THE WORDS JESUS SPOKE IS OUR JUDGE
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
My dear encountered couples:
We are able to judge the state of our own souls. Or at least we have the means to do so. By comparing what we do every day to the things Jesus taught, we can get a pretty good picture of how we stand in regard to God and our future in eternity.
Let us listen to what Jesus said about this: “I have come to the world as its light, to keep anyone who believes in me from remaining in the dark. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I am not the one to condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save it. Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken - it is that which will condemn him on the last day.”
There we have it! If we get into the habit of examining ourselves and see if our lives measure up to the principles of the lifestyle taught by Christ, we can get a pretty good picture of our future in eternity - whether it will be a favorable one or grim.
It might be seen in our actions or in how we treat people. Are we loving and inclusive? Or are we harsh and judgmental? Are we loving and accepting of others, even when we may not agree with their beliefs or actions? Do we live out what Jesus teaches us by forgiving a person who has hurt us deeply? Do we reach out to people who are lonely or isolated?
Jesus will not be the one to judge the state of our souls and characters when we die. It will be the words he spoke. “Did our lives or didn’t our lives on earth match up to them?” will be the question. “Father,” I have sometimes been asked, “do you think I might stand a good chance of going to heaven?” My answer: “Suppose you tell me!” The words Christ spoke are your judge.
