The Certainty of God’s Justice and the Gift of His Life
Life without Jesus is a train bound for separation, but in Him, the tracks lead into the fullness of God’s presence forever.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Bob Hoekstra reminds us in today’s reading that not all of God’s promises are promises of comfort. Some are promises of accountability and judgment. These are not popular truths in a world that longs to ignore eternity, but they are necessary truths. Jesus Himself declared that a day is coming when angels will separate the wicked from the just, and those who have rejected Him will be cast into a furnace of fire. Such words unsettle us, but they flow from the lips of the One who is full of grace and truth.
Judgment is not a possibility but a certainty. Every person who dies apart from faith in Jesus will face accountability before the Lord. The writer of Hebrews says it plainly, it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. John’s vision in Revelation confirms the sobering picture of the great white throne, where the unredeemed stand before God and are judged according to their works. This is not speculation but God’s promise.
The seriousness of sin is measured not by how we feel about it but by the One against whom it is committed. God is eternal, holy, and perfect. Therefore, sin against Him carries eternal consequences. Hell is described as torment without end, everlasting destruction, and eternal separation from the presence of the Lord. These words are not meant to drive us to despair but to awaken us to the reality of life apart from Jesus.
Yet in contrast, Hoekstra draws our attention to the good news: the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Those who believe in Him will never perish. For every warning of sin’s consequence, there is the greater promise of life through union with Jesus. Judgment is certain, but so is eternal life for those who belong to Him.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, the consequences of sin are real and eternal. Sin is rebellion against Me, the eternal God, and its judgment cannot be ignored. Yet I have not left you without hope. In My Son, I have provided eternal life, and in Him you are safe from condemnation. You have passed from death to life.
Do not let the warnings cause you to doubt, but let them anchor you in gratitude for what I have already given you. Your name is written in the Book of Life. You are sealed with My Spirit. You are not destined for wrath but for salvation. The gift of life in Jesus is yours forever, and no one can snatch you out of His hand.
Remember that the certainty of judgment reveals the weight of the grace you have received. You once were dead in sin, but now you are alive to Me. You once were without hope, but now you are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. Live with the confidence that you are Mine, and let this truth stir in you a love for those who still walk in darkness.
Scripture References: Matthew 13:49-50, John 8:24, Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 20:10, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Romans 6:23, John 10:28, John 5:24, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:1, Ephesians 2:4-6.
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine boarding a train. Once the doors close, the direction of travel is fixed. If you are on the wrong train, no amount of wishing will change the destination. In the same way, life without Jesus is a fixed course leading to separation from God. But those who are in Him are on a different line entirely, one that leads into the presence of God forever.
Today, when I consider the weight of eternity, I can whisper, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment, that others may see the reality of Your gift of eternal life.” This truth keeps my heart anchored in gratitude and stirs me to walk in love toward others.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that in Jesus I am secure. I am no longer destined for judgment, for You have given me eternal life, and I will never perish. I rest in the certainty that my name is written in the Book of Life and that Your Spirit has sealed me for eternity. I rejoice that while sin’s consequences are dreadful and sure, Your gift is greater. Today I live with confidence, not in myself, but in Your life within me.