Judgement will be a day of accountability.
Because of sin, all people die. God determines every person’s eternal destiny.
Believers in Christ have God’s mercy. Apart from Christ, it will be a day of wrath.
God warns us to not neglect His Word or cover up the reality of our sin. God didn’t create robots. He allows His people to make good and poor choices. We make both kinds. God patiently offers grace and spiritual maturity to all who seek Him. Grieved over spiritual rebellion and corruption, eventually, His wrath brings down destruction on the high and mighty—the prideful and the oppressor. To blame others, hide, justify, or minimize the seriousness of one’s own wrongdoing, is, by one’s own choice, to throw away God’s precious gift of forgiveness and to reject His redemption. In and of ourselves, we are hungry, empty, and aren’t able to be fruitful. Energy depleted, we become cold, angry, distracted, anxious, troubled and selfish. We can’t trust ourselves. We constantly need to be filled and nourished by the Word.
Who will deliver me?
Holy Baptism and the Word bring on a free gift of faith. With any gift, there are two choices:
- receive it [good]
- reject it [bad]
God creates and perfects faith because He cares. Faith believes and depends on God’s mercy in the work of His Son Jesus who endured our shame. He died for us on the cross, bodily rose from the dead, ascended and lives with God the Father. His compassionate Spirit cleanses, defends, and empowers us to face and grow through difficulties of life. Faith in us prompts a desire to repent and helps us to walk in the Light with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Even when God’s people have a loss for words to pray, there is One who intercedes for us to rescue and deliver us from evil. Loyal to love and tirelessly lavish forgiveness and restoration, Christ’s redeeming work at the cross saves all who receive the faith to fear God. We trust Jesus the Savior who offers protection from God’s harsh judgement.
Obadiah 15, 17a
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| “For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.… But in Mount Zion there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy,” Obadiah 15,17a |
“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. …but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ” Romans 3:19, 5:8-9
Learn more
Listen to a Bible study discussion about Obadiah.
Obadiah tells of God’s harsh judgment. Watch an illustrated overview.
Zion is the name of the church I attend. I hope you find a similar church in your area. There’s more behind the meaning of Zion in the Bible—not only a mountain, it generally refers to the people of God and another name for the Holy Christian Church of all believers in Christ.
Prayer of the Day
“Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love You and worthily magnify Your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (211)” Treasury of Daily Prayer
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