Posted by Christ_empowered on August 16, 2010, at 15:59:59
In reply to Re: one question, posted by Laney on August 15, 2010, at 12:53:48
OK, I'm definitely not the most intellectual, well-read, or mature believer, but I've asked the same kind of questions before, so I thought maybe I'd try to take a stab at it...
Do you remember the parable of the workers? I'm really not Bible-literate, so I can't cite the address, but it goes like this: a wealthy man needs workers for his estate. He goes out and gets some of them early in the day, promising them a standard rate of pay (1 coin or something). He goes out later and gets some more. Same pay, fewer hours work. He finally goes out and gets the last round of workers about an hour or so before work is set to close. At the end of the day, everybody gets the same pay--from what I've read, the pay was standard for one full day of physical labor in biblical times.
The workers who had been there longest felt cheated. The boss man has to remind them that it is his money and his property and besides, they were being fairly compensated for what they had done.
That I think is a good story to illustrate what's going on here. This is God's Kingdom, which operates on counter-cultural values. Yes, lifelong deviants sometimes (maybe often) "get in" while some people who seem to lead respectable lives "don't make the cut", or if they do, they get the same reward (salvation) as the hardcore deviant. From our human, limited, earth-bound perspective, this seems unfair. To God, to whom (I'm paraphrasing here) 1,000 years is as one day and 1 day is as 1,000 years, how we spent the bulk of our rather measly earthly existence doesn't seem to matter quite as much as our faith or lack of faith in Him and His son, Jesus.
God' judgment on our lives is somewhere in the New Testament compared to a purifying, destroying fire; things of no worth (compared to straw) will be destroyed, while things of worth (godly living, compared to, I believe, metals and jewels) will pass through the fire unscathed.Following that, you can think of it this way: the serial killer-turned-Christian is like a house with a firm foundation (Christianity, assuming the conversion is genuine), but much of the house is built of straw, especially if it is a late-life confession. At judgment, the straw will burn away, leaving only the foundation (God's saving grace) and whatever godly acts the person engaged in post-conversion. The sinner-turned-Christian will be saved from total destruction, but may be left with only eternal salvation, no extra rewards (not that I'd think you'd *need* extra rewards besides Heaven, but still...)
Now, a person who turned to God at a younger age and lived a godly life will also be judged by this purifying flame. The sinful, useless parts of the life/house will burn away; this person will have built a house made of stronger stuff, godly stuff. After the judgment, this person will be given rewards because she not only accepted Christ and His lordship, she followed through for a good, long while and her life on earth reflected it.
This is all just my take on it. I imagine other people might have a different view.
poster:Christ_empowered
thread:956183
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20100403/msgs/958838.html