3 Advent

3 Advent - Sunday

first posted 12/13/03

Amos 9:11-15 Prophesy of restoration
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 13-17 The Day of the Lord
John 5:30-47 Jesus’ relation to God

In the Day of the Lord, the dynasty of David will be restored. Amos describes the coming age in which the Lord will again plant his people upon their land (Amos 9:15) and creation will be freed from its bondage to decay and restored to its original created goodness.

Paul warned the Thessalonians not to be misled by false rumors of the second coming of Christ, and told them that the revealing of the “man of lawlessness” (or “man of sin”; i.e. the antichrist), the “son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) must precede that Day. Paul thus reassures believers that God has chosen and called us “to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13), so that if we hold fast to the faith we have received and continue to live it out in our lives we may have confidence, and not fear the coming of the Lord.

Jesus’ judgment is just, because he judges according to God’s will. God has borne witness to Jesus through the witness of John the Baptist ( John 5:33), Jesus’ works ( John 5:36), and scripture ( John 5:39), that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), sent by God. Those who know God, who have God’s word abiding in them, will recognize and acknowledge Jesus as the Christ ( John 5:38-40). How we respond to Jesus reveals whether we are God’s children or Satan’s ( John 5:42-43). It is not Jesus who will accuse sinners; their own behavior will testify against them.

Jesus is the Son of David (Matthew 1:1) (on his Mother’s side; he was conceived by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary: see Luke 1:34-35. God is his Father, and Jesus is the Son of God; God in the flesh (Colossians 2:8-9) and thus the fulfillment of the promise of the eternal heir to David’s throne (2 Sam 7:8-16). He is the Messiah (or Christ; God’s Anointed King of the Universe). Jesus is going to return to judge the earth and establish his eternal kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46). Creation will be set free from its bondage to decay (Romans 8:19-23).

Paul’s teaching in this passage was intended to reassure believers and encourage them not to panic at rumors that the Day of the Lord has come. Jesus told his disciples, in his discourse on the signs of the end of the age and of his second coming (Matthew 24:3-31), not to be led astray by false christs and false prophets; not to run about in panic trying to locate the Lord at his second coming (Matthew 24:26). Instead, his disciples are to trust in Jesus, and the Lord will find them, because his coming will not be confined to one place; it will be universal (Matthew 24:27-28) and he will send his angels to gather his elect to himself (Matthew 24:31). So it is not necessary for “born-again” believers, who have a personal fellowship with Jesus (as distinct from “nominal” Christians; mere “professors”), to worry about the details of the Second Coming. Believers just need to hold onto the faith, and keep on obeying Jesus' teachings.

Jesus is going to come again to judge the living and the dead (i.e. he will judge both those still physically alive at his coming as well as those who have died; and he will render judgment as to who is spiritually alive and who is spiritually dead: 1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-29; see also journal entry for Monday, December 8, 2003). Jesus is the standard against which everyone will be judged. All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the punishment for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23), but God loves us and doesn’t want us to perish (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8). Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation; God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sin. Acts 4:10-12). Those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and have obeyed his commands will receive eternal life in Heaven with him; those who have rejected Jesus and have refused to obey his commands will be condemned to eternal death and destruction in Hell with Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:31-46).

Not everyone who claims Jesus as Lord will be saved; only those who have had a personal fellowship with Jesus, who have been obedient to his commands and have been born-again (anew) by the indwelling of his Holy Spirit (Matthew 7:21-23; John 3:3; Acts 19:2: see also journal entry for Wednesday, November 12, 2003). Jesus is the only way (John 14:6). Do you have a personal fellowship with Jesus? Have you received the Holy Spirit? Do you know where you’re going to spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

3 Advent - Monday

first posted 12/14/03

Zechariah 1:7-17 Divine horsemen
Revelation 3:7-13 Letter to the church at Philadelphia
Matthew 24:15-31 Signs of the end

Around the end of January of 519 B.C. Zechariah had his first revelation, in the form of a night vision, of four divine horsemen patrolling the earth. The angel of the Lord (the intermediary interpreter between the Lord and the prophet Zechariah) inquired how long the Lord would withhold his mercy from Jerusalem and Judah, which had been in exile in Babylon for seventy years, from 587-519 B.C.

