Fire and Brimstone; Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

So, hard as I try to keep personal feelings out of these forums, there are times when personal feelings set so heavily on my heart, that I can’t. It is personal feelings that have me in a “fire and brimstone” mind frame for today’s lesson. I know I have spent time lately talking on the pleasant side of our religion, and we will get back to the relationship aspect next week, but for today…fire and brimstone it is.

First a little background. I recently sent a letter to my mother to help resolve a personal demon from my past. To sum it up without getting too personal, I discussed in the letter something that my mother and I had never spoken of in person. I confronted her regarding immoral actions I was subjected to as a young child. To put these demons to rest within myself, I forgave her for her wrong doings, and suggested that she was in need of repentance for the sake of her own soul. As is my nature of late, I offered to help her find her path to salvation, truly there is not one person from my life that I would not like to see in Heaven come the day of judgment. No one has wronged me to the point that I feel they are worthy of eternity in hell. It is after all the basis of our belief that all of God’s children are special, and all are worth salvation. However, salvation can not be found by someone who does not seek it. You can not fix what you do not see as broken.

I had encouraged my mother early in the letter to read it only by herself, as the nature was private. I knew if I had confronted her on these things openly, in sight of many other people she would have either denied or somehow justified her actions. I knew this because it is the way she responds when discussions arise over the physical abuse I suffered as a child. I wanted her to read the words privately and work to find her personal reconciliation with our Lord. She instead choose to share with the rest of my family that was near her at the time the context of the letter. Apparently while doing so, she declared the entire letter to be full of lies and manipulations of my memories. Though I do not necessarily feel a strong need to defend myself, and that certainly is not the reason for this posting, I will say that I do not lie, and that my memories from early childhood are clear (I have had them playing over in my mind for more than thirty years). These memories are more clear, in fact than those of my late teens and early twenties. That being said I will get back to the original purpose for this posting, the Biblical side of the topic.

In Matthew 11:20-24, Jesus addresses the cites of His day, damning them for their lack of repentance. 11:23 “and to you, Capernaum, who are exalted to Heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which had been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you”. The message that Jesus is offering is pretty clear to me. You have been given opportunity and invitation to repent, but choose not to, it is worse for you than it would be for one who was not given such opportunity. In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus likens the man who hears His words and does not repent to a man who built his house on sand, and when the rain came the floods took the house away (this man is the fool). But the man who heard the word and kept to it, is like the man who built his house on rock, that it would withstand the floods (this is the wise man). Point? If you have knowledge of the need for repentance, you must seek it. For if the word is shared with you, and you disregard it, you are the fool. “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23, and in today’s age all know of the opportunity for salvation that comes with belief in the Lord Jesus Christ (it is hard to believe that there is a place on earth that has not heard the word), therefore there is no longer opportunity to not seek salvation. There is no reasoning to being the fool that does not build on rock.

Many in our world today will place the blame for their sins on their past. Because they came from a violent home, they too act violent in their own home. God knows where you come from, and what you’ve been through, and He will not create a life you can not rise above. There will certainly be no time to justify your actions come the day of judgment. I do not believe that the judgment that awaits us is one in which you can present your case as if you were before a jury. Matthew 18:18 “assuredly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven”. If you bind your sins here on earth, refusing to acknowledge them to the point of repentance, these will await you in the day of judgment.

I call out to all who believe; repent now, for no one knows the day or hour in which judgment will come. Will you be found on the right side of our Lord, and find peace and plenty for all eternity? Or will you be placed on the left, and find wailing and gnashing of teeth? In the place “where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” Mark 10:44.

In closing I will say that these words were intended for my mothers eyes, but they are good for your eyes also. There is need in your life to find the relationship with God that we will talk more on next week, but it is through the fear of God that some will seek that relationship. So you know, I do not judge my mother for what she has done, or has not done, for it is not my place to do so. I hope that she will in time find need in her heart for repentance, and that she will seek it. I hope that the teachings of this posting may in fact bring someone to salvation. Certainly there is no offence that can not be forgiven, but forgiveness must first be sought, before it can be found. Will you be ready when the day of the Lord comes? Repent now, repent often, be ready.