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!”
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 as a stern judge who will “judge the world in
righteousness.” Many would apologize for considering their God in such terms,
but this way of thinking is inconsistent with what God’s Word teaches.
And there are many who want to fashion Him after their own likes and dislikes
and endow Him 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 attributes
also contain wrath and justice. This would mean that there would be no judgment
and no punishment for sins. However, our God is a Holy God.
But our God, Who “is love,” will one day judge “the world with righteousness
and the people with truth.”
Prayer: Help us, Lord, to live in the light of Your
judgment and know we will hear You say, “Well done!” In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Scripture for Today: Psalm 96:13 Let all creation rejoice
before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the
world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.
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