October 9 – Resurrection – to Life or to Judgment

Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. John 5:25-29 NASB

The choice is yours—resurrection to life or resurrection to judgment.

So what is JUDGMENT? Condemnation? The word “judgment” occurs 294 times in the King James Version of the Bible. There are fourteen separate meanings in Hebrew and Greek for judgment. Most are related to punishment, damnation, vengeance, or accusation. It is also associated with lawful, order, worthy, discretion, law, prayer, and supplication in the Old Testament and with righteousness and justification in the New Testament. Jesus was given the authority for judgment by the Heavenly Father. Everyone will stand before Him one day. Those who believe in Him will not face the judgment of eternal damnation—better known as hell. Some people don’t believe that hell really exists—but it does. Search the scriptures for yourself and we’ll discuss this in a couple of months.

There is an encouraging passage in 1 Thessalonians about dead in Christ rising. It describes the rapture. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 NASB

We’ll always be with the Lord! What a wonderful thought. Feast on those words—savor them. Those are tasty words. Always. What a promise! Those who are married have promised “til death do us part….” Always is even longer than that. Forever—eternally. But pay close attention to the John 5:25-29 passage. It says that all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and be resurrected either to life or to judgment. Everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected. There has to be a relationship to Jesus to be resurrected to life and “escape” judgment. No one else escapes. Not someone who has lived a good life, but doesn’t know Jesus as their savior. Not someone who has given lots of money to the church or to charity. Not someone who is kind and good to everyone and to animals. Jesus also tells us pointedly that those who have done evil things will be judged. Where do you fit in this?

Lord Jesus—You have the most difficult job ever—judging others. I ask that you will forgive my sins today and lead me in your righteous way that I might not sin against you. In that day of resurrection let me be found pleasing to you and then able to live with you forever in your glorious Heaven.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.