Robert G. Ingersoll is recognized as one of the most influential agnostics who ever lived. One night in New York he was dramatically and forcefully giving a lecture that explained his doubts about judgment and hell. When the gifted lecturer finished his address, a man who was very drunk stumbled his way to the front of the auditorium and said in slobbering terms, “I sure hope you are right, Brother Bob. I sure hope you are right because I’m counting on that!” He wanted to be free to live as he pleased.
Few today want to think of God as a Judge. It is much more pleasant to think of Him as a loving, caring, compassionate and gracious Father - which He certainly is – than one who will “judge the world by His standards of right-ness.” Many would apologize for considering their God in such terms – one who would act in the role of “Judge.”
There are many who want to fashion Him after their own likes and dislikes and endow Him with the nature and character they would like Him to possess. They want to make Him consistent with their own wishful thinking so that they will be comfortable in their sins. Their god has the attributes of our God in that He is compassionate and loving but they refuse to accept the fact that His character also contains wrath and justice. This would mean that there would be no judgment and no punishment for wrongs people do to others and His Creation. However, our God is a Righteous God and demands right living.
But our God, Who is a righteous God and demands that we “live right,” is also a loving and accepting God and will forgive us when we fail Him if we ask Him for His mercy.
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live in the light of Your love as well as Your judgment. May we live as You would have us to live so we will one day hear, “Well done!” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Scripture For Today: He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness. Psalm 96:13
No comments:
Post a Comment