One of the greatest wonders of mankind is “what happens after death?” Do we just cease to exist? Do we vanish into space and become nothing more than memories in others' minds? Do we go on living beyond these bodies, and is there really a spirit that continues to live on after we take our last breath? John the apostle helps to answer some of those questions in today's verse that is found in the book of First John in chapter four and verse seventeen. He wrote:
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
John has been sharing with us about the love God has for us and how we should have love for each other. He has over and over again repeated these themes throughout his book named First John, and today he brings us to a path and reason for having each of these aspects in our lives. First, he writes about the way our love is being perfected, and we learned from yesterday's verse that when we know and believe God's love, He dwells with us and us with Him. Now God is perfecting His love within us.
Secondly, because He dwells within us and is perfecting His love within us, we may now have “boldness in the day of judgment.” The “day of judgment” is presumed known by John's readers. In the book of Hebrews in chapter nine and verse twenty-seven the writer declares:
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
According to the Bible, the next event that occurs after our last breath is taken is “the judgment”. Paul the apostle wrote about this in the book of Romans in chapter fourteen and verses ten through twelve:
But why do you judge your brother? or why do you show contempt for your brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, [As] I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Everyone will give an account to God some day. For some of us it will be soon, for others later, but we shall all give an account. John our beloved teacher and spiritual father says that we can have boldness on that day. The reason is because we have known and believe that God has sent His Son Jesus into the world to pay the price for our wrongs, our sins, and when we appropriate that sacrifice by receiving Him as our Savior, we shall have no worries when we stand before Him someday. Only those who reject Jesus as Savior and Lord have something of which to be concerned.
One last thought, Jesus Himself said in the book of Matthew in chapter twelve and verses thirty-six and thirty-seven:
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words you shall be justified, and by thy words you shall be condemned.
I don't know about you, but I am so glad that Jesus has taken my place of death on the cross. I suppose none of us would want to give an account for all the many idle words we have used in our lifetimes. Praise be unto God for His Mighty redeeming plan.
Next time we shall share together about how love and fear are related, so read ahead and we will visit together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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