JUDGEMENT
JUDGEMENT
“For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God: and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’” (1 Pet. 4:17,18).
It is sad to realize that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is actually saved. It is not “easy” to be saved! That’s why Peter warned: “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Jesus said it like this: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 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 evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:21-23). Yes! Is is not easy for the righteous to be saved. Yes! Judgement will begin with the family of God!
Paul put it like this: “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did . . .” (1 Cor. 10:1-6).
On April 19, 1912, the RMS Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York city. This luxurious ship was designed with water tight compartments that could be isolated in case of an emergency. This feature led many to believe that the ship was unsinkable. An anonymous deckhand famously claimed that even “God Himself could not sink this ship”. As you know, it did sink and there were 2,223 passengers on board at the time. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14,1912 she steamed into an iceberg doing almost 30 miles per hour. Less than three hours later the Titanic disappeared beneath the waves. It was at 2:20 a.m. April 15, 1912. The Titanic’s maiden voyage lasted only 4 days, 17 hours, and 30 minutes. 1,517 people died that night, and many of them could have been saved if they had only realized their danger. Believing that the Titanic was unsinkable proved fatal to many. The Titanic only had 20 life boats and this was not enough for everyone. They could at least, however, have accommodated 1,178 people. Remember! It was the middle of a cold night, and it was warm and comfortable inside the ship. A first class ticket cost $400 which computes to over $5,000 in today’s currency. These passengers were rich people. They were used to luxury and security. They had payed a premium price and been promised a safe voyage. Many apparently believed that they deserved the warmth and “safety” they had paid for. Consequently, some of the life boats left the Titanic only half full. One with a capacity of 40 only had 12 passengers. As we have said, believing the ship was unsinkable was a fatal mistake. The same is true of people today who believe they are saved and are lost. They may have their names on a church roll on earth, but their names need to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven (Lk. 10:20; Rev. 13:8).
Jesus did everything He could to warn us to be diligent!
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He warned: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matt. 7;13,14).
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He also 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” (Lk. 13:24).
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Jesus warned that the kingdom of heaven was like 10 virgins and half of them were not saved (Matt. 25:1-13).
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Jesus said the kingdom was also like a man going on a journey and entrusted his servants with talents. Not everyone as you know was faithful. The man who did nothing with his talent was condemned for being wicked and lazy (Matt. 25:14-30).
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Jesus also warned: “Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be in the end of the age” (Matt. 13:47-49).
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Jesus did not say that the “world” was like a net let down into the lake, He said the “kingdom of heaven” was like a net let down into the lake.
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Yes! Judgement begins with the family of God. Sadly, not everyone in the family who claims to be saved is saved!
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Paul used this illustration: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor. 9:25-27).
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Note again that the Christian life is not easy. It is not a casual stroll, it is a race!
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Paul therefore warned: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test” (2 Cor. 13:5).
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Remember again our text! “For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God: and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’” (1 Pet. 4:17,18).
This truth is illustrated in the family of the Prodical Son (Lk. 15:11-31). The father had two sons. The younger son went to a far country and wasted his substance in riotous living. When he repented and returned home he was welcomed and rewarded by his father. He was obviously saved! This is good news for all who repent! There is a question, however, whether the older brother was saved. The older brother was angry and refused to celebrate his brother’s salvation. Remember, the works of the flesh are not only adultery and fornication, but also hatred and strife (Gal. 5:19). Our text reminds us that Judgement begins with the family of God. Fortunately, God knows everything and will always judge correctly, but it is plain from the Scriptures that those who do not forgive cannot be forgiven. Jesus promised: “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:14,15). If the older brother did not repent he will perish (Lk. 13:3,5).
The good news is that as long as you are alive it is not too late to repent. Remember! “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). As long as you are alive it is not too late to prepare for the Judgement. God is on your side! He actually wants you to be saved! He has provided all the resources you need to insure your salvation. “All are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world
or life or death or the present or the future – all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God” (1 Cor. 3:21-23).
DO YOU EVEN CARE?
It is easy to feel helpless in a world that is filled with evil. While we cannot do “everything” we can at least “care”. The importance of “caring” is made clear in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a priest as well as a prophet (Ez. 1:3). He did not just condemn sin, he made sacrifices so sins could be forgiven. In order to make clear why Israel was in Babylonian captivity, Ezekiel was taken in a vision to Jerusalem to see the many abominations committed by the family of God. His vision began in the temple. The many sins he saw are described in vivid detail in Ezekiel chapter 8. Each time Ezekiel looked in a different direction he saw something worse than he had seen before. It was terrible! His vision concluded in the inner court of the house of the Lord with 25 men turning their backs on God and worshiping the sun (Ez. 8:16).
Ezekiel chapter 9 tells of God’s judgement on those sinners. This judgement began at the sanctuary of God. Six men with deadly weapons went through the city to destroy the sinners. A man with a writing kit, however, went before them. That man put a mark on the foreheads of everyone who “grieved and lamented over the detestable things” that were being done. Those with the mark on their forehead were spared and everyone else was slaughtered. The slaughter included “old men, young men and maidens, women and children” (Ez. 9:6). Remember again that this judgement began at the sanctuary of God (Ez. 9:6).
Those who were spared apparently could not correct the sins of others, but they did at least “grieve and lament over those detestable things”. Do you grieve and lament over the detestable things around you?
REPENT
The message of repentance is not just for alien sinners, it is also for the church. The “family of God”, as you know, is just another way of describing the church (Eph. 3:15). The church needs to repent! In the 7 letters to the 7 churches in Asia, for example, 5 of those churches were commanded to repent: (1) Ephesus – Rev. 2:5). (2) Pergamum – Rev. 2:16. (3) Thyatira – Rev. 2:21,22. (4) Sardis – Rev. 3:3. (5) Laodicea – Rev. 3:19. Repentance was not a “suggestion” it was a “command”.
Those who refused to repent would face dire consequences.
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The church at Ephesus, for example, would have their candlestick removed and cease to be a church if they did not repent (Rev. 2:5).
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If the church at Pergamum did not repent Jesus would fight against them with the sword of His mouth (Rev. 2:16).
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If the false prophetess in Thyatira did not repent God would strike her children dead (Rev. 2:21- 23).
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If the church at Sardis did not repent God would come upon them like a thief and they would not know at what time He would come (Rev. 3:3).
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The Lord told the church at Laodicea: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent” (Rev. 3:19)l
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Please do not despise the Lord’s discipline or lose heart when He rebukes you! Whom the Lord loves He chastens and scourges every son whom He receives (Heb. 12:5,6).
While all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, few have been as sinful as king David. In addition to his other sins, he was guilty of both adultery and murder! When confronted for his sins by the prophet Nathan, however, David repented! In great agony he confessed: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13). His repentance is clear in many passages. The 51st Psalm is but one example. In that psalm David wrote: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me . . .” (Ps. 51:1-3).
David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13;22). Are you? If you are you will repent of your sins! There is no reason for you to be lost. Don’t let pride stand in your way! There are seven things that are detestable to God and a proud look is at the top of the list (Prov. 6:16-19). Do not let pride keep you from repenting. “Do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:10).
Paul, himself, like David was not too proud to repent. In fact, he said that God used him as an example. If a sinner like Paul could repent and be saved, anyone can repent and be saved. Please consider: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for this very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Tim. 1:15,16).
“For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God: and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’” (1 Pet. 4:17,18).
(This study was written by Boyce Mouton. No rights are reserved! You are free to use this material in whole or in part for the glorification of Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom)