Apparently some of the great preachers of old like John Wesley and George Whitfield used to preach so graphically about the coming judgment and the fires of Hell that one could almost smell the smoke thereof. Under their ‘fire and brimstone’ preaching many folks were overcome with conviction and in trembling fear committed their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ. Wesley saw the preaching of judgment as “part of the awakening ministry which paves the way for the gospel offer.” He and Whitfield have been accused of ‘scaring people into the Kingdom’.
We live in a day when the subject of divine judgment is rarely taught or even mentioned in the church. In our emphasis on mercy, grace and forgiveness, perhaps we have allowed the pendulum of truth to swing too far to the opposite end of the spectrum – so much so that there has been a loss of the reverential fear of the Lord. Some have even tried to market Christianity and persuade people to become believers in Christ by being “seeker sensitive” or by emphasizing the many blessings of the Christian faith. We have become naively optimistic and could be accused of ‘wooing people into the Kingdom’.
In the Bible the subject of eternal judgement is given considerable prominence. The word “JUDGEMENT” occurs 293 times, whereas the word “GRACE” occurs 166 times and the word “LOVE” is found 304 times. Judgment (Greek: Krisis) primarily denotes a separating, then a decision or a bringing to trial. It is most frequently used as a forensic (legal) term.
The Lord Jesus Christ often referred to the “day of judgment” or simply, “the judgment”. He warned us very clearly about the dangers of Hell as well as about the surety of the coming judgment. Here is but one example: 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. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (Mat 13:41-43) In Mat 25:31-46, He also spoke expansively about the separation of the sheep and the goats. After this process of sifting and separating, He will say to those on His left (the ‘goats’ or evildoers), “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Mat 25:41) Please note that the eternal fire was originally intended for the devil and his angels, not human beings. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Eze 18:23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? Before His departure into heaven, Jesus promised the disciples another counselor, the Holy Spirit, saying, “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment…” (Joh 16:8)
The apostle Paul too, even when he was a prisoner for his faith, had no qualms about preaching on judgment to the governor Felix. As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." (Act 24:25) The writer to the Hebrews even listed ‘eternal judgment’ as one of the six foundational teachings of the Christian faith. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Heb 6:1-2)
On the one hand I find the reality of the coming judgment a sobering thought. The fact that there will be a judgment instills in me a reverential fear of the Lord which helps me to keep my heart pure and my life free from wanton sin. Wise Solomon said, “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech”. (Pro 8:13) On the other hand, I find the fact that there will be a future judgment somewhat comforting since it underlines the point that evildoers will indeed be brought to book. Wicked people that have somehow evaded the legal systems of this world, will finally be reeled in, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father…” (Mat 13:43) Not only will individuals be judged, but Scripture mentions that, “He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.” (Psa 110:6)
Please realize that in a short blog I couldn’t be very thorough in exploring the subject of eternal judgment. However, I hope you enjoyed grappling with this difficult topic. God willing, I may continue exploring the subject in future blogs.
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