Nougat 10

This business of Salvation can seem complex: which doctrines to follow; what to believe; who to trust – but at the heart of the Gospel; one thing remains. Here’s today’s Holy Nougat

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT

Now this is the clincher … in the first iteration; Jesus came as Substitute. But even as He walked this earth, helping us grasp the Truth of the Redemption plan; Jesus kept warning us that there’s another day coming. We might recall Matthew 25 and other texts pointing to the End Times. After His resurrection, Jesus also alluded to an End (see Matthew 28:18-20, where Jesus gives the Great Commission and promises to be always with the disciples).

This ‘End of Time’ is what we read of here – the Judgement that follows Death. And it follows, that where there is a Judgement, there is a Judge. Who better to make the Judgement than the Righteous One Who understands our human context and gave himself for our redemption? Yup. Jesus comes again at that time of Judgement.

Here’s the thing – the current state of the earth ie the Climate Emergency is dire! In the natural, there is little expectation for the earth to be safe for humanity much longer. Not at the rate it is being polluted by ALL of us. Those who prefer the stark reality of ‘factual, provable Science’ will say the alarm has been sounded for some time now. We’ve all heard it – green house gases, eroded water tables, global warming … pointing to the end of the earth as we know it.

And, despite their seeming lack of belief in Jesus or the End Times, there are some big players paying attention. Thus we have explorations in cryogenics and also with intergalactic travel. That’s a signal to me that this business of the End Times is not just mere speculation as some argue. It is real.

If the End is real; we can safely presume that there will be a sifting, aka The Judgement. For those who choose Christ and those who don’t. This isn’t scare tactics folks, this is reading the time in response to the biblical truths. It’s there in the nougat, as well as the Matthew 25 text. However, rather than allow it to move us to woe and worry; we have some excellent news:

those of us who choose Jesus will experience Him as Redeemer; substituting Permanent Death for Eternity with God! Now that’s some really Good News!!!!

And that’s what gives us hope amidst the challenges of our time. That Jesus IS our alternative. We don’t have to invest in cryogenic speculation or intergalactic travel for we have a Living Hope. This is not permission to continue with pollution or sin; it is permission to continue to believe; to remain faithful.

Yes, there is an appointment

Yes, there’s judgement

But

Jesus came as Our Substitute AND

Jesus returns to usher us into Eternity

WITH God

Let’s choose wisely

—

May all we seek be found in Christ