[The Lord Jesus will appear] from heaven with His mighty angels, with a flaming fire, to punish those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might, when He comes on that Day to receive glory from all His people and honor from all who believe. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
“No offense, but I don’t buy all that church stuff you guys believe,” the teen said. Stunned, I had no reply at that moment. Though saddened by the statement, the more I thought about it, the more I feared for this young person spiritually, and vowed to pray consistently for their salvation.
Do we, as Christians, realize the dire consequences to those around us who doubt God’s existence, who scoff at the idea of punishment for sins, who do not believe Jesus died on the cross to pay for their forgiveness? How seriously do we really take Paul’s warnings? 2 Thessalonians spells out the costs--those who reject God and who do not obey the Good News about our Lord Jesus will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might.
Yet, we often hold back these truths in conversations so as not to offend anyone. Though we may share with others what God has done in our lives, how He has changed us, how He is constantly present with us, we fail to warn them of what awaits those who do not believe.
One evening when my dad was very sick with cancer, he heard my mom crying in the kitchen and asked her why she was crying. Her reply was, “I don’t want you to go to Hell.”
He immediately said, “I don’t want to go there either.”
“Well, then you need to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and believe He is your Savior!” Mom replied.
“How do I do that?” Dad asked.
My mom then led him in a prayer for salvation. We all rejoiced when we heard the news! Twenty-four hours later, Dad met Jesus face to face!
For years we had tried to talk to Dad about giving his life to the Lord, but it wasn’t till he was confronted with death, that he realized the horrible outcome of unbelief.
Have we really thought about what awaits those who die without trusting Jesus to save them? Many of us emphasize God’s love for all people but sugar-coat His right to judge. Do we truly realize the utter despair of an eternity without God, the torture of unending suffering? I admit I am guilty of not taking this as seriously as I should.
Those we love, those we work with, those we live beside—all whom we interact with, need forgiveness through Jesus or they will endure “eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious might.” We have the message to share with them that can prevent that unthinkable anguish. I encourage you not to be timid or selfish in sharing God’s provision for forgiveness from sin and it’s horrendous penalties.
©2022 Pamela D. Williams
