The Day of Judgment # 2

The Day of Judgment # 2

And the inquiry will extend not only to positive acts of sin; but also to omissions of duty. Great as is the number of the acts of wickedness, the catalogue of omissions will be greater, and ;not less criminal. The first sin of this sort which will claim the attention of the Judge, will be the omission to entertain and cultivate right sentiments towards God. No more heavy charge will be brought against any individual on that day, than that he neglected to love the Lord his God with all his heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. This is the total violation of the first and greatest command, and the fountain of all other iniquities.

The neglect to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ when He was offered to us a complete Saviour in the gospel, will, to the unfruitful hearers of the word, be an accusation of the highest kind. The heinousness and enormity of unbelief which now affects the consciences of men so little, will on that day appear in a glaring light. It will not be strange if it should call forth reproaches upon the unhappy culprit, from devils who never had a Saviour provided, and from heathen who never had a Saviour offered to them.

In that account which our Lord has given of the process of the judgment, in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, the neglect of kindness to the godly, by visiting, comforting, and aiding them, is the only thing mentioned. Whatever else, then, may be noticed, we are sure this will not be forgotten. The whole passage is so solemn and interesting, that it deserves our deepest attention: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me." "The the righteous will answer Him, "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?" "And the King will answer them, "I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me." Then He will also say to those on the left, "Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger and you didn't take Me in; I was naked and you didn't clothe Me." Then they too will answer, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?" "Then He will answer them, "I assure you: Whatever you did not do for the of the least of these, you did not do for Me either." "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matt. 25:31-46).

And let it be well considered, that most of the sins which are mentioned in the discourses or Christ as the ground of condemnation, are sins of omission. The slothful servant, who prepares not himself, is the wicked servant, who will be cast into outer darkness.

The man who wrapped his talent in a napkin and buried it, is condemned out of his own mouth. For "to him that knows to do good," of any kind, "and does it not - to him it is sin!" (James 4:17).

Many who prided themselves in their inoffensive lives and harmless behavior, will find, when the books are opened, a catalogue of omissions which will startle them with horror, and overwhelm them with confusion!

"God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).

"You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight." (Luke 16:15).

"He Himself knew what was in their hearts." (John 2:25).

"Lord, you know the thoughts of everyone." (Acts 1:24).

"Almighty Lord, You test people justly; You know what is in their hearts and minds." (Jeremiah 20:12).

"You alone know the thoughts of the human heart. Deal with each person as he deserves." (1 Kings 8:39).

~Archibald Alexander~

(continued with # 3)