“It is appointed for man to die once, but after this is the judgment.” -Hebrews 9:27
God commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad (Luke 8:17). God will judge the secrets of men (Romans 2:16). Every one of us shall give account of himself to God (Romans 14:12).
Let me expound on Christ’s judgment. In a court of law, we are judged in accordance to the laws of the state or country. In God’s court the basis of judgment will be the Ten Commandments, which are His standard of righteousness. When we die, ALL of us will face judgment in God’s court (Hebrews 9:27). In His court, we will give an account of ourselves (Romans 14:12). EVERYTHING that we have done—in deed, thought, and action, including those done in secret will be judged (Luke 8:17). If we are innocent, then we are destined for heaven. If we are found guilty of breaking any of His laws, jail time will be an eternity in hell. There will be no holding facility, no purgatory. It will only be one of the two—heaven or hell. God will not say, “Hey y’all, line up according to your number of sins!” where the first ten billion will enter His Kingdom. Oh, no! Don’t be deceived in your ignorance. Being a just judge, each of us will answer to every sin both of commission and omission.
We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Each shall give account of himself to God (Romans 14:10,12). Judgment will be based on RIGHTEOUSNESS
Scriptures says:
- “And he shall judge the world in righteousness; he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. “ (Psalm 9:8)
- “Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.” (Psalm 96:13)
- “Before the LORD, for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.” (Psalm 98:9)
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The Ten Commandments. This will be the measure of righteousness.
Anyone who falls short of the mark, the verdict will be a resounding: “GUILTY!”
God has the highest standard of judgment. He is God! His PERFECT nature calls for it.
My challenge to you is to examine yourself. Be your own judge. Have you kept ALL 10 of His Commandments?
I encourage you to PLEASE go to this link and find out. (You may also choose to read on…)
To refer to the Ten Commandments from Exodus, you can click on this link.
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Moving on….
1. Do you love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength?
The Bible says, “No one has kept this commandment” (Psalm 14:2-3) and “there is none that understands, no one who seeks God.” (Romans 3:11)
Is God the primary love of your life? Jesus said that our love for God should be so great that our love for our parents, spouse, children, siblings, even for our own lives should seem like hatred by comparison to our love for Him (Luke 14:26).
2. Do you have your own views of God other than the God of the Bible?
“These men have set up their idols in their heart…” (Ezekiel 14:3)
God says, “No idolaters shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Have you made your own image of God in your mind? Do you say, “My god is all love and mercy, he wouldn’t send me to hell.” You’re right. Your god won’t send anyone to hell because that god doesn’t exist. He is not the God of the Bible who highly regards law and justice. That god is only a figment of your imagination, which is a form of idolatry and is the oldest sin in the Bible.
And if you value a person, your career, or any material thing so much you are not willing to give it up for love of God, then you are a servant to that. The Bible says, “no one can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other (Luke 16:13).”
3. Have you ever used God’s name as a cuss word?
God says, “He that blasphemes of the Lord, shall be put to death.” (Leviticus 24:16)
And “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20: 7)
But I say unto you, “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36)
Do you use the name of God who gave you life and all that is precious to you to express disgust and outrage? Such disrespect to our God who is good! Did you know that during Saddam Hussein’s rule, those who uttered his name with disdain their tongues would be cut off as punishment? We’re blessed we don’t have a tyrant god otherwise we’d probably be all mute!
4. Have you kept the Sabbath holy?
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God.” (Exodus 20:8-10).
Do you set aside the day to spend quiet and quality time with God? Do you make time to talk to Him in prayer? Do you diligently seek Him and place a significant effort to know Him? How many times have you failed to bow your head in thanksgiving for the food you are about to eat or for every blessing you have received?
5. Have you ever disobeyed your parents?
God says, “He that curse his father or his mother shall surely be put to death…” (Exodus 21:17)
If you have not followed your parents the first time or the moment they give an order, that’s already disobedience. God will not forget the sins of our youth (Psalm 25:7).
6. Have you ever hated anyone or called someone a “fool”?
God says, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matthew 5:22)
Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. (1 John 3:15)
God has a higher set of standards. Inasmuch as you get unjustly angry with someone or call him a fool or idiot these are already regarded as murder according to Jesus.
7. Have you ever looked at someone with lust?
Jesus said if anyone who looks at someone with lust, has already committed adultery with that person in his or her heart. (Matthew 5:28)
God does not only judge our actions, but He also detests the thoughts of the wicked (Proverbs 15:26). He sees even the secrets of our hearts and He will judge them (Luke 8:17).
Looking or watching pornography is a violation of this commandment.
8. Have you ever stolen something regardless of its worth?
God says, “No thieves…shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
Have you taken something that is not yours, however little in value? Even if you’ve done it as a child, you are not exempted. God remembers the sins of our youth. Have you downloaded, burned, and shared music illegally? Have you cheated on an exam? Have you used your time at work to attend to personal things? That’s stealing company time! Remember, God has a higher therefore, stricter set of standards.
9. Have you ever told a lie?
God says “…all liars, shall have their part in the lake of fire…” (Revelation 21:8).
Big, small, white lies, stretching the truth… Lies, lies, lies…. These are all lies in the eyes of God.
10. Have you ever been greedy?
God says those that are “covetous (greedy) are worthy of death” (Romans 1:29-32).
We covet before we steal. We covet before we commit adultery. Coveting opens up the floodgates of sin.1
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No murderers, liars, thieves, adulterers will see the Kingdom of God. This is very clear in the Bible, which says:
- “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (Revelation 21:6-8)
- “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
- “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. “ (Galatians 5:19-21)
- “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. “ (Ephesians 5:5)
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There’s still more. Disobedience isn’t just doing things we shouldn’t. It’s also NOT doing the things we should. This is the sin of omission. God says, “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17).
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So what’s the verdict? Are you innocent or guilty? The Bible warns, “For whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).” All it takes is to break one law and we’re already considered a lawbreaker. As an analogy, a person who kills another person the first time is already called a murderer. He does not have to kill 2 times or 50 times to be a murderer. In the same way, if we have failed in any of these Commandments once whether in action, thought, or dead, we have broken the law and justice must be served.
If you are honest to yourself, your answer would be, “Yes, I am guilty of breaking His commandments.” The Bible even says so. ”No one is righteous. No not one.” All are guilty of falling short of His righteousness. God is perfect. By our own efforts, we cannot inherit see God’s Kingdom even if we live for hundreds of years striving for perfection. Man is a depraved being. We are carnal and our nature seeks to gratify the desires of the flesh, which are in conflict with the Spirit and laws of God.
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Sin is defined as transgression of the law. We know we have sinned if we break any of His commandments or failed to do that which is good. James 2:10 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is guilty of all.”
You might say, “God is not close-minded. He recognizes that I cannot follow all the 10 commandments, therefore He will see the good that I have done which are plenty.” Do not be deceived. This is what you might believe but this is not what He says. The Bible says, “Your righteousness are like filthy rags.” You cannot bribe God. Even in the court of law, this argument cannot be used. ”I raped my neighbor’s daughter but I give to the poor regularly, I served as a marine, I bought my parents’ a home, bought my brother a car, etc.” If you do this, you are making a mockery of the judicial system!
A “just” judge will sentence you. God will not overlook your (venial or mortal) sins. You will be held accountable for breaking the law and none of your good works will save you. None. I say it again, NONE.
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This brings us to the conclusion that if we are guilty then the corresponding punishment is hell. What is hell? The Bible says, hell is a “place” (not a state of mind) where there is so much pain and torment, so tremendous that “there is gnashing of teeth”. It is a place of “eternal fire” yet it is “total darkness.” It is also described as a bottomless pit, which I would think as an unending free fall! It is the place of death, where “the worms don’t die.”
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Are you concerned you are going there for eternity? You should.
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As I’ve earlier mentioned, God is righteous and just but He is likewise love and full of mercy. He provided a way where we can see and enter His Kingdom. God alone can provide the “perfect” way. It is a way formed out of the abundance of His grace and love.
Learn more how God manifested His love for us in God’s Love and Grace.
