There is a life after death. Life after death is more important than life on earth. It is because, even if we live the maximum allotted time, we may live up to 120 years. But life after death is living in the eternity-unlimited number of years! Eternity is more important than time. We cannot be short-sighted and think only of this life. A wise man looks on to the future and lives a life worth for eternity. What we see around us will be no more there. The time is flying towards a finishing line. That is the final day of judgement. The final judgement is a public display of God’s righteous and holy character. He wants every rational creature who ever lived on this earth to understand why Jesus had to suffer and die. On that great day every sin will be met with justice.
Those who have escaped earthly judiciary with their money and influence will meet with the Divine justice of God there. Wicked people who live in the lap of comfort and luxury, murderers, rapists and thieves who are never caught, dictators who oppressed the poor, tortured and murdered innocent people, still living in palaces in their earthly splendors will be exposed and punished for their crimes. There have been millions of Christians who have been slandered, beaten, humiliated, imprisoned and murdered for their faith. Do you think the God of perfect justice will leave the culprits unpunished? IMPOSSIBLE! No money, influence or human power will stand up there. No sinner will escape the wrath of God. God will openly reward those who believed in Christ and faithfully served Him.
One cannot ignore the biblical passages that speak of the judgement of both the saved and the unsaved as a unique event (Eccl 12:14/Matt 13:30,36-43,47-50,25:31-34,41/Acts 17:30-31/Rev 20:12-13). The standard by which all men will be judged is revealed in the Scripture. Lord Jesus said, “He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my words has that which judges him- the Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48/5:28-29/Matt 25:32/Rev 20:13/Rom 2:16). Even people who have not heard the gospel will also be judged. The Holy Spirit says in Romans 2:12, “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law”. Those who have not heard the gospel were also created in God’s image.
The Bible says, “The works of the law are written on their hearts” (Rom 2:15). They have consciences that accuse or excuse when they commit certain acts. Hence, no human being that ever born on this earth would tell God that God’s judgement is not right. But the severity of the punishment will be on the basis of light rejected by the persons involved. (Mathew 11:21-22/25:20-30/Luke 12:47-48). Even believers will receive rewards based on the quality of the works done while on earth. Quantity of work will be tested for quality (1 Cor 3:12-15). Our motives, intentions, reasons will be tested from our restless activities done in the name of the Lord (2 Cor 5:10/1 Cor 4:4-5). In addition, the Bible clearly says that fallen angels will be judged on that day (2 Pet 2:4/Rev 20:10). This fate awaits all demons. That is why the demons asked Jesus in Mathew 8:29, “Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Even the demons know that they await a day of judgement over which Jesus Christ will be the supreme Judge.
We are on a ‘countdown’. Each day we pass, the count goes down to the day when we all shall finally end up in the grave. Death is a separation of our soul and spirit from the body. The Bible says each of us will have to give an account of our earthly life to God. I remember a man of God preaching about how the billions of people who have lived on this earth during the many centuries of history will be judged on the record of everything that every man did, said and thought during his life time. God keeps this record in each man’s memory. I believe it could be true. He said, our memory is like a video-tape that faithfully records everything that we do, say and think. It also records our inner attitudes and motives. Memory is a part of the soul, which goes with the spirit to God when a person dies. When each person’s turn comes for judgement, God will only have to replay the video-tape of the man’s own memory. No one will be able to question the accuracy of that display because it will be his own memory recounting the details of his earthly life. Our real nature and character will be displayed openly there. None of religious activities or religions will save us there. The real inner person will be exposed.
The Bible says that there is only one punishment set out in the Divine Law for sin and that is eternal death, a complete separation from compassionate God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down from heaven to save us from this punishment. He took the eternal punishment for the sins of humanity on a cross outside Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago. What do we have to do to escape the punishment of God? Only one thing is required. We need to acknowledge that we are sinners and we deserve hell (the only place where God’s presence is not there).
We need God’s grace to be saved from hell. If you are not a believer, at this very moment, your sins can be forgiven and erased from that video-tape, if you sincerely turn from your sins and repent of them and asking God to cleanse you by the blood of Jesus Christ, believing that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again from the dead. This is the ONLY way of salvation that God has appointed for the human race. If there was any other way, Jesus Christ would never have died. He had Divine power and could have easily escaped from the hands of His enemies had he wanted to. If any other way of salvation had been possible, God would have chosen that way and not allowed His beloved Son to suffer so much. We are not wiser than God. Infinite Wisdom could think of only one way to save man from his eternal death without compromising the demands of Infinite Holiness and Infinite Justice. Infinite Love was manifested on the death of the Lord on the cross. The most amazing truth in the whole universe is that the greatest sinner can become a child of God in a single moment, if he seeks God earnestly.
Jesus Christ- the Righteous Judge
The Bible makes it very clear that the one who is going to judge the world is Jesus Christ. The judgement day will be an incredible display of Christ’s glory, honour and power. Why is He allowed to be the great Judge on the final day by the Father?. It is the manifestation of the righteousness of God in the exaltation of the glory of the Mediator (Divine-human Mediator Jesus Christ). The Man who was born in a filthy cow-shed, hunted by Herod, despised and rejected by the people, humiliated and mocked by the wicked sinners, who was spit upon, whose beard was plucked out, beaten, whipped and crucified will be sitting on the great white throne, surrounded by a great army of angels , encircled with a brilliance rainbow, with a countenance brighter than the sun. Every knee shall bow before Him of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth (Phi 2:9-10).
The saviour of today will become the Judge of tomorrow. The word of Jesus Christ will be final that day. The wicked will be cast in to the lake of fire with the devil and demons whom they worshiped (Matt 13:40-42/Rev 14:11,20:10), where they will be tormented forever and ever. The time is now for a change…God’s grace is available now. The Lord says in Revelation 22:10-13, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”
“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
Those who have ears let them hear…
Renji George
Disciple of Jesus Christ