JUDGMENT OF THE
WICKED
INTRODUCTION
Judgment of the wicked is drawing near as in the pre-Flood days of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Babylon the hold of every foul spirit; all of which destruction was noted!
Apostle Peter wrote: God spared not the old world (pre-Flood days of Noah), but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly (wicked); turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemning them with an overthrow (destruction), making them and example to those that after (afterward) should live ungodly.
God delivered just Lot, vexed (oppressed) with the filthy conversation (conduct) of the wicked; for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed (tormented) his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust to the Day of Judgment to be punished (2 Peter 2:5-9).
Judgment of the Wicked
Fall of Babylon
Just prior to the fall of Babylon, that had become the habitation of devils (demons), and the hold of every foul spirit (Revelation 18:2), there was a voice from heaven saying, come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues; for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities (lawlessness) (Revelation 18:4-5).
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judges her (Revelation 18:8). Judgment of the wicked will take place unless repentance comes to the forefront; as noted by the Prophet Isaiah’s appeal: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him; for he will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7).
Coming Destruction
Apostle Peter noted coming destruction that was yet to unfold: Whereby the world that then was (pre-Flood days of Noah), being overflowed with water perished; but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against (until) the Day of Judgment and perdition (destruction) of ungodly (wicked) men (2 Peter 3:6-7).
Peter then notes why it has yet to be fulfilled: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise
(destruction of the wicked), as some men count slackness; but is
long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
Day of the Lord
Apostle Peter wrote: The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation (conduct) and godliness (2 Peter 3:11).
Then comes a promise to believers in Christ: We, according to his (God’s) promise look for new heavens, and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness (God’s plan all along). Wherefore, seeing that we look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless (2 Peter 3:13-14).
Seeing you know these things, before (before hand), beware lest you being led away with the error to the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness; but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:17-18).
World Situation
Judgment of the wicked; as in the case of the pre-Flood days of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Babylon the hold of every foul spirit (previously mentioned) is drawing near as we see the flaunting of wickedness with pride, openly proclaimed, and demanding acceptance by all.
In a world that is on the verge of a nuclear holocaust; unrest in much of the world, record breaking disasters, and numerous other incidents on a daily basis; it is not time to draw nearer rather than away from the God of all Creation and the Lord Jesus Christ His Son; one’s umbrella of protection and provision? Jesus said: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).
Turn Away from
Wickedness
The Prophet Jeremiah cried out: O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved, How long shall your vain (wicked) thoughts lodge with you (Jeremiah 4:14)? It was noted that today such thinking can arise from many sources: Absorbing immoral movies and television; carelessly surfing the Internet; listening to malicious talk; ignoring the Word of God; giving into a materialistic worldview.
Will we allow the sanctifying Scriptures and the purifying blood of Christ to cleanse our heart and mind or will we persist in sin-filled thinking and experience God's judgment? A question that needs to be applied to every heart and life; as the reality of Judgment of the Wicked draws nearer, as man ignores the warnings of God’s Word and pursues his own destiny without God.
Troubled Waters
The Prophet Isaiah, in speaking the words of the Lord, noted: The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt (Isaiah 57:20). We are seeing troubled waters as man continues in his devious ways; promoting what is contrary to the Word of God, and condemned.
There is an influx of ungodliness that has engulfed nations once under the umbrella of God’s provisions who are suffering the fate of a withdrawal; unless Nineveh type repentance comes forth! Scripture reveals: And God saw their works (repentance) that they turned from their evil way; and God repented (relented) of the evil, that he had said that He would do to them (Nineveh), and he did it not (Jonah 3:10).
It was noted that God did not change His ultimate intention toward the Ninevites (Judgment of the Wicked); rather, they changed in their attitude toward Him. On the basis of that change, God could deal with them in grace, rather than in judgment as their failure to repent would not necessitated.
Warning Declared
The Prophet Isaiah prophesied woes (warning) concerning the wicked: Woe to them that draw iniquity (lawlessness) with cords of vanity (falsehood), and sin as it were with a cart rope (Isaiah 5:18). Woe to them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight (Isaiah 5:20-21).
Which justify the wicked for reward (which we are seeing) and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him. Doing so was not without cost: As the fire devours the stubble, and the flames consume the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord and despised the word of the Holy One (Isaiah 5:23-24).
Day of Accountability
It was noted that a day of accountability is coming for all people. Scripture reveals: It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). We can accept the work of redemption (deliverance) Christ accomplished for us and have our sins forgiven and be welcomed to a home in heaven, or we can stand before God in that great Day of Judgment and be sentenced to eternal separation from Him.
Apostle Paul revealed: At the name of Jesus every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10:11). If we make this confession now, we are saved by Christ. If we make this confession later; compelled to do so by God’s judgment, our own words will condemn us for refusing to trust in Christ.
Atoning Sacrifice for
Sin
Apostle John wrote: The blood of Jesus Christ his (God’s) Son (shed on the Cross of Calvary) cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:1-2).
It was noted that advocate is a legal term for one who intercedes for another. Propitiation is an atoning sacrifice. Jesus bore in His body the punishment for our sin; in so doing He satisfied God’s just demand that sin be punished. Jesus is both the advocate for sinners and the sacrifice for their sins.
Recipe for Repentance
Judgment of the wicked is assured of in God’s Word; unless repentance comes into the fold, as previously mentioned. God gave a recipe for repentance: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14).
But if you turn away, and forsake my statues and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then will I pluck you up by the roots out of my land which I have given you; and will cast you out of my sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all nations (2 Chronicles 7:19-20).
It was noted that while this promise was originally given to King Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. This verse is a high expression of God’s loving readiness to hear the prayers of repentant people.
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