If you have ever told someone that has not yet accepted Christ as savior that they are an unrepented sinner in the eyes of God, then you have used the word of God to judge their current lifestyle as one in opposition to God. If they are also told that God’s righteous judgement on them is eternity in the lake of fire, an eternity of hopelessness, then again you have been used by our Lord to tell them of these judgements according to the truth of His Word.
I have met very few that call themselves Christians these last few years that are willing to do this. Those that do speak to the lost seem to have no problems whatsoever telling them about His wonderful love, of His unending care for us, or even the glories of Heaven, but the possibilities of hell and eternal damnation (2 Thess. 1:9) rarely if ever cross their lips to these lost souls. It is almost as if this ridiculous notion, this trick of Satan that Gods only real attribute is love has permeated even unto the church these days.
Rarely are sermons preached on the righteous judgements of God toward the unrepentant, the eternity of hopelessness and fire that awaits all who do not recognize His Son as the only way to salvation. Christian radio programs are filled with guests that speak of how their faith in Christ and His wonderful mercies gave them hope again, but the warnings that we are to give to the lost are few and very far apart. The Christian community has been deceived into believing that using the Word of God’s judgements is to be judgmental, even to the point of quoting the Scriptures at the appropriate times. Many fear that they will drive away the possibility of any converts, and so instead preach a Christ who is always loving and never judging, there seems to be an intense fear of offending the lost with the Word of God, that certain parts should be left out when witnessing to the lost, almost as if in a “secret society” we deem it better to perhaps leave out some of those things until they have been saved awhile.
There is only one who is allowed to be judgmental, and it isn’t us, ever, this right belongs only to the Sovereign Creator of the Universe and all that is in it. To those that He has called out, to His children, He has given the right, even commanded to us to give His truths just as they are given, to leave nothing out. What were you planning on doing, handing your Bible to that lost soul that you are witnessing to and asking them to read these passages for themselves so you wouldn’t seem judgmental by quoting these verses to them. “Those who reject Jesus Christ as Savior will be judged by God and cast into the lake of fire for eternity,” there, was that so hard to say. Of course, it’s not going to be your opening statement to them, but are you judging them if they refuse Christ’s offer of salvation, or is the Word of God, and thereby God Himself, judging them.
Please understand this as it is meant, in love, you have no true friends except for your brothers and sisters in Christ, all your other friends that will die in their sins are not going to Heaven with you. Those lost friends of yours only have a short time left to live, no matter their age, if the Lord returns today, or if it is a thousand more years before He returns, your friends may die in their sins. You love them enough to tell them about Christ’s love for them, don’t you, why not tell them what is going to happen to them if they do not receive Christ as Savior. I can guarantee you that a lot more than their feelings are going to be hurt if they die in their sins, and you know that for a fact. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.” (Heb. 9:27) There are no second chances, purgatory is not real, reincarnation is not real, the moment any human being dies, no matter how much they believed the lies they were told, they will either open their eyes a few moments later in Heaven or hell, no exceptions, one of two choices and that choice is made here.
If they think you’re being judgmental by quoting and explaining properly Scripture verses to them, let them feel that way. If they can’t see that you’re doing it in love for them, that your concerned deeply not only with their needs here, but the assurance of their salvation, then them thinking that you are being judgmental by using the Words of God properly and in context isn’t going to change anything. Would you rather take a chance of losing your friend or even a loved one here, or for eternity? If you are a mature Christian who is rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15) then the season must come one day for you to tell them these truths. The lake of fire is real, there are no more chances after death, and all the pleading in the world will not keep even the best worldly person away from that dreadful, terrible place of wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:50). I don’t care if it’s your sweet old grandmother or a doctor who saves lives every single day, all who die in their sins will spend eternity separated from God.
Now you have to decide, do you need to break todays “golden rule” and tell someone about these truths, to step outside of this imagined boundary that the adversary is attempting to get all to believe, that “God is nothing but love” that so many have been duped by, will you tell them of God’s judgements on the lost and take whatever is thrown at you, whether it’s judgmental words or rocks. Your brothers the prophets did.
“Greater love hath no man that this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). How long have you been talking to them, how long have they seen your example, your changed life, how much longer do you think they have, five minutes, fifty years. Don’t end up being one of these “I wish I would have” people, if they don’t know the truth of where they will spend eternity if they die without Christ, you have to tell them. If they see you as judgmental, so be it, they are God’s Words, not yours, tell them to blame Him.
