessing of same-sex
unions (which practice will soon inflate to same-sex marriage) and the
rostering of gay and lesbian pastors in partnered relationships. Earlier in the
week it also passed by one voteout of over 1,000 total votes casta Social
Statement on Sexuality that admitted there was no consensus on the moral
evaluation of homosexual conduct, and offered no compelling biblical or
theological reasons to support the policies it later in fact adopted. The
Statement was firm and bold on issues that everyone agreed uponthe moral
condemnation of promiscuity, pornography, sexual exploitation, etc.but
indecisive and vague about contested issues co-habitation, premarital sex,
the importance of the nuclear family, and, of course, homosexual conduct.
Right before the vote on the Social Statement a totally unexpected
tornado hit the Minneapolis Conference Center where we were meeting as well as
the huge Central Lutheran Church next door, knocking the cross off one of its
towers. Orthodox voting members saw the work of God in the tornado's
cross-toppling effects and in the vote that passed with a .666 majority.
Revisionists noted that the sun came out after the vote. In response the orthodox
quipped that the sun comes out almost every day, but rogue tornados are pretty
rare! Those in the orthodox camp warned the assembly not to vote on binding
church doctrine, especially if it had no convincing biblical or theological
arguments to overturn the moral consensus of the one holy, catholic, and
apostolic church held throughout the ages and by 99 percent of the world's
Christians. Such action would identify the ELCA with a rapidly declining
liberal Protestantism while departing from orthodox teaching and practice.
Strong arguments against the Social Statement and policy recommendations were
made by pastors and laypersonsbishops were for the most part silentto no
avail. The church left the Great Tradition of moral teaching to identify with
the United Church of Christ and the Episcopal Church.
How did this come to be? On the one hand, the fact that the largest
American Lutheran church body had become the first confessional church to
accept homosexual conduct was a traumatic shock to many. There was much anger
and anguish. On the other hand, the decision was not at all unexpected by those
of us who have fought against the underlying currents operating in the ELCA
from its very inception. The fight has been long yet predictable. Liberal
Protestantism was the ELCA's destination. Indeed, its presiding Bishop, Mark
Hanson, is fast becoming the charismatic leader of liberal Protestantism.
"There is nothing but the social gospel," shouted a voting member at
the assembly. But that is certainly not Lutheran doctrine. The various programs
of social change taken to heart by the church are human works in God's
left-hand reign, having to do with the Law, not the gospel. Rather, the real
gospel is clear: the grace of God in Jesus Christ is offered to repentant sinners
condemned by the Law and then called to amendment of life by the Spirit.
Liberating efforts in the realm of social and political change are possibly
effects of the gospel, but certainly not the gospel itself.
But the ELCA has accepted the social gospel as its working theology,
even though its constitution has a marvelous statement of the classic gospel.
The liberating movements fueled by militant feminism, multiculturalism,
anti-racism, anti-heterosexism, anti-imperialism, and now ecologism have been moved
to the center while the classic gospel and its missional imperatives have been
pushed to the periphery. The policies issuing from these liberationist themes
are non-negotiable in the ELCA, which is compelling evidence that they are at
the center. No one can dislodge the ELCA's commitment to purge all masculine
language about God from its speech and worship, to demur on the biblically
normative status of the nuclear family, to refuse to put limits on abortion in
its internal policies or to advocate publicly for pro-life policies, to press
for left-wing public domestic and foreign policy, to replace evangelism abroad
with dialog, to commit to "full inclusion" of gays and lesbians at
the expense of church unity, and to buy in fully to the movement against global
warming. Though it is dogmatic on these issues, it is confused about something
as important as the assessment of homosexual conduct. Yet, it acts anyway
because of the pressure exerted by those who want to liberate church and
society from heterosexism. But how did the liberal Protestant agenda replace
the Christian core? There are many reasons, a good number that many American
evangelicals share with Lutherans: a culture moving quickly toward permissive
morality; the self-esteem movement leading to cheap grace; lay individualism
combined with apathy toward Christian teaching; an obliviousness to church
tradition and to the voice of the world church; and, above all, the loss of an
authentic principle of authority in the church. This last item I will address
in more detail later.
From www.desiringgod.com: I
saw the fast-moving, misshapen, unusually-wide funnel over downtown Minneapolis
from Seven Corners. I said to Kevin Dau, That looks serious. It was. Serious
in more ways than one. A friend who drove down to see the damage wrote: On a
day when no severe weather was predicted or expected...a tornado forms,
baffling the weather expertsmost saying theyve never seen anything like it.
It happens right in the city. The city: Minneapolis. The tornado happens on a
Wednesday...during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America's national convention
in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran
across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around its
building for this purpose. According to the ELCAs printed convention schedule,
at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19, the 5th session of the convention
was to begin. The main item of the session: Consideration: Proposed Social Statement
on Human Sexuality. The issue is whether practicing homosexuality is a
behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry.
The eyewitness of the damage continues: This curious tornado touches
down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center.
It crosses I94. It is now downtown. The time: 2PM. The first buildings on the
downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran.
The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents,
breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits whats left of the steeple
in two...and then lifts.
Let me venture an interpretation of this Providence with some biblical
warrant. 1. The unrepentant practice of homosexual behavior (like other sins)
will exclude a person from the kingdom of God. 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. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
2. The church has always embraced those who forsake sexual sin but who
still struggle with homosexual desires, rejoicing with them that all our fallen,
sinful, disordered lives (all of us, no exceptions) are forgiven if we turn to
Christ in faith. 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 6:11)
3. Therefore, official church pronouncements that condone the very sins
that keep people out of the kingdom of God, are evil. They dishonor God,
contradict Scripture, and implicitly promote damnation where salvation is
freely offered.
4. Jesus Christ controls the wind, including all tornados. Who then is
this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? (Mark 4:41)
5. When asked about a seemingly random calamity near Jerusalem where 18
people were killed, Jesus answered in general termsan answer that would cover
calamities in Minneapolis, Taiwan, or Baghdad. Gods message is repent, because
none of us will otherwise escape Gods judgment. Jesus: Those eighteen on whom
the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders
than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you
repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:4-5)
6. Conclusion: The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm warning
to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the
promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction. Reaffirm the great Lutheran
heritage of allegiance to the truth and authority of Scripture. Turn back from distorting
the grace of God into sensuality. Rejoice in the pardon of the cross of Christ
and its power to transform left and right wing sinners.
Christianity Today Magazine: Most reports from the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) assembly today attempt to tie together the
denomination's vote to adopt a sexuality statement and the tornado strike on
the Minneapolis Convention Center where the Lutherans were meeting. (No one was
injured.) "We trust that the weather is not a commentary on our
work," said Steven Loy, chairman of the committee overseeing the statement.
But WordAlone, a renewal group within the ELCA, reported that both
sides sought to find commentary in the weather: "A supporter of the social
statement typified the storm as a mighty wind of the Holy Spirit and as a
positive message. Some WordAlone Network members heard a different message, a
warning of God's anger at the ELCA in the wind." John Piper, whose Baptist
church is just down the road from the convention center, thought the storm was
a message as well. "The tornado in Minneapolis was a gentle but firm
warning to the ELCA and all of us: Turn from the approval of sin. Turn from the
promotion of behaviors that lead to destruction."
Hours later, delegates voted on the sexuality statement, which needed
2/3 approval. It passed by exactly that margin: 676-338. One or two votes could
have changed the outcome. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that the vote came
near dinnertime and some delegates had already started to leave. Twenty-nine of
the 1,045 registered voters did not vote on the statement. (Any who opposed the
sexuality statement are almost certainly kicking themselves this morning and
are probably not telling their friends about it
)
The headlines are both dramatic and careful: "Lutherans move
toward more open view on gays" (Associated Press), "ELCA validates
'chaste' same-sex relationships" (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). The heart of
the matter is buried in the footnotes. "The difference between
interpreters should not be understood as a conflict between those who seek to
be 'true to Scripture' and those who seek to 'twist the Bible' to their own
liking. The disagreements are genuine," the document says. It continues:
When the clear word of God's saving action by grace through faith is at stake,
Christian conscience becomes as adamant as Paul, who opposed those who insisted
upon circumcision.
