"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,"
Hebrews 9:27 ESV
One of the most prominent landmarks in Palm Beach County, Florida is the Breakers Hotel in the town of Palm Beach. In the lobby of one of the high rise condominiums where I did some work, there was a picture of a beach party at the Breakers dated in the 1920's. I remember looking at the picture of the crowded beach front seeing the people enjoying the warm sunshine, salt water and seabreeze having a great time when a profound thought occured to me:
These people are all dead now.
But the picture showed mostly young adults in the prime of life, full of youth and vigor enjoying life on the beautiful shores of Palm Beach. Yet as I looked at the picture none of these people are around anymore. They are all dead. The youth and vigor had given way to age and frailty and finally could no longer maintain and had returned to the dust of which we are made.
It is safe to assume that at the time this picture was taken none of them gave any thought that I would one day be looking at this picture, preserved for posterity, nearly a century later and they would be gone, largely forgotten except for this old photograph.
We need to realize that this life is temporary. It will end. We are going to die eventually. Even while we are in the prime of life and we feel like we are invincible there is an inescapable truth. We are going to die.
"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
Psalm 90:12 ESV
I remember Pastor John MacArthur being interviewed after the events of 9-11 and I believe he was asked if God was punishing the victims in the twin towers. Dr. MacArthur responding by saying something to the effect that nothing had happened to them that isn't going to happen to every one of us. We all have an expiration date that God has predetermined.
Jesus responed to a similar situation as Dr. MacArthur did in Luke 13:
"There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.' ”
Luke 13:1-5 ESV
The real question is, "Then what?"
The message of the gospel starts with the bad news. We are a condemned race. Most people (even unbelievers) know John 3: 16. But very few know what verse 17 says and almost nobody knows what verse 18 says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
John 3:16-18 ESV
THE WORLD IS ALREADY CONDEMNED!!
It was condemned back in Genesis chapter 3 when Adam and Eve sinned.
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,"
Hebrews 9:27 ESV
In the words of Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, "The gospel has a message to the unrepentant sinner, judgment awaits."
There is a day of judgment coming. Jesus talked a lot about judgment and about hell, even describing hell in quite some detail. Contrary to the universalist view, it is not a place you ever return from. Dante had it right in his Inferno when he described the inscription on the sign over the entrance, "Abandon all hope ye who enter here."
The apostles warned people to save themselves from judgment.
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” (Acts 2:40 ESV)
Modern Evangelistic Preaching
It has become popular in modern preaching to only focus on the good parts of the gospel message. Sometimes it is just glossing over the bad news. Often, new converts are told to start reading the gospel of John. In retrospect, reading at least the first 3 chapters of Genesis, preferably the first 6, before reading John would instruct an understanding of the fall and the serious ramifications of our sin nature. It is important to understand the bad news first before reading the good news.
Often modern preaching is simply preaching what people want to hear.
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)
In the words of Charles Spurgeon: "The time is coming when in the church instead of shepherds feeding the sheep we will have clowns entertaining the goats."
Some evangelistic outreaches have made the gospel all about the miracles, prosperity, and 'your best life now.' We've seen the hyped up evangelistic crusades which seem to thrive on sensationalism.
That isn't what Jesus and the apostles taught.
Yes God performs miracles today. He blesses and he does heal. But let's put that into perspective. I had a pastor once who did this very well. He said, "When we pray for healing and God miraculously heals that person we celebrate, rejoice and praise Him. But we have to understand that when someone is healed in this life it is only prolonging the inevitable. Even Lazarus would still need his tomb."
And then what?
Judgment
"The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death." (Isaiah 57:1-2 NIV)
We are all going to die. But death for the saved is completely different than it is for the unrepentant.
For the repentant:
"Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6 ESV)
For the unrepentant:
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15 ESV)
If we are to be judged by what we have done then we will be found guilty. Isaiah 64:6 says:
"...and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment."
The only righteousness that God will accept on that day will be the righteousness of his Son, Jesus Christ that was imputed on our behalf.
2 Corithians 5:21:
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Lazarus and the rich man
There are some things we should briefly observe from this narrative:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ “ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
Luke 16:19, 21-31 NIV
Because this narrative differs from Jesus's parables in that Lazarus and Abraham are specifically named, some have speculated that this is not a parable but something that actually happened. I personally think that's a flimsy foundation to base a doctrine on but nonetheless, there are a number of things to understand about the final judgment from this:
1. People don't return. There is no chance for a redo.
2. Jesus actually did return from the dead and people still did not believe him. Thus proving that people would not listen and believe even if someone were to return from the dead.
3. It is significant that Lazarus and Abraham are named but the rich man is not. While in this life he had prestige and honor, in the next life he is a nobody. If in fact this is an actual historical narrative, then those of us in Christ will one day meet Abraham and this Lazarus. We will never see this rich man. That is the fate of the unrepentant. Proverbs 10:7 says that even the name of the wicked will rot.
Repent while it is still the day of grace and mercy
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18-21 ESV)
When Jesus quoted this passage from Isaiah 61 he stopped before he read the next line which is, "and the day of vengeance of our God." That part of the passage was not fulfilled at that time. The day of judgment is yet future but do not doubt, IT IS COMING.
When Jesus came the first time it was to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. That day is still now. But that day will come to an end and then it will be too late. If you have not repented of your sins, I implore you to throw yourself on the mercy of Jesus Christ. Let his blood cleanse you of your sin. Let his righteousness be placed on you while it is still today. The day of his vengeance yet to come, will be too late for you.
It is appointed unto men once to die. It is appointed unto the wicked to die twice. There is no resurrection from the second death. Turn to Jesus Christ so that you may have your part in the first resurrection on whom the second death has no power!
May God richly bless you all.
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