ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH
(The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod)
Alma, Kansas
Sharing the Gospel through Word and Sacraments to inspire Christ-centered living!
In This Month's
St. John Witness
NOVEMBER WITNESS
Pastor's Message
"The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under
punishment until the day of judgment." 2 Peter 2:9
“The idea of some future judgment and retribution is not peculiar to the Christian religion; in some form, we also find it in many pagan religions.”1 God has placed His Law into human hearts, that is, our conscience, so that we understand we will be accountable for our words and deeds. Judgment, death, and hell are a natural understanding of our situation with God, for we are not worthy to pass all God’s standards on our own merits.
Let’s look at what God says about our condition, and what He has done to rescue us from the terrors of judgment.
“Because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.” Romans 2:5
1 Page 304, A Summary of Christian Doctrine, Edward Koehler, CPH, © 1939
“I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37
In a sense, Jesus is a savior who, having viewed all our life, will edit our life so that only the acts of faith can be seen in the documentary of our lives. He has exchanged our sin with his goodness, and taken from us our punishment with His worthy rewards.
“By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.” I John 4:17
Judgment Day will herald the final age of God’s kingdom. Jesus will return to earth, proclaim justice from God or rejection towards God, and heaven or hell will be the eternal results of our earthly lives.
Pray for God's Peace! Pastor Grimm
