And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.~ Matthew 10:28
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, …. ~ II Corinthians 5:11
Who would have imagined the global terrorism that has escalated beyond measure in our present generation? Acts of barbarianism, including beheadings, the burning alive of human beings and the unimaginable abuse of children are occurring with such regularity that many of the horrific atrocities escape the front page of international newspapers.
As inconceivable as the brutalities are against humanity, one only needs to reference the pages of the Bible for a moment to discover that the atrocities of present day terrorism pale in comparison to the awful judgment that awaits all who enter eternity without Christ.
During His days upon earth, Jesus Christ forewarned, “… fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” To face off with the Judge of all the Earth without a refuge from His righteous anger is the ultimate terrorism. As one man put it, “The real horror of being outside of Christ is that there is no shelter from the wrath of God.”
Of all the horrific torments that await those who have rejected Christ, nothing compares to the final judgment. At the last court of God that the Bible calls the Great White Throne judgment, the Lamb of God will assume the role of the most ruthless terrorist in unleashing His vengeance on all who are not subjects of His grace by casting them into an everlasting lake of fire.
Every person who is not a believer in Jesus Christ in this present hour should be very afraid. In the book of Revelation, chapter 14, the Bible says that those that have rejected Christ will be tormented with fire in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here we get a glimpse into the intense anguish that is reserved for all who reject Christ. This biblical account goes on to tell us that the smoke of their torment will ascend up forever and they will have no rest day or night.
In this foreboding age of terror when not a few people live in constant distress of being a victim of terrorism, men need to seriously rethink what the Bible says to those who die without Christ. While most people may avoid an act of terrorism in their lifetime, all men and women will stand before Jesus Christ to be judged one day. Acts 17:31 tells us that God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by His Son. For those who have rejected the Savior, He will pour upon them immeasurable, indescribable wrath.
For men to escape the wrath of Almighty God promised in John 3:36, they must not delay in earnestly considering the price that the Lord Jesus Christ has paid for sin in His death on the cross. It was imperative that the Son of God suffer because every man has been born in sin (Psalm 51:3). As a result, all have entered this world with an evil heart (Jeremiah 17:9) and evil record (Romans 3:9-10), with no hope of saving himself (Ephesians 2:12). But the God of all grace was pleased to demonstrate His great love by sending His Son into the world to die for sinful men (John 3:16) and provide for them a refuge from the wrath of God (I Thessalonians 1:10).
If you, reader, are to escape the violent passion of God reserved for all unbelievers, you must not delay in earnestly considering the gift of God that is offered you. When one ponders the horrific torments and sheer agony of what God has promised to save him from, he will tend to appreciate the worth of such a precious gift. If you would only take a moment to ponder what has been shared, you would find no lack of motivation to accept such a treasure.
First of all, all men have been born with a nature to sin which is accompanied by an evil inclination to break God’s holy law by lying, coveting, and rebellion. By violating His commandments, all men incur a curse of spiritual death. Therefore, the reward for their crimes against a holy God is eternal destruction.
At this point, most men reason, “I must do something to save myself”. This thinking is spiritually lethal as man can do nothing to save himself from eternal destruction. If a man resorts to anything as a substitute for what God has provided in the sufferings and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he will be suffer God’s wrath forever.
Many generations have passed since the Son of God endured the ruthless blow of God’s vengeance for sinners when He was crushed on the cross for the crimes of all who would believe. Never in a thousand eternities could men conceive the depths of agony that Jesus endured when He suffered the full measure of God’s wrath for them.
While there are those in the world who would reject the idea that God made His Son the object of His holy wrath, it is this very act of infinite mercy that God has chosen to save all who would believe (Isaiah 53:10). Because salvation is of the Lord, He requires faith in the good news that God’s wrath has been completely satisfied in Christ’s death alone.
Oh reader, I plead with you to flee from the wrath to come and trust the finished work of Christ’s death and resurrection alone for salvation. Come to the Lord Jesus just as you are; sinful, helpless, and without hope. For it is people in this desperate condition that God delights in showing mercy toward.
The ultimate terrorism is to stand before Jesus Christ at the Last Judgment and hear Him say, “Depart from me into everlasting fire!” But God, who is rich in mercy, has offered you a way of escape through His demonstration of love on the cross (Romans 5:8). It is a great comfort to know that no matter how bad you are and how much of God’s wrath you have stored up for yourself, that God remembers mercy. But this is ONLY accessible through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
With a consciousness of God’s wrath against you from the conviction that you are a sinner, trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. Call on Him! (Romans 10:13) Embrace Him with the faith of a child! (Matthew 18:3) Believe on the Christ Who has suffered the wrath of God on the cross that is against you. He is your only hope! He is your only refuge! Do not attempt to save yourself through any work of your own. It is by the sufferings, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, that He is able to deliver you from so great a wrath. ~ Don Currin