For those of you who follow the pastor rotation in the preaching schedule, I am up for this week! "He will come to judge the living and the dead" That is the phrase of the Creed that I will be speaking about this Saturday and Sunday. Today we began a conversation among the staff about that topic. What does it mean that Jesus will come to Judge?
It is hard to avoid the picture of Jesus as Santa Claus, in heaven with a list and checking to see who has been naughty and who has been nice. Perhaps you have seen the billboard that reads, "Don't make me come down there! - GOD". Should we fear the second coming of Christ? How will He judge? Is He simply coming to choose the "brightist and the best"? Will I be judged against the perfect standard of Christ, or do I get judged against my fellow man? Is it my motivation? my acheivements? my stamina? or my goals and ideals? What is it that will make a difference to the Creator of all things?
If He is coming to judge, what is the role of the church here on earth? Am I able to tell just who is doing well and who has some work to do before He gets here? When He says to let everyone know that He will come again, is that so that I can help correct them? Is it possible to really be ready?
There are a lot of questions on these words and I don't know if I have all the answers, but we will look at it together this weekend, why not join our conversation?
In Christ,
Paul Hoyer
Comments
he essentially said that you will stand before the creator and he will take all of your "selves"; each person you've been in each moment of your life; and he'll take out all the sin. all the sin scars, all the junk that comes with sin.
then you put what's left together and that's your judged you.
mclaren wouldn't tell us what gets you a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" or if those even exist. i know some folks who won't let go of their "sin parts". i figure holding on to the parts he takes out, those sin parts, may just get you a "thumbs down"