Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser
Your actions tell a profound story about your eternal destiny. Every choice you make, every step you take, shapes more than just your present – it echoes into eternity. This truth is powerfully captured in two key biblical principles: the certainty of judgment and the transformative power of faith. While it is appointed for all to die once, and after that judgment, our response to Christ’s message can fundamentally alter our trajectory. This isn’t merely about performing good deeds or accumulating religious credits; it’s about a deep transformation that begins with faith and manifests through our actions. Like signposts on a road, our actions point to our ultimate destination. And just as a tree is known by its fruit, our future is revealed through the choices we make today. This article shares a powerful reminder that we have the power to choose the direction of our lives. Be blessed as you read!
There’s future judgement. “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). John 5:24 says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24). A future time is coming when God will pour out His wrath on all the earth. “For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17). I would dread the moment of realizing my life’s work was worthless. Earthly life is not all there is to our existence. Man is sinful: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it”? (Jeremiah 17:9). Even in the context of the natural world, evil invites negative consequences and disaster. In eternity, judgment on ungodliness is absolutely guaranteed. “The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth” (Revelation 11:18).
However, it’s a different story for the believer. The believer in Christ will stand joyfully before the throne of God. We participate in the joy of the Lord when we are before Him. ‘His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’ (Matthew 25:21). We share in his joy. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Most people say that when you stand before the throne, there will be terror and fear, and you will be judged. However, for believers in Christ, standing before the throne will bring joy. This joy doesn’t come from deserving it or living a perfect life, but because Jesus has completely washed away your sins. There is no need for additional atonement for your sins; He has already forgiven all of them – past, present, and future. Therefore, for believers, standing before the Lord will actually be a source of joy.
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). The gospel truly is good news. God has shown an incredible and abundant love for the world by giving us His Son. What amazing grace it is that the great God would love a world so undeserving! He has offered us Christ, whom we can receive as our Lord and Saviour. And here’s the great beauty of the gospel, that whoever believes in Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life. To believe in Jesus means to have faith in Jesus Christ that He is God (John1:1; 10:30; 14:9) and that He saved you by His crucifixion (Eph. 2:8, 9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:5). If you continue to believe that you can somehow earn your salvation, you have never been truly born again. However, when you truly place your faith in Him, you receive His gift of eternal life. (John 6:40; 17:3). Eternal life is something that all born-again believers possess.
" Your actions tell a profound story about your eternal destiny. "
“17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:17-20). This shows the joy of all true believers; He who believes in Him is not condemned. Though they had been sinners, yet they weren’t dealt with according to what their sins deserve. While Jesus says that all judgment has been committed to Him (John 5:22), He assures us that He did not come to earth to judge us but to save us. What that means is that we are already forgiven.
When we place our faith in Jesus, we are accepting that He has already fully and successfully taken our punishment upon Himself. Think about that: Standing before God almighty and all of the wrong, stupid, evil things that we’ve done, we’re still going to be able to rejoice. I tell you, heaven is going to be a bliss. “But he who does not believe is condemned already.” Unbelief carries significant risks. The sin of unbelievers is quite serious! God sent His Son, who was dearest to Him, to save us; should He not be dearest to us as well? How great is the misery of unbelievers! They are already condemned, indicating both a current and future judgment. Those who reject Jesus as Saviour also reject His provision and must bear the full penalty of their sins (Mark 16:16; John 5:24; 2 Thess. 1:8, 9; Heb. 2:2, 3).
Those who have defiantly opposed God, burned Bibles, and blasphemed will face His wrath. Those who say they will engage in same-sex relationships and choose to identify as a woman today and a man tomorrow without concern., I assure you, those people are going to be in absolute terror standing before the Almighty God after their lives here on earth. As Christians, we must do everything possible to share the good news of the gospel with them. I love Psalm 73:28: It says, “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works”. Believers must count their blessings. In contrast to the fate of the wicked, who are distant from God, we must recognize that it is beneficial for us to be close to God and to announce all of God’s works. To effectively carry out this task, we should begin by seeking a closer relationship with God. When you place your trust in the Lord and draw near to Him, you’ll discover a renewed sense of purpose.
Believers today may not have all the answers or solutions to every problem humanity faces, but we know the one who does. It is a privilege to share Him with others. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
It’s important to realize that life isn’t about material possessions, appearance, or external perceptions. Instead, it’s about making a positive impact on others’ lives, feeling that God is working through you, and knowing you are in the right place, doing what you are meant to do and saying what you are meant to say. This journey is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Let’s continue to inform unbelievers that they can have everlasting life only through faith in Christ. They need to understand that those who do not believe in the Son of God cannot receive salvation; instead, they face the everlasting wrath of God.
