Who isn’t included?

Watch the complete sermon here: https://www.bridges.church/messages/our-biggest-cheerleader-zephaniah-3-8-20/

Hey, thanks again for sending in questions related to our recent sermons. We’ve been in a series of the minor prophets for several weeks now and again this last week we see contrasting pictures of wrath and grace, of judgment and redemption. In this case, the tune of gloom and destruction and calamity, contrasted with God singing over us in delight. And so the question this week is, is everyone included? Does everyone get the tune of delight, of God singing over us in joy?

Is anyone in the category of judgment? And I appreciate the question, and we’ve been talking throughout all of this series, of those who put their faith in Christ or have trusted him, what he has done for us. That those are the ones who get the tune of delight, the Redemption, the mercy, the forgiveness, the grace. But there is still a day of judgment in the future for those not in Christ. We actually see multiple pictures of judgment throughout Scripture.

In the minor prophets, pictures of judgment, they really happened, whether it’s famine or an invading army, those are judgments that really happened against the nations who the prophets are prophesying against. That’s one judgment. Another judgment happens on the cross. This is what Jesus takes for us in our place, which is why we have said we see wrath in the Old Testament. It’s one, what we deserve, and two, what Jesus takes for us, and three, what we are free from forever because of our faith in him.

And then we have a future judgment coming. Romans Two five talks about storing up wrath against those who are unrepentant, or in Thessalonians. That God is going to. God is not unjust. God is going to come and punish those who have done us wrong, who have hurt us.

God holds everyone accountable. He’s storing up wrath for a future day when he will come again. There will be a future day of the Lord, and those who escape that day are those who have put their faith in Christ, who have received his redemption, who he has rescued from their unfaithfulness. But the charge remains to all of us to always be repentant, to not resist God’s grace. He makes it available for everyone.

All of us have a chance to put our faith in him and be rescued from the coming wrath. And those who don’t, who we said this last time, who stay on the outside of his love, who choose not to enter into such grace and mercy. And yes, those are the ones who receive wrath. And Thessalonians again talks about an eternal punishment for those outside of Christ, Jesus. Well, thanks for the question.

We pray that all of us lean into Jesus and his redemption for our lives.