QUESTION #7
Is it just "live it up and be evil now cause a second chance is coming?"
This is the pivotal point which many do not understand. No one gets a second chance, however many mistake when a person is given a chance. Many people believe that today is the only day of salvation. The problem is that most who are leading lifestyles of sin do not know or understand that there is a different path in life. Only a few people are being called by God and judged at this point in time, some will be judged during the Millennium when Christ is ruling here on earth and the rest will be judged after the thousand years are up and they are resurrected.
And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [“Judgment” would be a better translation here than “damnation“]. (John 5:29)
And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. (Acts 24:15)
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)
The following scriptures show that Sodom and Gomorrah have not yet been judged. The people who lived in those cities will get their one and only chance to choose to follow God after they are resurrected. God did punish their evil ways by destroying them. God also destroyed these two cities to show all those who lived afterward that God was not going to put up with this sort of evil forever. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah it was to be an example for all people that they will be destroyed if they do not turn away from their evil ways. Do many even validate this example today, probably not, however it does not stop the consequence of doing evil, from being the penalty of death.
But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly. (Genesis 13:13)
Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; (Genesis 19:24)
The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves. (Isaiah 3:9)
I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. (Jeremiah 23:14)
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Matthew 10:15)
But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee. (Matthew 11:24)
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. (Mark 6:11)
But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. (Luke 10:12)
And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; (2 Peter 2:6)
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 1:7)
Each one of us right now, today is responsible for what we know and we will be judged for it now. Here is what God says about those who do evil. He says they do not know Him. Each of us need to judge ourselves and God will reward the Evil doers for their evil and He will reward his elect for their good. 3 John 1:11 “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”
In other words, for the most part those who are doing evil now have never seen or never known God. They have never even had their first chance to know or to follow God yet. Remember what Christ said before he died? "Father forgive them, for they know not what they have done."
Those who are evil will be punished as God sees fit. As for us we shouldn't worry about whether others get punished or not, but we should dwell on what we ourselves are doing and understand that most people do not know God at all, but someday they will get their chance to know God as God’s elect know God now.
Answered by:
Laura Lee
Bismarck, North Dakota
