A couple of days ago we enjoyed an unseasonably warm March day here in Michigan! In fact, we had our first outdoor dinner on our patio this year. As we were enjoying the sunshine, one kid pointed out the beautiful sun rays gleaming through the clouds. We talked about how much more magnificent it will be when Jesus returns to take us to heaven.
As the conversation
continued, another kid started talking about the end times and persecution of Christians.
We discussed that we may have to die for our faith, but life with Jesus for all
eternity will be far better than anything we may give up in this life. The
alternative, as described below, is unimaginable torture in the lake of fire
forever.
Revelation 20:11-15 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated
on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no
place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and
small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another
book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The
sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the
dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they
had done. 14 Then death and Hades were
thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone
whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the
lake of fire.
Death in this life is not
the end. As Christians, we know that is true (although sometimes we don’t live
like we know that is true). For non-Christ followers, death in this life is
also not the end. They will face Judge Jesus and then be thrown into the lake
of fire experiencing their second death. As we saw last week, Satan, the beast
and the false prophet are the first to be thrown into the lake of fire. The
torment isn’t temporary, but continuous.
Jesus’s records are
perfectly accurate, and He is worthy to judge all people. None of us could ever
measure up to His standard on our own. By His grace, He has paid for our sin on
the cross and offered us life through faith in Him. Then, we are judged based
on His merit, and He writes our names in the book of life.
Let’s praise Him for His
grace! Let’s also prayerfully recognize and take opportunities to share His
grace with others so they may enjoy life with Him now and for all eternity!
Alice