However, when the question is about morality or church
practice, the Pauline and Lutheran witness is less adamant and believes we may
be called to respect the bound conscience of the neighbor. That is, if salvation
is not at stake in a particular question, Christians are free to give priority
to the neighbor's well-being and will protect the conscience of the neighbor
who may well view the same question in such a way as to affect faith itself.
For example, Paul was confident that Christian freedom meant the Gospel of
Jesus Christ was not at stake in questions of meat sacrificed to idols or the
rituals of holy days. Yet he insisted that, if a brother or sister did not
understand this freedom and saw eating this meat as idolatry to a pagan god,
the Christian was obligated to "walk in love" by eating just
vegetables for the neighbor's sake! The problem is that the statement focuses
on conscience where it should focus on God's commandments in the moral ordering
of the Christian life, three dissenting members of the ELCA task force on
sexuality said earlier this year: By focusing on trust, freedom, and love of
neighbor, the social statement
strains forward to see what God might be doing
anew within the community of faith, particularly in regards to conduct of
persons who are homosexual, rather than building on the foundation depicted in
the creation accounts of Genesis. The concept of freedom of the Christian,
while helpful in our understanding of salvation by faith alone, cannot be the
justification for a lifestyle and behavior contrary to the biblical witness and
the moral tradition.
By centering on justification by faith, the social
statement minimizes the role of the Law in Christian life, contrary to Luther's
exposition of the Christian life in the catechisms, and is at odds with the
Lutheran Confessions.
Lutherans Concerned, the main LGBT advocacy group within the
denomination, hailed the vote as a victory: There is still much work to do,
but the door to full inclusion of LGBT members and their families is now most
definitely open." Lutheran CORE (Coalition for Reform) decried the
document: "We mourn the decision by the Churchwide Assembly to reject the
clear teaching of the Bible that God's intention for marriage is the
relationship of one man and one woman. It is tragic that such a large number of
ELCA members were willing to overturn the clear teaching of the Bible as it has
been believed and confessed by Christians for nearly 2,000 years."
Jaynan Clark, WordAlone's president, was blunt: "It is appropriate
that we call this a 'social' statement for we have just swapped society's
statements and trends for God's Word and teaching." Still, the bigger
battle is probably still to come: On Friday, the gathering will consider a
change that would allow churches to call pastors and other church leaders
"in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender
relationships." (Update: On Friday, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted to
allow "publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender
relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church.")
A freak tornado that knocks off the
cross from a church tower at a critical juncture decision-making time for the Christians of that church could be a miracle sign from God. It
is not as unambiguous as gold dust but it is also Biblical Ezekiel 13:13:
. this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a
violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with
destructive fury. Cf. Joel 2:11; Isaiah 11:15; 29:6.
There is judgement coming and therefore there
is an urgency to our message. None of us know when we will die. Are you ready
to meet Jesus the Judge? Now how should we communicate this urgency with
people? How are we to warn people with many words? [Abbreviate and retell
the following testimony in your own words.]
Nicky Cruz: One Holy Fire,
After thoroughly berating the crowd, I decided to use the last few
minutes of my sermon to share my testimony. I found it hard to concentrate,
because a lot of people were getting up and walking out, but I continued
nonetheless. I was sure God was pleased with my boldness. People need to hear the truth, I thought to myself, even if they dont like it. It didnt
occur to me at the time that the people who were leaving were the ones who most
needed Jesus. They were the sinners Jesus had sent me there to reach.
I had a surprisingly small response to the altar call that day, but I
didnt worry about it too much. I prayed with the people who came forward, then
went to my car, pretty proud of myself for the hard-hitting lesson I had
delivered.
During the drive home I remember being completely happy and content
with my performance. I was singing along with the radio and thanking God for
the people who had come forward for prayer. I was looking forward to my next
sermon, wondering if there was any sin I had forgotten to expose. Then
suddenly, just as I reached the
In my heart I could hear God saying to me, Shame on you, Nicky. This
isnt what I saved you for. Youve wounded a lot of people tonight. I didnt
call you to condemn people; I called you to tell them I can save them, like I
saved you. You would never have come to me if David Wilkerson had spoken to you
the way you spoke to those people tonight. You came because he loved you and because
I loved you. From now on I want you to preach me, and me alone. Tell people how
much I love them. Tell them about my son, Jesus.