The angel then interpreted the Lord’s reply to the prophet, saying that the Lord cared greatly for Jerusalem and Judah, and was very angry at the “nations that are at ease”, because when the Lord was less angry, the nations “furthered the disaster” (weren’t inclined to heed the Lord’s anger and desist) (Zechariah 1:15). The Lord said, “I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it (see journal entry for Friday, November 21, 2003)…and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem” (v.16). The Lord promises that he will again prosper his cities, comfort Zion, and “choose” (favor; bless) Jerusalem.

The word of the Lord [the holy one, and true one, who has the key of David (symbol of authority)], to the Church at Philadelphia, a small town in Lydia in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). The Lord declares that he has provided an open door of opportunity. He commends them for their obedience and faithfulness. The Lord will cause them to be exalted by those who claim to be people of God but are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan. Because they have been obedient to the Lord with patient endurance, the Lord will keep them from the tribulation which will come to try all those on earth. The Lord exhorts them to hold fast to their faith. To those who persevere, he promises an important and permanent place in the presence of God in his heavenly Temple and in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2) of the heavenly kingdom.

Jesus told his disciples the signs of the end of the age, in answer to their inquiry. The desolating sacrilege refers to Daniel 9:27. [The reference in Daniel is thought by many to refer to Antiochus Epiphanes, “who in 167 B.C. conquered Palestine, violated the sanctuary … and offered the abominations of heathen sacrifice in the Temple”*. Jesus must have meant it to refer to an unfulfilled future event as well, which many have interpreted as the revealing of the antichrist (2Thessalonians 2:3)]. Jesus describes a period of intense tribulation. His word to believers is to not panic when these signs begin to occur, but to hold fast to their faith and trust in him. Jesus’ return will be universal ( Matthew 24:26-27) so there is no need for believers to run about trying to locate him; he will send out his angels to locate and gather them (v.31). Therefore believers are encouraged to trust and persevere in faith in Jesus.

The Lord did indeed allow the exiles in Babylon to return and to rebuild the Temple; he did indeed establish Jesus as the measuring line against whom all humanity will be judged. He will prosper his city, the New Jerusalem, and comfort and favor (bless) his people.

The Lord promises that those who hold fast to faith in him will be vindicated and exalted, and that he will keep them from the great tribulation which is going to come upon all the earth. He promises that those who persevere in faith until the end will be saved, and they will receive a prominent and permanent place in the kingdom of heaven.

Believers do not have to worry about the Day of Judgment. They are to trust in the Lord and continue to follow his commands, and he will see that they are kept safe: Praise the Lord! Thank You, Jesus!

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Daniel 9:9-14n, p. 1080, and Daniel 9:25-27n, p. 1082, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962

3 Advent - Tuesday

first posted 12/15/03

Zechariah 2:1-13 A man to measure Jerusalem
Revelation 3:14-22 Letter to the Church at Laodicea
Matthew 24:32-44 The thief in the night

Zechariah had a vision of a man (an angel) with a measuring line in his hand, preparing to measure Jerusalem. The angel told Zechariah that the population of Jerusalem would be so vast that it would be like villages without walls, and the Lord would be a wall of fire around it and the glory within her. The Lord says to the exiles in Babylon (the land of the north) to flee from her and return to Zion. The Lord declares that the exiles are “the apple of his eye” (the object of his longing and affection). The Lord will plunder those who have plundered the exiles. The Lord exhorts the exiles (daughter of Zion) to “sing and rejoice…for lo, I come and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.” (Zechariah 2:11) “The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem” Zechariah 2:12). “Be silent all flesh before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling (v.13; see Zephaniah 1:7).

