The Day of Judgment

November 6, 2020

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you (Matthew 11:21-22).

The torments of hell are manifold. Jesus gave us a glimpse of these torments in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). There is the sight of the righteous at rest in the Lord in heaven (vv. 23,25). There is the torment of eternal fire (v. 24) with no relief (v. 26). In hell people will remember the joyful events of their life and the evil things they did (v. 25). Once in hell, a person cannot leave; there is no release from its torments - ever (v. 26). One can remember loved ones and friends yet alive in this life, who are bound for hell, and yet cannot be personally warned of the consequences of their unrepentant life (vv. 27-31).

Chorazin and Bethsaida were Jewish towns. Their people had the covenant of Abraham which proved to them they were a special people. They have the Mosaic Law which taught them of their need for God’s grace, love, and mercy. They were the repository of the teachings of God through the Tora, the Writings, and the Prophets. Their history demonstrated God’s blessings for the righteous and His judgments for the unrighteous. Beyond all of this, they had Jesus who came as their Messiah preaching and teaching the coming Kingdom and demonstrating the power of the Kingdom of God through miracles, signs, and wonders. Tyre and Sidon had none of these. Furthermore, Chorazin and Bethsaida had become indifferent to Jesus and His Gospel. They were apathetic toward the Kingdom of God whereas Tyre and Sidon would have repented. 

We live in a country that affords us many blessings and benefits. The hand of God has been upon us throughout our history. Like the Jews, we have been the repository of the grace, mercy, and love of God, plus we have had the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached, taught, and witnessed to us for over 300 years. While there are pockets of spiritual zeal and faith, many believe the nation is slipping, or has slipped into apostasy - apathetic and indifferent to the things of God.

Our calling is the same as Christians throughout the history of the church - to be a witness to our current generation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the coming of the day of judgment. That will be a joyful day for those who believe in and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. For those who don’t know Jesus it will be a day of great sorrow. One soul saved by our witness for Jesus Christ is one less soul that will suffer judgment for sin.

“Father, we meet many people every day who are more concerned with the here and now than with the hereafter, anxious over the temporal rather than the eternal. And there is a growing attitude of apathy and indifference toward You and Your Son, Jesus. Remind me daily of those who need to hear the Gospel before they too find themselves in that place made for the devil and his demons. To Your glory I ask, Amen.”

Pastor

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