I was ashamed. I began to pray aloud: Dear Jesus, please forgive me. I
will never speak like that again. Never will I condemn people for their sins.
From now on I will only talk about you and your love.
One day Jesus will judge the living and
the dead this is a most serious
fact (according to the Bible) but
Jesus wants to save people with love not harsh condemnation before the
time has come. Jesus himself said
John 3:17-18: For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the
world, but to save the world through him
For instance, when Jesus made contact with a dishonest man (Zacchaeus),
he did not berate him but singled him
out with love stopped at the sycamore-fig tree which he had climbed up to
see Jesus passing by. Jesus stopped and
called him by name and then honoured him by coming to his house for a meal (others
grumbled about this). After so much love
Zacchaeus resolved to pay pack his dishonest gain which prompted Jesus to say
to him: Today salvation has come to this house
(Luke 19:9) and then Jesus summed up the purpose of his
entire work: The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost
(Luke 19:10).
Jesus wooed people with love reaching out to the poor, healing the sick,
performing miracles, providing food, preaching the real God and lots more. This was not yet the time to judge anyone.
Even when Jesus was dying on a cross with people mocking him he did not let his pain fuel any vengeful
rage but he prayed Luke 23:34: Father, forgive them, for they do not
know what they are doing. [Judgement
belongs to God alone. James 4:12: There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the
one who is able to save and destroy. But you who are you to judge your
neighbour? 1 Corinthians 4:5: Therefore judge nothing before the appointed
time; wait till the Lord comes
]
It is love that is to save people from
judgement not fire and brimstone
scare tactics because God is love.
Furthermore, the message of salvation is a message of love because salvation is
available as a free gift from God. I continue a previous Bible reading
Ephesians 2:3-10:
we were by nature objects of Gods wrath. But because
of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ,
even when we were dead in transgressions it is by grace you have been saved
it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast
None of our own works and good
behaviour will save us but if we trust in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us
on the cross, then we receive forgiveness and a judgement which declares us righteous
(on account of Jesus holy blood which was spilled for us). Thus, I continue another previous Bible
reading John 3:17-18: Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands
condemned already because he has not believed in the name of Gods one and only
Son. John 5:22-30:
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has
crossed over from death to life
This
is good news from a God that loves us.
What is more, those that believe in
Jesus now will not face judgement like unrepentant sinners. A more accurate
translation of the previous Bible reading says John 5:22-30:
I tell you the truth, whoever
hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come
into judgement; but he has crossed over from death to life
The verdict on our life has already
happened. We are saved. However, then there is still a judgement which some
call job performance evaluation. Our submission to Jesus will always result in works of obedience
prompted by the Holy Spirit and done in his power and these works all that we have done will be judged in eternity. I read only one passage from the Bible
1 Corinthians 3:10-15:
each one should be careful how he builds. For no
one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus
Christ. If any person builds on this foundation using god, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the
Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each persons work. If what he has built survives, he will
receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be
saved, but only as one escaping through flames.
This is a big topic for another message
but imagine that everything you do will be carefully scrutinized in eternity
and will determine whether you will be rewarded in heaven (we will not all be the same in heaven some have
higher rewards than others) or suffer
loss. [Cf. Matthew 6:1: Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness
before people, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your
Father in heaven.]
In closing, I sum up some of the main
points of this message: 1. Unless there is submission to Jesus, there
is no escape from the wrath of God. 2. When he returns and this world comes to an end, Jesus will judge all
people the living and the dead. 3. Even before Jesus executes the final judgement, we are already living
in judgement. We are cursed with death. 4. The cross is judgement on our sin which Jesus bore in his body. 5.
Miracles confirm the preaching and call
us to repentance. 6. The
warning about judgement day comes with love not condemnation. 7. Christians face a future judgement where
their works determine their rewards in heaven.
All of this is true. Therefore with what God is doing among us right now can we tap into the urgency and seriousness
of our task? Can we do the same as the first preacher after Jesus had returned
to heaven Acts
[1]
According to Terry Watkins at Dial-the-Truth Ministries: There are over
162 references on the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) which warn of Hell.
Over 70 of these references are attributed to Jesus. According to the gospels,
Jesus spoke more on Hell than any other subject.