The Lord rebukes the church at Laodicea (a rich and prosperous city near Colossae) as “lukewarm”: complacent and self-satisfied. Although they are materially well-off, they are spiritually poverty-stricken. Jesus is the Amen ( Revelation 3:14) because he is the fulfillment of God’s promises (see 2 Corinthians 1:20), and the beginning and source of creation (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15, 18). They are counseled to obtain from him what is truly precious (faith in Jesus; 1 Peter 1:7) refined by the fire of testing, and white garments (of salvation; cleansed of unrighteousness by the blood of Jesus; Revelation7:14, 1 John 1:7). God’s chastening is for our good, to bring us to repentance so that we may be saved. In order to receive him we need to listen and respond to his word and open the door of our hearts to him and invite him to come in. To those who do invite him in, he will come in and have close personal fellowship with them (manifest himself to them; see John 14:21). Those who overcome the obstacles to faith and endure to the end will share in the victory and the glory that God has shared with Jesus.

Jesus says that like the fig tree, which puts forth leaves as summer approaches, so when we see the signs of the End (of human history) he has given (in Matthew 24:3-31), we will know that the Day of Judgment and the time of Jesus return is near. Jesus promises that these things will take place; there is no other possibility; no “plan B” (Matthew 24:34-35). The Day of Judgment will be like the days of Noah, when God had made known to Noah that he was going to judge the world, and Noah obeyed God’s word and was prepared; but others went on about their normal lives oblivious of the impending judgment, and were caught unaware and by surprise (Genesis 6:5-8).

Jesus coming will be universal Matthew 24:26-27), but the gathering of his elect will be very selective; unbelievers won’t get caught up with the saved just because of their physical proximity, even if they coincidentally happen to be in church at the moment of Jesus’ return! Jesus return and the Day of Judgment will come suddenly and unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. No one knows when that Day will be; not angels or even Jesus; only God the Father knows ( Matthew 24:36), so we are well advised to prepare and be vigilant now ( Matthew 24:44).

Jesus is the “measuring line”; the standard by which all the earth will be judged. He is also the Judge, the Lord, who is preparing to conduct the “measuring” of the world. The Lord loves us and wants us to return to him, so that he can be a wall of salvation around us. Believers can rejoice in our salvation through Jesus Christ, God’s only provision for our salvation (Acts 4:10-12; John 14:6) who is the Lord who comes to dwell among and within us (Zechariah 2:11).

The Lord warns those who are complacent and self-satisfied, who trust in their own works, or their physical, intellectual and material resources. The only lasting security is through faith in Jesus Christ; the only righteousness is by Jesus’ blood, shed for us on the Cross. Jesus is the Lord who comes to dwell among and within us, but he awaits our invitation and our opening of the door. He makes himself known to those who receive him as Lord and obey his word (John 14:21). Born-again Christians don’t just hope that Jesus is the truth; they experience Jesus and come to know with certainty that Jesus lives and that the Gospel is true (John 6:68-69).

“The (past) times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all (people) everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man (Jesus) whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all (people) by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). The Day of Judgment will come like a thief in the night. Are you ready, or are you still an "exile in Babylon"?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

3 Advent - Wednesday

first posted 12/16/03

Zechariah 3:1-10 Joshua before the throne of God
Revelation 4:1-8 Vision of God on his throne
Matthew 24:45-51 Wise or wicked servants

Zechariah had a vision of Joshua, the High Priest in Zerubbabel’s administration, before the throne of God’s judgment, with Satan as his accuser. The Lord silenced the accuser, and said “is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” (Zechariah 3:2), indicating that Joshua had been saved from destruction. Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and the Lord had him re-clothed in clean garments. The Lord told Joshua that if he would walk in the Lord's ways and keep his commands, then he would rule the Lord’s house and have charge of the Lord’s courts, and have access to the Lord’s presence. The Lord promised to bring forth the Lord’s servant, the Branch (the Messiah), who will remove the guilt of the land (Zechariah 3:9) and bring peace and security (Zechariah 3:10; see Micah 4:4).

The revelator John’s vision of the glory of God on his throne describes the splendor in terms of precious stones. (The seven spirits of God suggest the fullness of God’s power and energy; the twenty four elders are the 12 Old Testament patriarchs and the 12 New Testament Apostles; the four living creatures represent the angels, mankind, and all the animals: the beasts and the birds)

At the end of his discourse on the signs of the end of the Age (of human history) Jesus warned his hearers to be faithful and wise servants over the master’s household, giving those of the household their food at the proper time. They will be blessed when the master returns and finds them so doing. Woe to the wicked servant who, thinking that the master’s return will be delayed, abuses the members of the household and indulges himself without regard to his duties or those in his charge. The master will return unexpectedly and will punish him and cast him out with the hypocrites.

