Judgement Must Begin at the House of God

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?”

— 1st Peter 4:17-18

Saint Peter — Jusepe de Ribera, Public Domain

The apostle Peter is warning us that judgement begins at the house of God and then cycles through the nations. The proof of this is found in the historical accounts in Kings and Chronicles.

“Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.”

— 2nd Chronicles 36:14-16

Romans 9 explains that the Israel of God, the elect that God purposed to redeem since eternity past, are never cast off to the point of damnation but these passages indicate that our sin is worthy of it as much as the heathen nations. These things are written to remind us that salvation is of the Lord and his mercy and grace alone. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” (Titus 3:5).

The elect are not elect because they are more righteous, humble, or deserving than other people. God does not look into their future and forsee who will believe in him and do good deeds meriting their salvation if he first intercedes for them. No. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Ephesians 2:3 says we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh…and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Think on these things and tremble brethren.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

I am Undone

“Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” — Isaiah 6:5

Image Credit: Samuel Martins via Unsplash

This is the true response to an encounter with the holiness of the living God. Mystics and hippies chase after spiritual “experiences,” but in these encounters with what they perceive as divine they are never confronted with their own sin, but rather are flattered in it because they had a vision. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1st John 1:8).”

The Israelites could not bear the voice of the Lord from Sinai. When Isaiah has a vision he realizes that he is depraved, unclean, not fit to speak of the glory before him. When Job, one of the greatest servants of the Lord to ever live, encounters the Lord in the whirlwind he says, “I am vile.” If you have never felt undone by the wretchedness of your sin condition then you should not presume to be a partaker of salvation. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble (James 4:6).

Selah.

The Libertarian Lie

We must let the notion of, “live and let live”, die. The American experiment peaked and degenerated into a soulless heap all in my lifetime. Those who want to, “live and let live”, want absolute freedom without accountability except to themselves. We should realize by now that the atheist libertarian utopia is not a sustainable model.

As I observe political debates and especially conservative infighting, it’s clear that most want to maintain American-style freedom while keeping some loose moral code. If the moral code is, “do whatever you feel as long as it isn’t hurting anyone”, like many “conservatives” and libertarians observe, then there is no code at all. This libertarian streak is the reason the American right gets steamrolled, and they fully deserve it.

When people complain that their children are being exposed to LGBT concepts, but genuinely believe that homosexuality is harmless, then there is no code. When people point to issues with rampant consumerism and usury, but still worship dumb idols and money, then there is no code. When people desire to secede from the union, but insist on rejecting the Son of God, then there is no code.

Libertarianism is a lie. I use to believe behaviors were ok as long as they were not harmful to others and that the non-aggression principal was the secret to life, but I had no standard by which to measure these beliefs. I hadn't yet considered the unchanging laws of God almighty, until He extended his grace and mercy to me, a sinner of all sinners.

I don’t want a libertarian free-state or a country that lacks the the truth of Jesus Christ. Without the Law of God as our guide, men will marry men, children will be easy prey to perverts, and “doctors” will show us manmade horrors beyond our comprehension. Ask me how I know this.

Christians must disassociate themselves with antichrist libertarian principles. To accept them is to deny the existence of God's perfect law of liberty (James 1:25).

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” -I Cor 1:23-25