He is a God of second chances. That’s one of my favorite things about the God I serve.
But, tonight, as I sit here in the quiet of my house, I am thinking about the moment when he will be the God of no more chances.
I have spent a majority of the past five years blogging about death from my earth’s eye view. I live the pain of death every day. I shed tears over death. My life has been turned upside down by death. But something I don’t always think about is MY death.
I mean sometimes I wonder if I will get old. I wonder if I will deteriorate. I wonder if I will die suddenly or slowly. But there’s a whole lot more to it than the moment I die. Death isn’t the main event, facing judgement is.
Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment. Heb. 9:27
I like to think about how mindful God is of me. He collects my tears and counts my hairs, but he also has recorded every word I have spoken.
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. Mt. 12:36
My reaction is to hide from it. Avoid it. Talk about the fluffy things of God that make me feel safe. God is good, loving, full of mercy and overflowing with grace but that’s not the whole story. He is a God who is going to judge me. I have a choice to let the judgement invoke rebellion or let it inspire me to holiness.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. 2 Pet. 3:10-12
One day I won’t be given another chance. I won’t have the opportunity to apologize, pay back or even to repent. One day I will simply be ready or not.
We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thes. 4:15-18
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