It's Good That God's in Charge

Scripture Verses that Caught My Attention Today: Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Observation: Verse 27 indicates that humans face a judgment, but verse 28 indicates that such a judgment is apparently not based on our sin(s), but, rather, to save those who are eagerly waiting on Christ.

Application: Lutherans, over and over again, insist that we are only saved by grace through faith in Christ. We insist that our “works” (the things we do out of devotion to God) will not save us. If so, it stands to reason that perhaps our lack of “works” might not condemn us either. As the saying goes, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

According to this passage, what really seems to make the difference is if people are eagerly waiting on Christ. It’s almost as if everyone who sends God the heavenly equivalent of a Facebook friend request gets in. Everyone who wants to get in can.

Still, there are other passages that offer a different tune. Jesus tells at least a couple of stories indicating that some who might want in will be denied. So one has to be careful when quoting Scripture to make a point; often times one can find an opposing view within the same holy book.

Interestingly, in today’s reading from Isaiah, the prophet points to a time when judgment will not be based on what the judge can see or hear, but rather, on righteousness. In other words, the judge will determine what is truly right, even though humans might well disagree.

Prayer: Lord, you give us much to think about and a careful reading of Scripture gives us plenty of reason to not be overly confident in our pronouncements. Let us rather simply be confident that you will do what is right from your perspective which is so much greater than our own. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included: Isaiah 11-14, Hebrews 9)