What About Judgment?

 

Do you have any Bible verses that you remember reading the first time and your gut response was, “Oh no,” with a big sigh?

I remember reading Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:36,” I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”  I was sure then, as I am now, that “careless words” were [are] a regular thing for me.

I came to faith in Christ pretty late in life (a large percentage of Christians are regenerated while they are still considered children). One of my friends at the first Bible believing church we went to asked me what I had thought about judgment prior to my salvation. “Judgment?” Who thinks about judgment before she is saved?

In a state of absolute pride, I thought I was a pretty good person. I didn’t abuse my children or cheat on my husband. As far as I was concerned, I was good to go for heaven! (Sadly, this was after 38 years in a mainline church.)

Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matthew 22:29).  Another memorable verse because it hits close to home for many professing Christians.

How many people are caught in this very state today?

• They go to church every week.
• They say grace before dinner.
• They pray before sleeping.
• They won’t take the Lord’s name in vain.
• They don’t abuse their children.
• They don’t cheat on their spouse.

But, they have never heard (as I had not) their preacher tell them Jesus words, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Christian, how many of our friends are sitting in these churches which fail to teach about sin, judgment, and the need to be born again? How many, possibly new or weak Christians, sit in those churches with their children while they are taught that there is nothing more important than loving your neighbor? (Which is very important for the Christian as the fruit of her faith.)

Are we willing to speak the truth about these churches that do not care about the souls of the congregants as much as they do about the numbers in the pews? It may be that the Pastor is not born again and doesn’t know himself.

I know that the Lord brought me to faith when He willed it. However, I cannot help wondering if my faith would have come sooner if someone had asked me what I thought about judgment before I knew Christ.

Our culture hates judgment of any kind. Judgment is a good thing (ours and God’s). We make good decisions based on sound judgment. We choose our goods and our foods based on visual judgment. Some safety decisions are made by judgment calls made in a split second.

Our salvation is from an eternity in Hell because of God’s just judgment of sin. Either Jesus Christ covers our sin with the blood He shed on that cross or we die our own miserable death and spend eternity in Hell because of it.

How I regret not understanding earlier that judgment of my sin was coming. Who do we know who needs to be asked, “What about the judgment of your sin?”