The Odds are Stacked in your Favour

Why would a God of love judge people? When will the judgement take place? What did Jesus say about judgment? A lot of people feel that the idea of God's judgement is scary. The truth, though, is that divine judgement is a good thing.

The parable of the wedding feast reveals that there is no need to be afraid of judgment if we accept the provision that God has made for our salvation. Accepting salvation out of self interest is a very real possibility and the reason why a judgement is necessary. The 'salvation' experience is actually about the restoration of a positive, safe, loving relationship between God and humanity. However, some people don't necessarily want relationship with God but they do want to escape the consequences of sin. They don't want to die but they also don't want any kind of transformative change. The divine judgement differentiates between those seeking relational restoration and those acting out of self interest and the desire for self preservation.

Understanding why the king provided clothing for his guests in the parable of the wedding feast brings reassurance that salvation is not about personal performance. The kingdom of God has nothing to do with whether you are a good person or not. Rather, the Kingdom of God has everything to do with the fact that God is a good God! Salvation is not about attaining a specific level of quantitative perfection. Instead it is about us being found completely wrapt in what God gives us as a gift - the perfect performance and righteousness of Jesus. It is only when we understand the relationship of salvation to judgement that we no longer fear God's judgment. Now is the hour of opportunity!

This video was produced in partnership with Hope Channel New Zealand and originally aired on television under the title "More than a Story: Assurance in the Face of Divine Judgement" (episode 7 of 24).