Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

— Daniel 12:2

49 So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous,

50 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

— Matthew 13:49-50

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

— 1 Corinthians 5:10

41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

— Matthew 25:41, 46

They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might

— 2 Thessalonians 1:10

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

Scripture unapologetically and repeatedly warns people about God’s coming eternal judgment and the harsh realities awaiting those who refuse His grace. God’s people should embrace this truth with compassion for the lost, desiring to maximize our impact for God’s kingdom while living on earth. The horrifying realities of hell help us understand the awfulness of sin and the wonder of salvation in Christ. God’s gracious warning comes with an invitation to find refuge from His wrath through His Son. God’s judgment issues to us a clarion call for grateful, sober-minded pursuit of God’s better way.

We are all impacted by current events. The escalation of crime, the oppression and abuse of people, and political chaos appear unchecked. Even while we believers seek God, pray, witness, unite, and share the gospel, evil seems to have the upper hand. But human history rests firmly within God’s sovereign control. In His perfect timing and with precise purposefulness, God will intervene to right wrongs, bring justice, overcome evil, and deliver His people. This truth remains certain, no matter how we feel or what we observe. Hallelujah! Through the Holy Spirit, we believers learn to interpret circumstances in light of biblical truth. We live today and face the future securely grounded in God’s unchanging promises.