After This The Judgment

2005-11-29

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

This is the reality of all people everywhere.

A lot of people in my culture seem to have a concept and belief system where there is some sort of existence after death. For many, it seems, that all the ‘good guys’ go to heaven, an abstract concept of eternal bliss for them, and all the ‘bad guys’ go to hell. The latter place is reserved for all of those murders, rapists, and the like that commit the most heinous crimes in their minds. Why do people believe this?

Most of us agree that the world is an unfair place, and that people should get what they deserve. If we mix a little Christian heritage with our ‘due process’ thinking, the above worldview makes perfect sense. But interestingly enough, the entire system breaks down because the Constitution, the Supreme Court, and the local police will not decide the everlasting fate of humankind. Neither will there be any jury at the end of our days. It will be God, who created everything, that will appear as the lone judge. No democracy will be established to approve God’s decisions by two-thirds vote. He alone will determine innocence or guilt.

Since God created humankind to serve Him and observe His laws, anyone who has ever done contrary to His desires will be held accountable. And since God can do anything, owns everything, and has created everything, He cannot just slap a fine on people who have violated His laws. We cannot add to the stature or possessions of God. This is where this verse comes in. When standing before the perfect Almighty, we have failed in some way or another and do not measure up to His standards. If we have ever done anything wrong or even thought about doing something wrong, we will be found guilty. All of us will therefore despair as the verdict is read for all humankind: Guilty. And the sentence is eternity in prison. This prison is hell, and it will be far worse than any prison ever known on earth.

It is only in God’s mercy that He sent His Son Jesus to pay the price we all deserve - death. Since He had no sin, He suffered and died for us, in our place, and rose from the grave being victorious over death. If you believe this and trust in Him, you have no fear of any judgment that will come after death.

Therefore, we can complete the statement:

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28).