The Inevitable Judgment of God

I have been reading through Old Testament prophets and coming judgment is a common theme.  What might surprise people is the testimony of God's prophets were not so much an indictment against the heathen but focused primarily upon the judgment God would bring upon the Jewish nation, His chosen people with whom He made a covenant.  The apostle wrote in 1 Peter 4:17, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?"  Peter's words affirm God's judgment of His people should not be relegated to the Mosaic covenant but is presently in full force in our age of the Gospel of grace.

It is imperative every man know, even in our post-Christianity world, every one of us will face the judgment of God in this life on earth and in the life to come.  Whether we preach from a pulpit or speak to a man on the street, we are addressing people who will experience personally the judgment of God.  It could be the judgment for sins committed or for the totality of our lives on earth:  a judgment of full reward or loss preceding eternal life, and a judgment that results in eternal death for sinners without the Saviour Jesus Christ.  Peter said it was time for judgment to begin with the house of God, and thus we must put our own lives and house in order before the living God who will judge all the earth.

Francis A. Schaeffer claimed decades ago he was living in a post-Christian world, and he used examples from the prophets in the past to suggest this was currently also the case among God's people in the church.  I believe many of his observations and claims have merit.  Since the Jewish kings, governors, priests and people refused to heed the message of judgment from prophets sent by God, it is possible and likely many people in the church who identify as Christians reject necessary messages of judgment today.  Schaeffer wrote in his book Death in the City in relation to churches departing from the orthodoxy of faith in Jesus Christ and God's word:

"And we as Christians today, what are we saying?  We are saying that we want reformation and we want revival, but still we are not preaching into this generation, stating the negative things that are necessary.  If there is to be a constructive revolution in the orthodox, evangelical church, then like Jeremiah we must speak of the judgment of individual men great and small, of the church, the state, and the culture, for many of them have known the truth of God and have turned away from Him and His propositional revelation.  God exists, He is holy, and we must know that there will be judgment.  And like Jeremiah, we must keep on so speaking regardless of the cost to ourselves." (Schaeffer, Francis A. Death in the City. CROSSWAY BOOKS, 2021. page 78)

It may be Schaeffer gives too much credit, for I do not know many people who are crying out for reformation and revival.  The hope of many might be for a more comfortable life now and the avoidance eternal judgment in hell--if it indeed exists.  It has become painfully obvious to me some Christians have no idea how to deal with the topic or word "hell" except to avoid it unless spoken as a mild expletive.  A doctor understands the need to state the negative things to an ill patient so they might be helped to recover.  The minds of people must be convinced by evidence to change a diet or lifestyle, and often it is the clearly stated inevitable bad outcomes that has turned the health and lives of many around.  Pastors and Christians ought to learn this lesson as well, not to coerce or manipulate our hearers by fearful threats, but by warnings out of love that point to Jesus Christ as our Saviour we all desperately need.

Knowing we Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ prompts us to consider our ways and words today.  If Jesus and the prophets did not shy away from the subject of God's judgment, should we?  I urge caution upon those who speak presumptuously, ascribing God's judgment for reasons God has not expressly stated.  When Pilate ordered the execution of Galileans or the tower of Siloam fell and tragically people died, perhaps some presumptuously claimed it was God's judgment for Jews breaking the Sabbath or neglecting to tithe of their firstfruits according to the Law of Moses.  Jesus did not say anything about why God allowed such tragedies.  He simply followed up by saying to children of Abraham:  "Except you repent, you will likewise perish."  The Bible reveals God judges nations, cities, families and people without exception.  1 Corinthians 11:31 makes the message of judgment individual and personal for Christians God chastens, not for our destruction but ultimate restoration:  "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged."