“ . . . be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.” - Job 19:29
It has been said that failure to respond to wrongdoing emboldens the perpetrator. A lack of swift reprisal gives the perpetrator every reason to believe he may act without fear of punishment or retribution. The recent events in cities like Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington seem to establish that presumption is true. On a more personal level, it applies to each of us in the way we conduct our daily lives. A lie here, an act of greed there; none of it matters . . . as long as we don’t get caught. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” - Proverbs 15:3.
For the unbeliever, it is all so easy. Because they refuse to acknowledge God’s existence they simply go about their lives dodging the brimstone rather than raindrops. And many live their entire lives this way, never fearing the day of reckoning, completely oblivious to their harmful thoughts, words, and deeds. All this despite God’s own warning to us - “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” - Jeremiah 17:10.
To behave this way indicates one of two things: either we don’t believe in God or we don’t think He will punish us for our deliberate sins. Either way, we are showing the greatest disdain and contempt for Him. Essentially, we are willing to crucify Christ again and again and again. There is simply no other way to see it. If by some delusion we think that ‘our God’ would never bring His wrath down upon us, think again! Have we not His ever truthful word? “I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.” - Ezekiel 25:17.
Where will we be on that fateful day when God calls us to account? Note that we won’t be called to account for our children or our neighbors - we’ll be called to account for ourselves! “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.” - Romans 14:12. Will we have a defense ready for the sinful things we know we have said and done? Do we think God will weight out the good things we have done against the evil? God doesn’t grade ‘on a curve’. “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” - Ecclesiastes 12:14. There is nothing about our lives that will not be revealed.
Can we imagine being called out for all the things we have ever said and done wrong? There will be sins in our lives that we had hoped we would never hear about, let alone been made to think about again; sins that we hoped would never be brought to light! The shame and humiliation will be nearly as crushing as our condemnation. Are we at all sure that we can stand the trial we face? “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” - 1 Corinthians 10:12.
We should take this opportunity while we have it to repent of any sins we are actively living in. These sins will not go away nor will they be hidden before our omniscient God. “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.” - Numbers 32:23. We must confess our sins before God if we are to have the hope through faith in the mercy of our God Who will forgive us our trespasses. God’s grace is ours because of His compassion for us. He is not willing for us to be condemned for all eternity if we but come to Him for forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
Our confession must be as deliberate as our sins are if we are to be forgiven and welcomed into eternal salvation.
No comments:
Post a Comment