JUDGEMENT IS COMING Sunday 1 July 2012

Open Heavens Devotional by Pastor E.A. Adeboye

Memorise: Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 1 Corinthians 3:13

READ: 1 Corinthians 3:11-15

Death seals the fate of an individual. The Holy Ghost, writing through Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 makes clear the fate of faithful believers: finding themselves immediately with Jesus once they are absent from the body; while Jesus in Luke 16:22-23 makes clear the fate of those that live outside of God’s percepts: being welcome to hell as they close their eyes in death. There is no middle place. There is no purgatory as taught by some religions or Christian denominations. It is either Heaven or Hell. Wherever you land at death is where you will live forever. It is either death or Jesus comes to take you home at the rapture. These are the only two exit points from this world into eternity. Where will you spend eternity?

People quake whenever they hear of death because after death, judgment follows. Hebrews 9:27 says:

And as it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment:

The creator of man has an appointment with man. He does not seek their inputs concerning this appointment, although those who are very close to Him could negotiate and shift the date of the appointment. Whether you like it or not, you must keep that appointment someday, either through death or through the rapture. A sinner who dies will go to hell. Revelation 20:11-15 says after they are judged at the Great White Throne Judgment, the inhabitants of hell will be thrown into the lake of fire. That is like saying, from frying pan to fire. The lake of fire is far worse place than hell fire. Just one sin is enough to take you there. On the other hand, those who believe in Jesus Christ, not just church goers, but those who received Christ into their lives and have the evidence of a change of life will face their judgment too. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 says every work we have done will be passed through God’s fire. Any work that did not meet up with God’s standard will be burnt. On that day, many believers will weep their eyes out when they see their works burnt. The issue is not just working for God but working to meet God’s standard or expectation. Any work done with wrong motives will be burnt. Any work done not at the time God requested but at the convenience of the doer may be burnt. Some people may have nothing left after the fire. You still have time now to make amends. You must not lose your reward!

KEY POINT:

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Unfortunately, concerning matters of eternity, many who were forewarned never believed the truth until they died and found it so. But alas they were unprepared.

 

Bible in one year: Leviticus 1-4