这可能是所有经文中最可怕的一段了。人死以后,包括你和我,都将根据我们所做的事受审判。
我们所做的事很重要。我们的行为反映出我们现在,以及影响我们将来成为怎样的人。我们要么变得更像在基督里被呼召要成为的人,要么就跟随我们的罪性,远离神,走向毁灭。即使我们说自己爱基督,但我们的行为若显示出相反的情形,我们便是在否认我们内心的基督之爱。我们的行为证明了我们真正是谁。正如雅各书2:17所说:“信心若没有行为就是死的。”
我小时候学过的一首儿歌唱出了这一点。“哦,小小双手要注意/哦,小小双手要注意/因为天上的父在爱中俯视/小小双手要注意”。其他段落则提醒小小嘴唇要注意,小小双脚要注意。
神对我们言行的记录使我们负有极大的责任。我们需要问:“我们行事是顺从的、有爱心的信徒,还是破坏性的违法者呢?”
但因着神在基督里的爱,我们不必绝望。我们可以为做错的事悔改,请求赦免,并确信耶稣的牺牲代赎了我们所有的罪债。
神啊,你知道我们做了什么。你在意我们做了什么。请帮助我们常常做正确的事,彰显你的爱,遵守你的命令,奉耶稣的名。阿们。
启示录 20:11-15
11我又看见一个白色的大宝座与坐在上面的,从他面前天地都逃避,再无可见之处了。
12我又看见死了的人,无论大小,都站在宝座前,案卷展开了;并且另有一卷展开,就是生命册。死了的人都凭着这些案卷所记载的,照他们所行的受审判。
13于是海交出其中的死人,死亡和阴间也交出其中的死人,他们都照各人所行的受审判。
14死亡和阴间也被扔在火湖里。这火湖就是第二次的死。
15若有人名字没记在生命册上,他就被扔在火湖里。
"Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire." - Revelation 20:15
This may be the scariest passage in all of Scripture. The dead, including you and me, will be judged according to what we have done.
What we do matters. Our actions reflect and have an influence on the person we will be. We are either becoming more like the person we are called to be in Christ, or we are following our sinful nature and wandering away from God toward certain destruction. Even if we say we love Christ but our actions show the opposite, we are denying the love of Christ within us. What we do is proof of who we are. As James 2:17 puts it, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
A song I learned as a child talks about this: “Oh, be careful little hands what you do./ Oh, be careful little hands what you do./ For the Father up above is looking down in love,/ so be careful little hands what you do.” Other verses remind little mouths to be careful what they say, and little feet to be careful where they go.
God’s record of our words and deeds places great responsibility on us. We need to ask, “Are we acting as obedient, loving believers, or as destructive lawbreakers?”
But because of God’s love in Christ, we need not despair. We can repent of our wrongdoing, ask forgiveness, and be assured that Jesus’ sacrifice pays the debt of all our sin.
O God, you know what we do. You care what we do. Help us always to do what’s right, showing your love and obeying your commands, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