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Praying The Apostles Creed Part 7: The Living And The Dead

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and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. 

And he will come again. This brings me great comfort and great anxiety. Since I do not when he is coming back, my hope is that I’ve having a “good day” in my faith.

In an Old English version of the prayer the term  “the quick and the dead”  is used.  This term makes me think of the movie, by the same name starring Russel Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sharon Stone, and Gene Hackman about a gunfight tournament. The gunfight is held every day at noon. When the clock strikes 12 guns are drawn and the best man (or woman) wins. As with many movies, there are subplots where you are hoping justice will be served and the movie does not disappoint. Real life will not disappoint either.

I was recently asked if I believe in Universalism, the belief that every one gets to go to heaven no matter if they accepted Christ or not. I responded that because I believe in God’s desire to see justice in our world and in the world beyond, I cannot believe in Universalism. I believe the Scriptures confirms this as well.

Scriptures

I said to myself, “God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed.” Ecclesiastes 3;17

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds – Revelation 20:11-15
but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. – I Peter 4:5
Prayer
Father, you are the Righteous Judge. You will judge faithfully the living and the dead. I will, one day, stand before your throne and my life, my eternity is in your hands. I pray that I will live with this end in mind and my hope will be to hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant”.

 

 

 

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