There is only one book in the Bible that says blessed is he who reads and understands it. That is the Book of Revelation. Many do not spend much time with it because they find it difficult to understand. Nevertheless, the promise is true.

It is in that book, or I should say letter, that we find something of great interest regarding God’s opinion towards any rebellion towards Him and a rejection of Jesus.  This is important because there is a growing sentiment for the idea that God will not judge anyone due to a claim that the whole world will be saved.

It can be dangerous when someone decides they have become an expert in just one area of doctrine and thus only spend time in Scriptures that would seem to support their viewpoint.  That leads to ignoring the whole counsel of God revealed in the whole of Scripture.  When that happens, an imbalance occurs, and the truth gets twisted to suit their pet idea.

What might be a beautiful truth becomes distorted by an excessive interpretation.

The fact is that there is a judgment, and God will judge humanity despite those who argue against the idea.  The Scriptures reveal this is going to happen.

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

The idea of God’s wrath against a prideful rebellion that would refuse to humble itself and thus reject the offer of love, mercy, and grace through Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, is real. Properly understood and taught, it serves to motivate those who belong to Christ by stirring compassion for the lost and a hunger to share the good news of Christ with them.

I worked with a man once who believed that all would be saved no matter what. He had no inclination to speak of Jesus to anyone because, in his mind, all would be saved, so why even bother? To him, it was a foregone conclusion. He had no understanding of applied atonement or the fact that a judgment is set to take place and that the Lake of Fire is real and a place of eternal punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ.  In his thinking, God was sovereign and would save all, and therefore, his witness was not necessary.

John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

If we are to claim that we love people as we ought, can we leave them in this state of being without providing them with a witness of His love and goodness?  Should we allow them to go through life ignorant of what lengths He has gone to in order to rescue them and give them eternal life?  Those who understand that judgment is real are the ones who truly understand the gift that His love truly is and are often the ones committed to being witnesses for Christ, especially to those they claim to love in this life.