There comes a time when men will stand alone
And in the end the hearts of men are known
The bible tells us that at the end of time there will be one final and irreversible judgment to establish the eternal fate of all unbelievers. "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face the judgment." (Heb 9:27) Those who leave this life without having the new birth, have nothing to look forward to but eternal condemnation and punishment. After death, the next major event for the lost man or the man who died without receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior will be the Great White Throne Judgment.
This divine tribunal will not be held in order to settle where you will spend eternity. No, that issue was already resolved back on earth. You very well may be physically alive, but if you have rejected Gods Son, you are a walking dead man, who has already had the death sentence passed on you. If you have not accepted Christ into your life, then you have been judged now and decreed unworthy of Heaven. “…Whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believe in the name of Gods one and only Son.” (John 3:18) This verse implies that all Christ rejecters are on their way to Perdition or Hell now. Those who have not received forgiveness for their sin are like prisoners sitting on death row just waiting for their execution.
Christians will not be among those present at the Great White Throne judgment. Although they will have to give an answer for ‘the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Co 5:10), they are safe from God’s wrath. Only lost people will be summoned by God for this hearing. Now when a man gets saved or born again, even though he is a sinner deserving of death, he is exonerated or released from the penalty of his sin. He has been declared: Not Guilty. Scripture says that the Christian is no longer under eternal condemnation. (Ro 8:1) Therefore, the Day of Reckoning holds no fear for him.
Believers will not be judged along with the lost masses. Christians will be required to assemble themselves before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The purpose of this is not to decide if they will go to Heaven, but to give an account for how they lived their lives. At this time the Christians faithfulness to the Lord will be examined. Those who served God with a glad heart and were obedient to His revealed will can expect rewards. Those who were not good stewards of the life that God gave them will suffer loss of heavenly rewards. (1Co 3:15) However, all believers will receive the inheritance that they have been waiting for, which is the Kingdom of God.
The book of revelation shares a glimpse of what the Great white Throne Judgment will be like. The Apostle John gives us this account:
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. 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. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20:11-15
The Lord gave the Apostle John a very special revelation concerning end time events. Jesus spoke to John personally and commanded him to write what he saw in this apocalyptic vision. He said, “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. (Rev1 :9) After recording Christ’s words to the seven churches, John is caught up in Heaven where he becomes a spectator of all the things that will ‘soon take place.” (Rev 1:1)
In a nutshell, Revelation is basically a story of how Jesus will finally triumph over all the forces of evil. John describes for us the tribulation that will come on the earth. During this period man will face unthinkable terrors. The book climaxes with the coming of the anti-Christ, who deceives the nations. John also tells us of the final conflict, the battle of Armageddon, where all those who rebelled against God will be annihilated.
Then in chapter 20, the curtain goes up on the final judgment, where all those who had rejected the mercy of God, in the person of His Son, stand now before His royal seat. Remember everyone who is present at this judgment is eternally damned. In these verses we find the Lord seated on a great white throne in all His glory. And He is entitled to sit there. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Resurrection and Life, the Lord God Almighty. He is the one who holds the keys of death and Hades. (Rev 1:18) He has authority to execute all judgment. Peter said in the book of Acts: “He (Jesus) 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.” Jesus was ordained by God to be judge of all.
When you stand before His throne, you will not see baby Jesus. Nor will you see the unassuming carpenter or good moral teacher. In our minds we hold on to the image of the meek, loving Jesus, who did not resist the evil that man plotted against Him, that wouldn’t revile His enemies as they nailed Him to the cross. This was His role as the Lamb of God, who came to take away our sins. But on this day when you see Him face to face, you will be meeting King Jesus, Master and Lord of the universe, who will now be fulfilling his office as Judge. You will be introduced to Him in His exalted state—in all of His majesty, clothed in all his splendor.
