Day of reckoning

Saddam Hussein has been executed; a just punishment for a wicked evil life highlighted by torture and murder of tens of thousands of innocent people. Unfortunately for Saddam it does not end with the hangman’s noose; next he has to face God and give an accounting for his sins against God’s holy laws and then he must be punished for them. The Bible assures us that there always comes a day of reckoning and that ultimately there will be justice. Sometimes it takes a while, but as sure as the sun comes up in the East, a price must be paid for every’ sin. The same holds true for me and for you.

This year New Year’s Eve came on the last Sunday of the year. I wonder how many folks spent this Sunday, (that is supposed to be dedicated to worshipping the Lord), getting drunk and partying until the wee hours and are at this very moment beginning this brand new year nursing a hangover complete with throbbing headache and upset stomach. I wonder how many are in a hospital because of a drunken car crash. I wonder how many might be in jail because they drove drunk and got caught. How many bodies are in a morgue with their departed souls facing God due to car crashes and drunken drivers?

The majority will have made it home with not even a scratch and aside from the hangover are in excellent shape. Are they? Saddam Hussein made it for years living his life as though there would never be a day of reckoning, but it surely came. The Bible is clear that there is a day of reckoning for all of us. Every sin ever committed must be accounted for and the punishment for the least of them is death and eternal separation from God. We cannot break even one of God’s holy laws without facing this most severe punishment.

We cannot buy God’s forgiveness, and we cannot be good enough to earn it. Good deeds do not offset the requirement for punishment of sin according to God. Instead there must be actual punishment for sins, no if, and, or, buts about it – period – finale! God will accept the blood sacrifice of Jesus whereby He took our punishment for us on the cross, or we must take it ourselves, but punishment will necessarily be exacted for each and every sin.

In order to take advantage of the merciful act of grace and love that Jesus demonstrated for us on the cross, we must accept Him as our Savior. We must acknowledge that He is the only Son of God who loved us so much that he willingly took our punishment even though He lived the perfect sinless life that we cannot live. We must believe that on the third day after His death, He arose to once again assume His former glory in heaven. We must ask God to forgive us our sins and repent, (turn), from them and our former life and follow Him. It is as easy as that.

The alternative is to take the route that Saddam took, living a life full of reckless disregard for consequence as if the day of reckoning would never arrive. We will ultimately all face a holy, just, and fearsome God. It is too late for Saddam, he is facing God’s terrible wrath alone. At the judgment seat of Christ, without the blood sacrifice of God’s beloved Son Jesus covering our sins and Him standing next to us as our advocate, we will account for our sins one by one alone and terrified. God’s punishment is everlasting and will be marked with loneliness, darkness, fear, sorrow, weeping and according to the Bible eternal torment in a lake of fire, where there will be gnashing of the teeth.

If you do not have Jesus in your life, today is the day to invite Him in. The choice is clear, paradise with Jesus, or Hell and damnation without Him. The Bible shows us the way to find paradise; all we have to do is pray to Him, acknowledge that He is the Son of God who gave His life voluntarily in order that we might live, and rose again after three days. Ask Him to forgive us of our sins and come into our lives forever. If you said that prayer and meant it and you “celebrated” the last Lord’s Day of this year by getting drunk, all of your sins including that one have already been forgiven and paid for by the blood of Christ.

Now start your new life determined to change it for the better and demonstrate your love for Him and His effort on your behalf by following His commands as best you know how and make your decision for Christ public and let others know of your decision for Christ. Shed the old ways and bring in the new this New Year. You will never have any regrets from asking Christ into your life; but without Him you will regret it forever, just like Saddam is doing at this very moment.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave
His only Son, that whoever believes
In Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.