Jesus The Judge Series

The Bible makes far more sense. There is a terrible curse on this earth which is decay and death. You may want to live in denial (our culture does) but the wrinkles, poor health and the affliction of old age will catch up with us all. According to the Bible this is what happened – Romans 5:12: “ … sin entered the world through one man [the first man committing the first act of disobedience against God], and [with that] death [entered the world] through [this man’s] sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned … ” Because of sin – death came to our bodies and also spirit nature – Ephesians 2:1-10 – I read: “ … you were dead in your transgressions and sins … gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature … by [that] nature objects of God’s wrath … ” Therefore, even before Jesus executes the final judgement, we are already living in judgement. There is decay and death and a dead nature toward God which – as a result – leads to enslavement to sin and the oppression of the devil – including possible demonization. Thus, the more complete version of the Bible quote from before reads – Ephesians 2:1-10 – I read: “ … you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient … ”

Judgement is coming and the first disciples knew. They said – Acts 10:42: “Jesus Christ 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.” If this was not the case (if there was no judgement), then – not only would the urgency of our preaching be taken away – soon there would be no preaching at all and then no Christians because we would ask ourselves: “Why suffer any inconveniences or even persecution, when none of this matters in eternity? Why tithe, fast food, pray, resist temptation … ? Relax. Enjoy and be comfortable. God will simply save everyone.”

When some Christians thought that there may not even be a resurrection – no judgement and no eternal life at all – the apostle Paul wrote to them – 1 Corinthians 15:29-32: “ … [Then] why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day – I mean that . – … If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” Consider what this man suffered for preaching Jesus Christ. He would not have done so, if it did not matter in eternity – 2 Corinthians 11:23-29: “ … prison … flogged . severly … exposed to death again and again. Five times I received … the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned … shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea … have often gone without sleep … known hunger and thirst … ” Why pay such a high price for preaching and confessing Jesus Christ, when people are not in danger of eternal death? [Cf. Luke 19:10.]

What would you say to the Christians in Malaysia right now? On the eighth of January eight churches have been hit with Molotov cocktails. The ground floor of the three-storey AOG Metro Tabernacle in Kuala Lumpur was totally gutted and in Egypt – on the sixth of January – six Christians were killed and nine wounded when a drive-by shooter sprayed Christians with machine-gun fire as they were coming out the St John’s Church in Nag Hammadi. How many of us would remain Christians if we began burying martyrs?