All those who have turned their back on God, who spurn His holy name, must be warned that, “…they will have to give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1Pet 4:5) Who are the lost going to give account to? Jesus. That is why we are commanded to repent. The bible says that the Lord has set a day in time when He will judge the world with justice (Acts 17:31) God has appointed His only begotten to preside over His court in order to judge the nations.
If you turn your back on God during this life, you have committed spiritual suicide. Without the garment of righteousness that comes from the Lord, all you have to look forward to is a "fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.” (Hebrews 10:27) Contrary to what you may have been told, my friend, "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10: 31) We will not approach him with a haughty spirit on that day. The fear you lacked for God in this life will now surface only when it’s too late.
You cannot avoid getting this subpoena. There is no way to escape him. No one has a choice about coming to the judgment. Jesus will not "suggest" that we put in an appearance. It does not matter if we do not volunteer to come. There is no getting out of it. If your case is on his docket, when he calls your name, you will be there. There is no place to hide from the wrath of the Lamb. There are no closets to hide in or rocks to hide behind. The earth and heavens have now fled from the presence of the Almighty. Therefore, there will be no need for bondsmen to make sure you show up for your court appointment. As you look around the throne room, there is nothing but multitudes of people, who have been ordered to line up, to give account for their life. When all the lost masses are convened before him, there will be no back door to run out of.
Jesus said that we should not be ignorant about this day, " ... a time is coming when all those in the graves will hear his voice and come out--and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28,29)" When the day of judgment is announced in the pits of hell, it will be the most dreadful news in that world of misery. These souls know that they are doomed for eternity. Once before him, they will see God as their enemy.
The great and the small will be here. There are lost people from all walks of life. From the noble to the lowly, all will be required to attend. Now in the present world, if you want to avoid a particular thing, you can ask your influential friends to pull a few strings for you. The rich always seem to be able to get around any sticky situation. But not on this day! Bribes from the affluent will no longer secure any special favor. The charges against them will not be dismissed.
The bodies of the damned will materialize at the Lord's command to be reunited with their eternal soul. The bodies of people who have been long dead will be released from the grave. The souls of those who have been in hell, that were awaiting the coming judgment, will now be freed temporarily to answer for the way they have lived.
The Lord has been patiently "waiting for his enemies to be his footstool (Hebrews 10: 12)." This is the day when he finally crushes his foes under his feet. The scales of justice will now be balanced. At long last, he will be vindicated. Yes, today, for the first time, all heavens adversaries will proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Lord and they will reverence him.
Then, one by one, every soul present will begin to give a defense of their life. Jesus said on the final day of judgment, men would do their best to try and justify themselves before him. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me you evil doers. (Matthew 7:22,23)
They cry out in one loud, hysterical voice, "Lord, Lord, look at our goodness." Jesus is not interested. One man says with pride, "I went all the way to the Vatican and shook hands with the pope." Another says, "Hey, Lord, I think I was a pretty good guy. I was a decent family man." Still another says, "Jesus, remember all the times I went to church." Now, this will not be the coveted award ceremony that many are counting on.
If you wind up in the Great White Throne judgment, there is no point in wasting time, trying to impress Jesus with all your saintly credentials. You are not on trial. You have been charged with rejecting Jesus Christ and have already been found absolutely, 100 percent guilty of committing this unpardonable crime. This is the "resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:29) In a manner of speaking, it is all over for you. The Lord will give everyone their day in court for the purpose of showing them that their indictment was well-deserved.
The hidden things of darkness will finally be brought to light. Jesus will "bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. (1 Corinthians 4:5)" The secret sins that you kept buried from the eyes of the world will be made known. "Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. " (Hebrews 4: 13) Your neighbors may speak highly of you, and boast about what a terrific person you are, but they do not know you like God does.
At some point during this hearing, the bible says that former pagans will rise to denounce those who never repented. (Matthew 12: 41,42) When someone begins to try and blame their rejection of Christ on not having sufficient proof of his existence, some redeemed heathen in the judicial arena will stand up and declare, "I had less evidence than you did, and I still came to the Lord." There will be degrees of punishment in hell and among those given the most severest of punishment will be those who received divine revelation time and again but were simply indifferent to it. The greater the light God gave you in this life, the greater the punishment for not receiving it.
The Righteous Judge will hear your final closing argument. Then when everyone has submitted to the court, every reason that they think entitles them to go to heaven, Jesus will have the last word: "Depart from me you evil doers." We find another version of this same story told in Luke chapter 13. Jesus said:
Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, "Sir, open the door for us." But he will answer, "I don't know you or where you come from." Then you will say, "We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets." But he will reply, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers." (v24-27)
As children we all sang the chorus, "Do Lord, Oh Do Lord, do you remember me?" Ironically, those who did not want to befriend the Savior in this life, now call out to him for mercy, when it is too late. In that final hour, many men will plead for Jesus to let them into the kingdom of God. "Don't you remember Lord? I was the one who protested regularly against pornography and abortion on the streets of my city." His response will be to all those that did not have a personal relationship with him, "I don't know you ... Away from me, you evildoer." Do not wait for the door of mercy to close, never to open again. Come, while there is still time.
The Lord's gavel pounds against the bench. At this point, all the men whose names were not found in the book of life will be dismissed from his presence, to begin their godless eternity. "The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." The lake of fire will be a secluded part of the universe, which God has prepared to be a receptacle for his wicked, rebellious creatures. On the last day, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9: 17)
This is not my idea of a happy ending. Here's your inheritance--death and destruction. It is sad that this misfortune could have been prevented. At one time Jesus had reached out to these unbelievers to offer them his mercy. He wanted to have that close, personal relationship with each and every one of these. (Luke 13:34) God says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." (Romans 10:21) He stretched out his arm (Pr 1:24b) and called out to them by name, and what did they do? They ignored him. They continued to turn a deaf ear to the Saviors invitation to come. He tried to correct them, but they despised his admonition.
A word to the wise. You cannot laugh in God's face and defy him your whole life and expect to escape the consequences. He will not be mocked. Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:7,8)
The whole of your life is a period of sowing and the harvesting is Gods judgment at the end of time. Simply stated, the man who ignores God and goes his own way despite being repeatedly cautioned to turn around will be rewarded with eternal destruction. Carnal man, you can sow to the flesh if you want to. God will not interfere. Just remember at harvest time, you will reap destruction. I would tremble at the thought of having to meet God face to face, knowing that all I had in store for me was his "wrath and anger." (Romans 2: 8) The unsaved are merely objects of Gods wrath, beneficiaries of ruination and calamity. (Romans 9:22, Eph2:3) To the one who has scoffed at the Lord's salvation, God says:
If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you — when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.” Prov 1:23-31
They would not take the gift of Gods mercy when it was graciously offered them, so it is fitting that they now fall as victims to his justice. Remember: "A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed-without remedy.” (Prov 29:1) Will you meet with God's righteous indignation and fury in the afterlife because you ignored his invitation to come right now and be saved?
As you can see, John paints a graphic picture of the future of those who never had their name recorded in the Lambs book of life. The only way to get your name officially registered on the pages of this book, is to be born again. When you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, the bible says at that precise moment you have crossed over from eternal death to eternal life.
You may ask, "What is the point in judging all these people if they are already damned for eternity?" Our God is a God of justice. He is not going to allow the lake of fire to be the same for everyone. That wouldn't be fair. In other words, the coals will be a little hotter for some than others. Jesus indicated that certain "men will be punished most severely." (Luke 20:47) Charles Wesley said, " ... every man in fact will receive his own bad reward, according to his own bad labor." In God's administration of what is just, there will be degrees of punishment.
