Snatch Them from the Fire

Snatch Them from the Fire The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. These are the words of Jesus telling us of the coming day of judgement, describing God's wrath on sinners. Do we understand these things? Are we as Christians moved by the lostness of those around us to pray and to witness? God will give to each person according to what he has done. Paul shares this principle of judgment declared in the Old Testament. In Romans 2, he continues, To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. God's consistent and powerful response to sin is His wrath, and in the next chapter, Paul tells us that no one is righteous in His sight by keeping the law. In fact, all have sinned, all fall short of God's glory, and, so, all deserve His wrath. However, God has made one way to escape His wrath. We can become righteous through faith in Jesus. All may be justified freely by God's grace. Yet despite His provision, even many religious people have not received His righteousness. Revelation 19 and 20, along with other scripture, outline the coming events leading to the final judgment. The church will be raptured and judged for rewards. Jesus then returns in power to conquer His enemies and establish His kingdom. Jesus will rule on earth for 1000 years while Satan is bound. Satan is released briefly before being condemned to the lake of fire forever. Then comes the final judgment of mankind before God's great white throne as recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. At that time, the present heaven and earth will flee before God's awesome presence. All the remaining dead will be raised to stand before God. Those there will have missed the first resurrection, but their conscious existence continues. They will have no place to hide. All must face God in judgment. God will open His records. All of our behavior has been recorded. Nothing is omitted except or that which has been forgiven. Each one will be judged for what he or she has done, and all have sinned. God has another record. In His Book of Life are recorded everyone who has received forgiveness and life by faith in Jesus. These have previously been judged for rewards based on their works and will not be among those at this final judgment. Those not listed in the Book of Life will have no defense and therefore no hope. The ultimate penalty will then be given. It is called the second death. It is far worse than physical death which is merely separation from the body. This death is eternal separation from God and from all His blessings. It has no power over the saints, believers in Jesus Christ, but it is final for those without Christ. This penalty is also described as the lake of fire, what Jesus called the fiery furnace. It is described in Revelation 14:10-11 and 20:10. It is a place of torment, pain, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. The suffering continues day and night, continuously with no rest nor break. The suffering lasts forever and ever with no end nor hope. People are cast in, cast away by God, because they have rejected Him. It is their choice that puts them there. How should we be moved by this? God is our model to follow. Ezekiel shares God's message to sinful Israel: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel? God says the same thing to all sinners today! He takes no pleasure in pouring His wrath on people. He takes joy in redeeming the repentant. He longs to see the lost return to Him to receive life with Him. We who have repented and received His life are called to imitate our heavenly Father. Do not rejoice when our enemies are condemned. Instead, seek joy not just for yourself but also for God by bringing others to Jesus. Long to see the lost join us as His children. Pray and work to bring others to Jesus. God wants His children to care about the lost. Jude tells us: Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear - hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. Do not give up hope for sinners as long as they have life. So, what should we do? First, have confidence in Jesus for your own salvation. Jude concludes: To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now, and forevermore! Amen. Let us trust in Jesus and His power to save us and not be afraid for ourselves. Then, share His grace with others. Many do not understand God's way of salvation. Many are not fully aware of the danger they are in living apart from God. They need to hear the truth from you. They need to find mercy and love in Jesus through you. God is calling each of us to go and tell them. You are to be a witness for Jesus. Let all of us who believe in Jesus get involved. Be bold and reach out. Love people. Care about their eternal destiny. Weep over the lost. Pray for those who need to come to Jesus. Tell them about Jesus and what He had done for all of us. If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and have listened through all of this, are you ready now to trust in God who became man to die bearing the guilt of your sins and then to rise again to offer you life with Him forever? All you must do is confess your sins and turn from them to put your total faith in Jesus to be your Savior from sin and to live for Him as Lord over all your life. If you choose to do this, contact us so that we can help you grow in faith.