Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has has crossed over from death to life.-John 5:24
Paul said in Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. Paul’s words echo Jesus’ words in today’s passage. When Paul says you will be saved he means you will pass from death to life and you will come out from under judgement. What is this judgment that you talked about so often. The Bible talks about there being two different “judgements”. The first “judgement separates out those who have confessed with their months and believed in their hearts from those who haven’t. This “judgement” happens immediately after your physical body dies. This is why it is so important that you make your decision about Christ now, because once you stand before God in judgement there are no second chances. You have made your decision and your choice. Remember this: God does not willingly send people hell you have chosen to deny God and to live your life separate from him and so God is going to honor your choice. This is the judgement that if you are a believer that you don’t have to fear, because by hearing and believing you have made the choice to walk with God and God is going to honor that choice. The second “judgement” occurs after the second coming of Christ and is less of a “judgement” and more of an award ceremony. It is at this judgement that Jesus will reward his followers for their efforts in advancing the kingdom of God. Remember these two things today: your choices determine whether you will spend eternity with God or apart from God, and as a believer you will be rewarded by your Savior for your efforts to advance his kingdom.