What do you care for judgment brethren?  Does its ominous imminence capture your imagination?  Do you perhaps fear the coming fury of Almighty God?  Tell me, what then is this fear sponsoring in you?  What predictive, demonstrative or proximal action has it created through its overwhelming pressure upon coming events?  Or has it done its very best in paralyzing your movements as intended?

If you know Christ then you are showing him your love by obeying his commands.  If you have shown him that obeyance then you have read, studied, prayed upon and written the Holy Word upon your heart.  If you have that Word, then you know only those outside his grace are to be subjected to judgment, for our sins have been forgiven.  If you still feel unforgiven then you perhaps are being prompted by God’s Holy Spirit to once again stand with Christ and stop your worldly backsliding.  If you are listening to the Holy Spirit then you know I am speaking to you and if you are not listening to the Holy Spirit then your fear of His coming judgement is well exercised.

Everyone tells me they don’t know what it is they are supposed to do for God.  I say, “poppycock”, because that is the most pleasant word I could possibly use for this vile practice of disobedience to Christ.  Make disciples, pray unceasingly, heal the lame, the blind, feed the sheep, show the love of Christ to a dying world.  Pretty clear, no obfuscation, no hiding, no deception.  Stop trying to find something to hide behind, excuses really look like vomit upon your white garment.  Pay attention to punctuation, especially in God’s Word.

For example, Ephesisans 1 is comprised of only four sentences, each phrase or paragraph in full dependence upon its predecessor for complete clarification and understanding.  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.   This first sentence is wonderfully crafted by the Holy Spirit, clarifying identity, reason, purpose, attribution and audience but it does even more, by leaving us craving the next passage.  Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.  

We are again fulfilled in finding that we are invited to hear the Word of God in promised grace and peace from the One God through two parts of his triune nature.  Have you contemplated being extended grace and peace by your God’s Father and Son nature?  Have you been reading the same book that I have, oh, I forgot you only pay attention to the parts that have drama, a fuzzy feeling or that justify your lack of commitment?  I beg your forgiveness in advance, but I feel it is now incumbent upon me to become the iron God intended.  This luke-warm practice counts you a present member of the worldly church and you ought to be slightly frightened by what the Lord Jesus says in Revelation 3 that he is going to do with that church.  Fear ought to provoke commensurate behavior otherwise it is useless as a warning mechanism. You either fear him or you fear this world, you must decide which scares you more.  Or perhaps you don’t fear either, a more dangerous position, I cannot imagine.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his brace, wherein he hath made us accepted the beloved. 

Wow, I have to sit and meditate on that one for a while just to grasp its awesome understanding.  Oh, you just read over it once twelve years ago and never took time to get it.  I am so sorry brother that you have shown yourself false to the duty lain before you in Christianity.  You wish that I would coddle your sensibilities a bit more and perhaps feed you and let you take a sweet nap.  No, that is not my part in this novel you are writing.  I have been sent to say, “AWAKE, for God’s judgment is at hand and we still have work left for us to do, before the master arrives.  Make straight your path for the Kingdom of God is nigh.  Whoops, there I’ve said it, now I am the bad Christian man who doesn’t deal with every naughty child with a gentle hand.  You have been spared the rod long enough.  I can withstand your contempt if in fact it causes your arousal to review the responsibility you have to Christ the King.  Now I am telling you that your inaction is costly, not only to Christ but to you as well.  Perhaps you ought to read the parts of his word that tell about how he will deal with them who bury their talents.  Better yet, read that passage above once, just once like you intended to truly understand it and write its meaning upon your heart.  We will both be truly blessed if you do.

The next passage in Ephesians tells of God’s love for us that he planned our redemption before the beginning of time that we might be saved and sealed with His Holy Spirit simply out of His amazing and glorious will to do so.  Shouldn’t that captivate your attention?  If it doesn’t cause you to read this segment for at least one hour today and you instead spend that time at leisure, television, sports or recreation then your priorities have become contaminated.  I pray for you and understand that I may not be your favorite person right now, but that is an exchange I will gladly make if it either saves your eternal soul, prepares you to be snatched out in the rapture or better yet creates in you a desire to go forth and make disciples of men.

The grace and peace of God to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ the King.