God's Judgement
God's judgement
Most people have a misunderstanding of God's judgement. Jesus said pick up your cross and follow me. But when we look at Jesus's life, he loved people and cared for their needs, helping the hurting. He didn't judge people and in most cases, after helping them, simply told them to go on with their life and sin no more. In fact, he was often criticized by the religious leaders of that day for associating with people that didn't live a religious life instead of judging them. Jesus choose love over judgement.
God's judgement is all about love and forgiveness. God is eternal and his promises never change over time and he promised that he would judge mankind for how they treat their fellow brothers and sisters during their life. Why? Because he made us to love each other, as he loves us. God never gives up on anyone, but instead, they give up on him. Even to the point of being cast into the lake of fire when he restores his kingdom. Likewise, God doesn't want you to give up on anyone, but instead love them in spite of their faults knowing that your Heavenly Father loves them and doesn't want them to perish.
But he is going to judge others for how you were treated during your lifetime and how you treat others during your lifetime. Why? because you were made in his image and likeness, so he demands that you be treated with the love and respect you deserve according to his commands because you are a child of God, regardless of whether you accept him or not. Doesn't that seem logical? As Parents, wouldn't we demand love and respect for our children regardless of what they thought of us? We love them in spite of their faults just as God loves us in spite of our faults.
Therefore, we need to always remember, that everyone you know and have had contact with during your life will be called to answer for how they treated you on judgement day and likewise you will be called for how you treated others..
What is sin?
Most people have a misunderstanding of what sin is. Most people associate sin with some sort of action, which is only intended to separate people and divide them. Allowing one person or group to say they are better than another person or group. One person says drinking alcohol is a sin, another says wearing provocative clothing is a sin. All intended to separate people and say I'm a good person while judging another and saying they are a bad person for associating with that particular activity.
But the Apostle James said that sin is knowing the good they ought to do and not doing it. (James 4:17 KJV)
Therefore, sin is much broader than a particular action. It is looking at your life and asking yourself, will this action please God and help my neighbor or it is only to please myself and I don't care about my neighbor or anyone else, I only care about my own selfish desires. In fact, most sinful actions listed in the bible relate to only purely selfish motives: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealously, rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, just to name a few.
Compare that to the qualities God wants you to possess instead: love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
That is why God said all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, because we all have those purely selfish traits in us. There isn't a person on the planet, besides Jesus, that hasn't sinned at one time or another during their life.
It all comes down to self control. The Apostle James said that sin starts of as temptation, when we are drawn into our own lusts, then that lust grows from a thought to an action and it conceives into sin.
It is only by studying and meditating on God's word daily that we can resist and master sin which keeps us from being drawn into our own lusts. We must learn to love God enough to trust him and resist sin knowing that it is destructive to us and others. So, instead we should always look to the love of God, love for ourselves, and the love of others throughout our life.
The need for salvation
God loves us so much and knows we lack the self control to master our sin. Therefore, he created a way for us to bypass the judgement seat by allowing another to take our place. Why? because he doesn't want anyone to perish. That person being Jesus, his Son. Why? Because God doesn't want to judge anyone, nor does he want anyone to perish because of their actions and lack of self-control. But he has to judge us because he made a covenant with Noah to do so, and God doesn't change, and his promises are eternal. So what do you do with an addict (mankind) that just can't control their habit? You look at their heart and see if they really wants to change, but lack the self control to do so.
That's why God allowed those that accept and believe in the name of Jesus to escape the judgement seat. Because if you put your hope in Jesus and accept him into your heart and ask for the forgiveness of your sins, God knows that, even though you may lack the self control to master your sin, through his Son, your transgressions can be covered in his sacrificial blood and obtain forgiveness by God, allowing you to enter into his kingdom as one of his children.
But to do that you much turn your heart to heaven, and ask Jesus to come into your heart and ask for forgiveness of your sins. A simple prayer is all that is needed to bring you into the life that God has designed for you, such as, "Dear Jesus, I realize that I've been walking in darkness, and my actions have led me to sin against others. I need your help to guide me into a relationship with God. Come into my heart and instruct me on your ways and guide me to follow your life's example of how I should live my life to please my Heavenly Father. Forgive me of my sins and cover me in your sacrificial blood so that I will be seen as blameless in the eyes of my Heavenly Father. Please ask the Heavenly Father to fulfill his promise to you and send his Holy Spirit to come and live within me and guide my steps. Teach me how to love the Father with all my heart as you do, and love my neighbors as myself,
Amen. "
If you said that prayer, congratulations, you have become a child of God. Your next step is to turn to his word, read the bible and meditate on it day and night, not allowing the words to depart from your mouth. Seek out a bible centered church so that you may grow closer to God and learn how to be a light to a dark world and allow God to love a hurting world through you.