HEAVEN: THE ALTERNATIVE
As we stated earlier, those who die without believing on Jesus, go to Hades, the intermediate detainment center that houses the spirits of the lost until the great white throne judgment. Jesus, himself, referred to this as a place of torment ''where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48)
But for a moment, let’s consider what happens to the believer when he dies. After a difficult and trying life, he wakes up "at home with the Lord, (2 Co 5:8)," and is comforted by God. When the born again person leaves the confines of his human body, he awakes in glory. He shouts, "hallelujah" for he knows that this is just the beginning of all the awesome things that God has planned for him, all the way back in eternity past. As the Christian comes through the valley of the shadow of death, angels rush to greet him. There is rejoicing and celebration. He is finally home.
Jesus reassured his disciples that he would not abandon them in death: "In my fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place I am going. (John 14:1-4)" He says, "I must leave you, but do not dispair. You will eventually come to the glorious place where I am going. I am not making this up. Trust me I wouldn't lie to you." Because Christ lives, the Christian faces death with confidence. Those who belong to him, will go to be with him.
Our minds cannot even fathom the things that God has in store for us. That is why the bible says that, "No eye has seen, nor ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. (1 Co 2: 9)" Heaven is beyond our wildest imagination. But we do know a little about this place. After John describes the final outcome of all those who rejected Christ's rule over them in this life, he tells the believer of the reward that awaits him:
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. This will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:1-5
As you will remember, the wicked have already been thrown into the lake of fire. They were rejected by Christ in the presence of his angels. What a different reception for the Christian! When he comes before God he receives honor and immortality. Jesus holds out his arms to them and says, "Come you who are blessed by my father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world." (Matt 25:34) The born again believer makes a triumphant entrance into that place where he will reign with the Lord forever.
Heaven is for those Christians that have been "longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore. God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Heb 11:16)" The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, will be our new dwelling place. John said the very sight of it was breathtaking.
One of the greatest joys of heaven will be meeting Jesus. We will be with him at last. We have seen God with our spiritual eyes, but now we shall see him face to face. (1 Co 13:11) We will at that time "see him as he is." (1 John 3:2) The believer has dreamt of the day that he will behold his Lord and Savior for the first time. "Yes we shall behold him in all of his glory." I believe that on this jubilant occasion, there will be crowds pressing all around to get close to see the one that gave his life so that we might live. We will never be separated from him again, for "we will be with the Lord forever." (I Thess 4: 17)
What a time of fellowship there will be. The special occasion is the coronation of the Lord Jesus and his faithful servants. (2 Timothy 4:8) Jesus said when he left this earth, "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Fathers kingdom." (Matthew 26:29) The blood bought church will forever feed on the splendor of God's majesty. During the festivities, the redeemed will sing his praises. "When we all see Jesus, We'll sing and shout the victory."
The former things have passed away. That means there will be a lot of changes to adjust to. There will be no more crying or sorrow. That means no more depression. Now that will be hard to imagine. In a perfect world, there will be nothing to cry about. In this life, death separated us from our saved loved ones. But when we get to heaven, we will be reunited with those who went on before us. It will be like a great family reunion. No more farewells or sad goodbyes. No more getting sick. No more incapacitating illnesses. Our bodies will not be subject to the limitations and suffering of the human flesh. No more funeral processions. The undertaker will be out of business. Actually at conversion "death has no more mastery" over the believer. (Romans 6:9) On resurrection morning, the Christian will look back over that great divide and triumphantly shout, "Where, 0 death, is your victory? Where, 0 death, is your sting? (1 Co 15:55)" I sure am glad that I already have a heavenly passport and my reservation has already been made! How about you? Will you be aboard that heaven bound flight?
HOLDING THE TRUTH IN CONTEMPT
In our generation, the revelation of Gods judgment is most often met with skepticism and disbelief Retribution for sin is not a pleasant thought among those that have been long presuming on God's grace. If a minister dares to preach the whole gospel message, warning those that will "fall into the great winepress of God's wrath" to turn from sin, he will be criticized by the liberal and lost members of his church.
