Our church is in the middle of a production called, “Judgement House.” We have been preparing for this for several months. The actual dates were last weekend and the one upcoming. It is an exhausting and exhilarating time. There is great excitement as the time approaches. And there is a sigh of relief when it is over.
“Judgement House” is a dramatic reenactment of a day in the life of one family. It is a day of reckoning for that family, and tragedy strikes when least expected. One part of the production is that those family members who have died must stand before God in judgment. It is a sobering scene.
We don’t like the idea of judgment very much in our society today. In fact, the one verse that everyone seems to know from the New Testament (believer and non-believer alike) is where Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
It is certainly true that you and I are not to judge each other. We do not have the authority to do so. And there are few things more off-putting than a judgmental attitude from a fellow sinner.
But we have forgotten this. While we are not to judge each other, there will come a day when we stand before the throne of Almighty God, the maker of heaven and earth, and we will account for the way that we have lived.
When I say that, many people immediately will protest, “I’ve been a good person. I’m not as bad as most people.” But the thing is, none of us will be compared to each other. We will, rather, be compared to the holy, perfect, and sinless Son of God, Jesus himself. And all of us will fall short of his perfection.
But the good news is this. You can be found righteous if you have trusted in the One who is perfect, and who died in your place. The Christian faith is not just about going to church and being good. In fact, far from it.
The Christian faith is about what Jesus did on the cross for you and me. He gave his life so that we might have true life. I’ve messed up so many times that it should be clear, I don’t deserve to go to heaven. But Jesus has made a way for me – and for you. I pray you will trust him today.