Final Judgment?

Do you ever think about the Biblically referenced judgment day? It's spoken of in several books of the Bible. Most of us would understand that there's a day coming when some sort of judgment will occur. Christ will return to judge the world.

Who is it that we think He will judge? I suspect that most of us walking around calling ourselves Christians - calling ourselves "saved" - wouldn't see ourselves on the receiving end of that judgment. Is it because we think we'll all just slip in the VIP entrance to heaven, while Christ stands outside and judges everyone else?

Ask people what it means to be saved. Most will tell you it means that their sins are forgiven through the acts and life of Jesus Christ. That of course would be true. But is that the whole story? I doubt it.

2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." Look at that sentence. Dissect it. Notice words like "all," and phrases like "each one," and "good or bad." Those seem like pretty all-encompassing words. They seem to indicate that everyone who has ever breathed life will be included in this judgment exercise. They foretell an event where everything that every one of us has done, thought, said, believed, supported, enabled, etc. will be reviewed ... regardless of whether it was good or bad.

Perhaps you've never lived an examined life. Nevertheless, this Word from the Lord indicates that Jesus will be examining it for you. No, He's not coming just to judge those who are still rebelling and stuck in their sin because they refused to turn to Him during their time on earth. It seems He's going to get out the books and take a thorough inventory.

Now Jeremiah 31:34 tells us, "... 'they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the LORD. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'" Modern day Christians seem to think that God is forgetful. We think this means the sin is wiped from God's memory banks and is beyond His recall. But look again. That's not what it says. Remembering our sins no more is different than forgetting them, or losing the ability to recall them. Make no mistake about it - God does not forget our sins. Even though they may be forgiven, they are not beyond His recall.

So doesn't this seem like a conflict? How do we reconcile forgiveness of sins (which occurs now) with the coming judgment? Revelation 20:11-12 describes this coming judgment event like this. "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened."

Did you catch that? The books (plural noun) were opened. What books? Why were they opened? Folks, these are the books that contain a record of all we did, good or bad. When God said, after forgiving our sin, that He would remember it no more, this is where He put it. Our sin is in God's records vault, being held for that final examination that we all face.

Let's see what happens next as Revelation 20:12-15 continues. "Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ... and each person was judged according to what he had done. ... If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

Are you following this? The books (plural noun) are opened to reveal everything about us and the life we lived on this earth. All of it is examined and made known. Everything I've ever done in secret? It becomes very public information - known to all! The one book of life (singular noun) is opened. It contains the names of everyone whom Jesus has saved. If my name is in that book, it cancels everything attached to me in all of the other books. But if my name isn't in that book, the other books speak for me. (Yikes!)

I read an article a few months ago. I think the author titled it something like, "Whatever happened to sin?" He said that even Christ-followers seem to act as if sin doesn't exist. It was this author's opinion that we've forgotten about the significance of sin. We behave as if we don't have to worry about it. Our lives seem to indicate a belief that because we're (supposedly) saved, we can do anything. After all, my sins are all forgiven - past, present and future. Right?

Since I've read that article, I've thought a lot about it. I think the author was right. I see too many of us walking around, calling ourselves Christ-followers, with sin that's ongoing. Said differently, we don't look any different than the world around us. Our sin is just as prevalent as the sin of non-believers (the "unsaved"). Are we really naive enough to think that just because we're saved by the blood of Christ that our sin doesn't matter?

The Apostle Paul told us in Romans 14:10-11 that "... we will all stand before god's judgment seat. ... each one of us will give an account of himself (or herself) to God." Paul also told us (in Romans 6:1-2 and 15) that we not to keep on sinning. He said that sin matters ... even for people who are saved. Did you know that? Ask yourself why it matters. If my name in the book of life can cancel my name and all I've done in all the other books that will be opened --- then why does sin matter any more (once I'm saved)?

Could it be that we've misconstrued the meaning of salvation? Could it be that we've missed the point of God's forgiveness of sin? Is it possible that we've justified our sin with God's forgiveness so that we don't have to deal with it?

Whatever happened to sin? The question is worth answering. Even for Christians.

True Christians

I've got another blog where I answer questions from people who read this blog (see the links to the right). Anyway, recently there have been a couple of letters about true religion, Christianity and so on.

One of Christianity's biggest problems is that its definitions are incredibly ambiguous. In other words it is difficult to understand what Christianity is or isn't. And so there is much confusion.

Oddly enough, Islam, Hinduism and other false religions don't seem to suffer from this malady. Their lines are much more defined.

Let's consider a made-up couple to illustrate the problem. Mary and Andrew Thompson are known by everyone as a fine Christian couple, good neighbors and active church members. They have always been members of the same church since they were children. They both teach Sunday School. They pay their tithes and give to humanitarian charities every month, like clockwork. They raised their children to be good citizens.

Our couple, Andrew and Mary, own a modest house, drive a modest car, wear modest clothes, eat a modest and moderate diet, abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and unsavory language, and drink only one cup of coffee a week (Saturday mornings while they have their devotions). Neither of them has ever told a lie or engaged in violent or otherwise questionable behavior. They do not hate anyone or think evil thoughts about anyone. They always vote. They always give to community fundraisers. They talk politely to their neighbors and they are always in bed before 10 p.m. every night.

Certainly, if anyone can pass the test for being very good people this couple should be able to pass. And yet they are both sinners. And what is more important, they are lost sinners. They have been so busy keeping rules and doing good things (truly very good things) that they have never taken the time to go beyond mere religion to a genuine encounter with God or with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If they were to die today, right now, Mary and Andrew would be judged according to their works and found guilty. Even though they have always lived a good life, they have not been perfect. And the few sins they have committed (whatever those might be) have never been taken to God and confessed. They have never asked Jesus to save them. They have never realized their own need of a savior. They have never known the Lord in any kind of personal way.

What does this mean? It means they are, unfortunately, headed straight to hell. You see, they've missed the point about Christianity. They grew up in church. They grew up in religion. They grew up in tradition. But they didn't grow up in Christ. But it is Christ who sets us free, saves us from sin and changes our course from hell to heaven.

Now here's the thing. Andrew and Mary's lives look very much like the lives of true Christians. In fact, if someone had truly encountered Christ and were truly saved, the Holy Spirit would lead them down a path which would look quite similar to the journey of our fictitious couple. And so the world is confused about what's going on here. The world doesn't understand that true Christianity - being truly saved - is an inward change. It is change that emanates from the heart. Christ transforms us from the inside out ... and our outward behaviors follow.

You see, the life of doing good and refraining from evil is not proof of Christianity. Rather it is the fruit of Christianity. But it can be manufactured outside of Christianity. What does this mean? It means that there will be a whole bunch of what the world considers to be "good people" in hell some day. Incredibly enough, it also means that there will be a whole bunch of people whom the world considers to be bad people in heaven some day! For this outward appearance of good or not good is not the criteria for getting into heaven or hell.

The fact is that no human can tell for sure who is really saved or not saved. Only God truly knows any one's heart. The Holy Spirit, I believe, does give many of us insights that are most likely true. He may convince me, for example, that I am saved. To be sure, He will require me to examine the evidence by examining my heart before God. But the confidence that can only come from the Holy Spirit's assurance does descend upon me and I know for sure that I am saved - not because I follow the rules or pass the litmus test - but because He tells me so.

In a similar way, the Holy Spirit often gives spiritually mature people discernment about the spiritual condition of others. He does this so that they can be ministered to effectively. What does this look like? Well, I may encounter someone who looks and acts like a Christian, or at least identifies themselves as one. But the Holy Spirit may alert me, by giving me quiet discernment, to the truth of their situation.

I may notice sin without confession or repentance. I may notice a lack of grounding in Biblical truth. But I only notice because the Holy Spirit lets me notice --- and because He expects me to do something about it. He expects me to minister to that person, at the very least, by praying for them. He may expect me to walk alongside of them to encourage or mentor them. He may even expect me to confront them.

What matters to God is that we be completely changed from the inside out. And no church can ever tell you if that's true of you. No preacher can ever produce the evidence. No religious practice will produce that change. Only Jesus Himself can produce that change. So if you have questions about your lostness, or wonder if you're truly saved, the best way to know is to get on your knees in prayer, look into a spiritual mirror and with God, examine your heart. If you're not sure how to do that, ask God to help you. Ask someone else to help you and pray with you.

But most importantly, stop looking for evidence of the good in your life, such as the good things that you do or the evil things that you don't do. Instead, start look at who you really are on the inside. When you see that changing, you'll know for sure that you're on the road to heaven!

Loss of Salvation

I do a lot of discipling. It's a process where people who are seeking to grow spiritually seek out others who can help them. I'm one of those they seek out. While we might think that most everyone has a different path of spiritual growth (and perhaps they do), there are some common themes. They keep coming up, with a majority of the people I'm talking to. One is knowing God's will. People earnestly seek to know what God's specific will for their life is. The other is the security of their salvation. It's what I'm going to talk about today.

"I'm not sure I'm saved." It's a common statement, especially among people who are finally overcoming the false belief that they are "basically a good person." They are confronting the fact that their sinful bent is insidious, pervading all aspects of their being. It haunts them. It makes them fret and worry. They want to be saved (from their sins). They understand the punishment of sin is an eternity burning in what the Bible calls the "fiery pit of burning sulphur." They want to be certain that they aren't headed there.

The popular doctrine of many Christian religions (like the Baptists) is that you cannot lose your salvation. I wrestled with that for years. I wanted to be sure I was saved. I finally came to the understanding --- where the Holy Spirit led me --- that whether or not I could ever lose my salvation wasn't the right question to ask. A better question to ask was whether or not I ever had my salvation in the first place. A lot of people "get saved." They make a one time decision for Christ. Many can pinpoint the precise day they did. And yet they wonder. Popular theology will simply say it's the devil attacking their peace and serenity. "Once saved, always saved," is a common theme to that theology. Or is it?

Look at what Jesus has to say in the Gospel of John 15:1-3, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, ...." He continues in John 15:6, "If anyone does not remain in me he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; ..." And then Jesus concludes His point with some fairly clear words. John 15:10, "If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love ..." and John 15:14, "You are my friends if you do what I command." Are you getting the picture here? Do you see what Jesus is saying to us?

Many of us want to believe the "once saved, always saved" theology. We'll argue that it's Biblical (and it is). However, there is far too little attention being paid to the definition of "saved." Jesus said that in order to be "saved" all one needs to do is to believe on Him. However --- and this is a big however, He clearly defined believing in Him. According to Jesus, those who truly believe will obey. Those who obey will naturally be pruned (by God) and produce fruit (e.g. be vessels of God's will.)

So my dear friend, if you are wondering about your salvation, wonder about your obedience. It is the clearest sign of the true faith in Him that Jesus says is required for entrance to heaven. I can't believe one day, and then not believe the next day --- with an expectation that my salvation is secure. I can't make a one-time "decision" for Christ --- and then go out and live like a heathen with an expectation that my salvation is secure. But when our obedience is sure, then our salvation is surely secure!