Pastor's who have preached judgment are blamed for people feeling beaten down in the pews and putting people on guilt trips. We don't want our spirits lowered. For that reason, the crowds ask for positive, optimistic messages. So, to accommodate these folks, men of God began to refrain from talking about the Great White Throne Judgment. We want to hear, like Jeremiahs generation, prophecies that tickle our ears. No one wants to know the truth.
The prophet Jeremiah was instructed by God to inform his people of the coming judgment if they continued to ignore and disobey him. But while Jeremiah was foretelling of the destruction that was soon to visit the people of the land, he observed that the self-styled prophets of his day were contradicting him with a message of peace. Jeremiah remained faithful to uncompromisingly deliver the word of the Lord, though the people didn't want to hear it.
Eventually, a little group came together, to plan a way to silence the prophet permanently. Jeremiah accused the preachers: "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, Peace,' they say, when there is no peace." People are heading to hell, but many clergymen refuse to confront their congregation about it. Most preachers want to avoid making someone mad at them at all costs. They know that judgement is not a popular subject. So, week after week, the preacher will only talk about the love and mercy of God, to prevent anyone from getting upset. Our society is deceived. The lost are "having pleasant thoughts of peace, while the sword is at their throats! (Jeremiah 4: 10)
A HISTORY LESSON
Noah lived in a period that was very similar to ours. Lawlessness abounded. The majority had forsaken God. The earth was full of corruption and violence (Gen 6: 10: 11,12). The Lord saw how great mans wickedness had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man upon the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "1 will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth ... for I am grieved that I have made them. "(Genesis 6:6,7)
But Noah had found favor in the eyes of the Lord. He "was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God." Righteous men have always been a minority group, and always will be. The “narrow path" does not stay that way by Gods design; it stays that way simply because so few travel it.
Since Noah had walked with God and not forgotten him like the others, he would be spared from the calamity to come. God revealed to Noah his plan to destroy all life under the heavens. He told him that he was going to use him to preserve a remnant of the earth's living creatures. God gave Noah very specific instructions to build a large boat that would protect him and his family from the flood. "Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him."
When we think of God destroying man, that sounds savage even barbaric. However, God is just. He always gives fair warning that judgment is coming. God always says, "if they don't turn, then I will ... " Then he sits back and gives them ample opportunity to respond. In this case, He gave them 120 years. That was a very charitable gesture.
This was not an overnight project. There was a lot of work involved. While Noah was building the ark, there was still time for people to repent. "While the ark was being built, (1 Pet 3: 19)" God patiently waited for those to forsake their wickedness and turn to him. During this time he was only preparing to carry out his judgment.
You see this same cycle over and over "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown. (Jonah 3:4)" God always makes a formal announcement. He doesn't drop a bomb without prior notice. God is not "willing that any should perish." But if man insists on going it alone, thumbing his nose in God's face, then God will leave him to go his own way.
It took Noah longer to build that boat than you and I have been alive. Don't you know that it would have been easy to abandon that project. After years had gone by, and no sign of flood waters, he may have felt somewhat confused. In any case, he plugged away faithfully, in spite of appearing foolish. Noah could probably say with king David, "Proud men hold me in contempt for obedience to God, but I stand unmoved. (LVB Psa 119: 11)
How do I know, they scoffed? The bible doesn't exactly say that Noah was mocked. For one thing, I know that Noah alerted them to the coming danger. Those who didn't believe, scoffed. Those who believed and repented would have climbed aboard on that fateful day. But I know that only 8 humans walked up the plank. The rest "forfeited the grace" that could have been theirs. (Jonah 2:8)" Mockers have always been around. They deride God's spokesmen and their message and convince others around them to ignore the impending danger that is before them. You can bet there was a little group that congregated daily when Noah went to work, to poke fun at him. "How is the old boat coming along? Next time you have a chat with God, ask him when he plans on sending this flood that will wipe us all out. It has been about 100 years. Maybe he has forgotten to bring about this catastrophe. " Yet, Noah paid them no mind and was faithful to complete the ark.
