I was recently walking down the street the other day, and noticed a young man wearing a t-shirt with bold writing claiming, “ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME!” I thought to myself, this is the epitome of rebellion in our society: that mentality is a cop-out to do what ever you see fit in your own eyes, and just postpone the consequences of your actions later. As in, “let me live my life the way I want to, and I’ll answer to God later! YES, YOU WILL! Scripture say’s, “And as It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement!” We will be judged according to the life we lived, the same as all that irresponsible spending on a credit card, the Bill is coming: “Oh the Pleasures of sin is but for a season!” Judgement is Coming on Man, and it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!
The point I wish to make is, that young man is walking about life with a false sense of freedom, because God ordained the preaching of the Word of God to save mankind. It’s the blood of Christ that atones our sins, but it’s the preaching of His Word that causes a pricking of the heart to bring us out of our sin! Paul tell’s us: It pleased God that that the foolishness of preaching is what saves them that believe! Peter got up on the day of Pentecost, and preached judgement on them! He never got up there with a patty-cake, tickle my ears sermon: He put judgment upon their shoulders: You’re the people who put our Saviour on that cross! What if the 3,000 souls that received his Word would have simply screamed, “only God can judge me?” They wouldn’t have come out of their sin, but would have continued doomed for a Devils hell! But, because a Man of God stood and proclaimed, What thus Sayeth the Word of God, 3,000 souls were saved! I wished I could have sat down with that young man and explained to him, if he’s living in sin, the payment for his sins will be required of him on judgement day, and I would tell him, there is a God who died for your sins, and He conquered Death-Hell-Grave for US, and He gives us an opportunity to come out of our sins by obeying Acts 2:38! I would tell him the goodness of God, and His forbearing Love is what draws us to repentance, and because His blood was shed on Calvary, his sins can be washed away by being baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ FOR the remission of his sins, and God WILL fill us with His Spirit! His Spirit is what allows us to live above the bondage of our old sinful habits! His Spirit is what’s going to one day, quicken these mortal bodies, and without His Spirit, We are none of His! His Grace sustains us, and His mercies are new every morning! I would tell that young man, there is a better life, and it only comes through JESUS Christ! That t-shirt he wears is a mask of his true bondage of being a slave to his flesh, and sinful nature! IT DON’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!
It takes the preached Word of God (which requires the judgement of our sins) to convict us of our ways, but the pricking of the heart is what will drive us to an altar of repentance! That young man don’t need sympathizers, like-minded friends, or enablers: That young man needs a Preacher to tell him to come out of his sins, and give his life to God while His grace is still available! I would tell him, We have the availability in this life, to live the life of an Overcomer; the life where we have power to live above the bondage of our sinful nature! The life of a Christian is the best life on earth: what the world sees as “rules and legalistic ideologies” It’s true liberation by the Power of God Almighty!
Kingdom Minded 