Got an e-mail from a protestant friend (it was part of a blast e-mail to acquaintances of his) It was a long e-mail concerning final judgment quoting various Biblical verses. I thought it wasn’t bad but was incomplete in several ways. Here is the reply I sent:
A good passage but never forget that everyone will face their own judgment day at the hour of their death. It is more important to remember to prepare for that day. If you look too far ahead you can trip.
Also don’t forget that two other passages that are significant:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, 10 but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. 11 Depart from me, you evildoers.’ 12 “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” Matt (7:22:27)
And Paul echoes Christ in terms of action:
Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 9 (1 Cor 9 24-27)
Both Christ and Paul are not talking about physical death; that happens to all men (and I of course use men in it’s broadest sense as the species) So one should remember to follow up. Remember it was the apple of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that caused Adam and Eve to be ejected. Once they understood the difference the responsibility of salvation fell on them. That is why the paragraph concerning judgment begins with those who obey the gospel. When you know something you have a greater responsibility that if you don’t.
Now here is the e-mail I received. My comments are in Bold italic: (more…)