This has been a sobering week for me as I prepare for Sunday’s sermon. I’ll be covering a topic that, well, I’d rather not have to cover. Here’s part of the text:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 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. 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 he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  (Revelation 20:11-15)

John has been recording the revelation he’s been given by God. In this passage, he describes the final judgment. Here’s what I take away from this scene:

Heaven is real. So is hell.

Our lives are being recorded and one day we will be judged according to what we’ve done. This means that heaven will not be the same for everyone. Somehow, those who have faithfully served God will enjoy it more. Hell will also not be the same for everyone. Make no mistake–it will be an awful place to spend eternity…it will just be more awful for some.

There are no second chances. I see no indication that once someone has died, he or she has a chance to “un-do” anything done or decided in this earthly life. That means the decisions made and acts done in this life have eternal consequences. Think about that.

God is a fair judge. Each person is judged according to what he or she has done. No false testimony or witnesses will sway Him.

Entrance to heaven or sentencing to hell depends on having your name written in the book of life. (Your name is written there at the moment you place your faith in Christ to forgive your sin.)

From a human perspective, it would seem there are many terrible sins that should not be forgiven: murder, rape and child abuse to name a few. From God’s perspective though, all of those are forgivable. The one sin that cannot be forgiven is unbelief–choosing to reject Christ’s death on our behalf.

We may not think that’s fair, but by even suggesting it’s not fair, we set our morality above God’s. We conclude that we know better than the holy, righteous, loving God who created us. It’s absurd to think we know better.

Choosing to believe God means choosing to believe even the things that are hard–like the eternal consequences someone will experience if they do not place their faith in Christ.

Hell is described by John (and Jesus) as a place of eternal punishment in a lake of fire. If the fire is only symbolic then I imagine the reality is somehow even worse. It’s hard to even think about.

I’d be negligent if I didn’t ask…is your name written in the book of life? If not, choose to place your faith in Christ to forgive you. We are all born with a nature that leads us to go our own way and reject God’s authority over us. That is the essence of sin.

In an unforgiven state, we cannot enter God’s presence in heaven.

Because of His great love for us, God chose to take the punishment for sin–death–upon Himself in the form of Jesus Christ. He shed His blood and died for us, so that we could experience God’s love and forgiveness. It’s not something that can be earned, only received. It’s a gift.

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.  (Ephesians 2:7-10, The Message)

If you have never trusted Jesus to forgive you, let me encourage you, even plead with you to do it now. There are no magic words to say. Simply tell Him you recognize your sinful state before Him and ask Him to forgive you. Ask Him to make you the person He has always wanted you to be. And thank Him that He has forgiven you by His grace.

If you have placed your faith in Christ today, I’d love to hear from you.