Pursuing truth by shunning sin and doing which is right before God will often cost one in the short-term.  These costs often compound and lead to major disruptions and hardships.  Living in sin on the other hand often brings comfort and happiness for a while.  

These things are hitting at the significance of genuine faith or unbelief when the obedient nature of true faith in Christ, and the disobedient nature of unbelief in Him, are understood.  

Those who will have favorable Judgment Days will have known sorrow in life for making the choices they needed to make to have a favorable Judgment Day.  

Even the thief on the cross lost face (i.e. lost respect, suffered humiliation) before that crowd by siding with Jesus.  This man became an object of scorn and derision even more than he already was in being crucified by doing so.  

Those who will be damned on Judgment Day surely have counted themselves happy previously to have continued in sin and avoided the suffering necessary to wholeheartedly pursue righteousness before God through Jesus Christ.

Yet God will turn their laughter into mourning on Judgment Day- even if He didn’t do so before (like He has been known to do); and even if they lived a basically happy life.

Luke 6:20-26: “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.  Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.  Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.  Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.  But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.  Woe unto you that are full!  for ye shall hunger.  Woe unto you that laugh now!  for ye shall mourn and weep.  Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you!  for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

1 Peter 4:12-13: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”  

No one will rejoice on that day otherwise.

Revelation 20:11-15: “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

This last passage describes the judgment of the wicked; yet there is not a double standard.  Those deemed righteous on Judgment Day will be saved by the grace of God because they turned to God through Jesus Christ with a living faith which involved repentance and continued obedience.  They will have walked in a faith in Christ where their lives were governed by His Word.  It is in this path that there is mercy by Christ’s atoning blood through His High Priesthood.  That is the logical implication of receiving Jesus for all that He is- Lord and Savior- Prophet, Priest, and King.  

The works of those who are damned on Judgment Day will prove that they had a lack of faith in Christ.  Their names will not be found in the Book of Life and they will be condemned.  

Each person has an appointment with the Holy God of the Bible wherein they will be judged for their works in light of God’s truth.  

There is a way for all to come into line with God through the atoning blood which Christ shed on the cross by exercising wholehearted repentance and faith in the only rightful Lord and Savior.  

Jesus says in John 14:6: “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Preparation for that appointment will be closed to each of us when we die or when Christ comes back in person (if we are yet alive when that happens).  Our eternity will surely depend on the outcome of that judgment.  

God will surely not save those who lived in sin by refusing to walk in the light they had in terms of knowledge of His expectations (1 John 1:5-10).  

There will also surely be consequences of some kind for each one of our words and actions on Judgment Day (even for those whom God saves, though it is hard to know exactly what those will be and how it will all happen). 

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Aaron’s email is: [email protected]

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