Certainly there were some who wondered, "Could this be true? Is the Creator of this world really going to judge our sin?" But the pressure of what others might say, kept them from speaking up. "Fear of man will prove to be a snare." (Prov 29: 25) He reasons, "If I step out of the safety of this crowd, what will others think?"
The appointed hour arrived. God commanded them, "All aboard." When Noah had gathered up his family, and the animals, he entered the ark as God commanded. The bible says, "Then the Lord shut him in." Noah didn't close that door. God did. The invitation to come and escape his wrath was now closed. That door was supernaturally sealed.
As those first drops began to fall, I suspect no one thought too much about it. The inhabitants of that region dismissed it as a heavy spring shower. When the water rose up about ankle deep, I bet a few folks became a little uneasy. But I am not convinced even at this point that any of them would have bothered to try and get aboard the ark. I remember years ago, it was popular during severe tropical storms to have hurricane parties. As the warnings to evacuate were issued, people would just laugh and take another drink. These adventurers love to laugh in the face of danger. They insist on trying to ride the storm out, risking their very lives. The evacuation horn blasts through the community. They would not respond. Some people are not smart enough to know when to come out of the rain.
It is a waste of time trying to reason with this kind of person. If you try to give him a whyfor, "you will only get a smart retort; yes he will snarl at you. So don't bother him. He will only hate you for trying to help him. (Proverbs 9: 7 LVB)" The unregenerate does not think rationally, so usually he mocks wisdom and does not make intelligent decisions concerning his eternal destiny. Before the flood came, that structure was a symbol of judgment to all those who beheld its construction. When the occupants of the land saw the supporting beams fall aside and that huge vessel began to independently float upon the water, I believe fear gripped their heart. At one time, they too could have been saved. But a day came when there was no recourse, a time when it was too late.
FACING REALITY
Just pretending that Judgment Day is the delusion of some religious fanatic will not delay or prevent it's coming. Sometimes like an ostrich, we stick our head in the sand when we are confronted with something unpleasant. Now the fear of judgment can be temporarily removed from our minds, but every heartbeat brings us that much closer to that final day. Facing reality is the only thing that can save you. The Apostle Peter reminds us in the New Testament that the world was created by the word of God. With one word, God destroyed the old world and all its inhabitants by a great flood in an act of judgment against sin. Peter warns that our present world has been "reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7)" What will you do about this warning?
Noah's ark represented safety; a type salvation. Those who believed God and boarded the ship, were protected from the storm. The people in the boat escaped the fury of God's wrath. They had nothing to fear. Likewise, those who are "in Christ" (2 Co 5:17) that have received forgiveness of sin, will be spared from the torment and suffering that is on reserve for unbelievers.
In these last days before Christ’s return, God has warned us of the wrath to come. Typically, God does not mete out justice in an abrupt manner. We are living in the age of mercy, where God patiently invites you to believe and step underneath his covering of safety. Right now he is bidding you to come while the door of his mercy is still open. But he warns: There is a predetermined day set, when this door will close. While there is still sand dripping from God's hourglass of grace, turn to Christ and forsake your sin.
And yet you say, "I haven't done a thing to anger God. I'm sure he isn't angry." I will punish you severely because you say, "I haven't sinned." (Jeremiah 2:35)LVB Make no mistake about it. God is angry about sin. God "is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)" He hates sin today with the same passion as he did in Noah's day. If you aren't saved and you keep telling yourself, "God loves me too much to punish me" he says to you: "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit." (Jere 7:8) His wrath can be likened to a sleeping volcano. Though dormant now, you can be absolutely sure that it is going to erupt. Will you have taken refuge in the Lord? Jesus promised, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37) KJV