Zechariah’s vision of Joshua before the throne of God is a picture of believers on the Day of Judgment. They have been plucked from the fire (Zechariah 3:2) and have been re-clothed in righteousness through faith in Jesus, the Messiah who silences the accuser of our souls, removes guilt and brings peace and security (Zechariah 3:9-10). Those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and who obey his commands will reign in his house with Jesus, and will have access to the Lord’s presence for all eternity.

John’s vision is an attempt to describe the unimaginable joy of the presence of the Lord. Born-again Christians experience only brief glimpses of that joy and glory now, in transcendent moments in worship and fellowship with the Lord, but that is just a foretaste of the life in heaven for eternity.

Jesus’ warning is a word to all Christians not to become complacent and to begin to neglect their duty to follow Jesus’ commands but to wait expectantly for his return. Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will be saved; he will acknowledge only those who by their obedience have shown that Jesus truly is their Lord (Matthew 7:21-23).

3 Advent - Thursday

first posted 12/17/03

Zechariah 4:1-14 Vision of the Golden Lampstand
Revelation 4:9-5:5 The Throne of God and the Lamb
Matthew 25:1-13 The Wise and Foolish Maidens

Zechariah had a vision of a golden lampstand, with two olive trees beside it. The Lord said to Zerubbabel “Not by might, or by power, but by my Spirit…” (Zechariah 4:6) Zerubbabel had begun the rebuilding of the Temple (and the restored Jewish community), and he would complete it. It will be a great accomplishment worthy of much rejoicing. (The two olive trees may signify Joshua and Zerubbabel. The golden lampstand represents the Lord.)

This is John’s vision of worship and praise before the throne of God in heaven. God holds a scroll sealed with seven seals (God’s plan for the future; fixed and unalterable, and unrevealed to others), and there is a call for someone who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. Then Jesus, “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David” is declared worthy because he has conquered (death and Satan, by Jesus’ death on the Cross and his resurrection).

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like maidens waiting for the bridegroom. Some of the maidens had been wise to bring enough oil, while others were foolish and had not prepared for a wait. While waiting for the bridegroom they dozed. At midnight the cry went up that the bridegroom was coming, and they arose to meet him. The wise maidens refilled their lamps, but the foolish maidens’ lamps were running out of oil. The foolish maidens were unable to borrow oil from the others and were forced to leave and try to locate oil for themselves, but while they were gone, the bridegroom came. The others went into the feast with him, and the door was shut. When the foolish maidens returned they were unable to enter. Jesus warned his hearers to watch and be prepared, because his return will be unexpected.

Jesus is the light of the world. Without his light in us, it is impossible to have spiritual sight; one would thus be forced to stumble in darkness. Jesus is the lampstand of our restoration to a right relationship with God, our creator. We are unable to save ourselves by our own efforts. Jesus is the key to the future. God has an eternal future prepared for those who trust in Jesus. Only through Jesus will that future be revealed to us. Jesus is the bridegroom who comes to claim his bride (the Church). Jesus is the oil for the lamps of our salvation. Those who are prepared for the bridegroom’s return, who have Jesus as their Lord, will be able to enter into the eternal marriage feast in Heaven with the Lord. His coming will be at a time we do not expect. We must be ready!

3 Advent - Friday

first posted 12/18/03

Zechariah 7:8-8:8 The Lord promises restoration
Revelation 5:6-14 Worthy is the Lamb
Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of the talents

The Lord desires true judgment (justice), kindness and mercy, but the people of Israel disregarded the words of the Lord. The Lord declared that since they would not listen when he called, he would not listen when they called. Because of their disobedience he scattered them abroad, and their homeland was desolate. But the Lord loves his people and promises that he will restore his people and bring them back to Zion and dwell in the midst of them. They will be his people and he will be their God.

The revelator sees a vision of Jesus, the Lamb, slain as the sacrifice to God for our sins, preparing to open the scroll of God’s plan for our future. The assembly declares that Jesus is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals because he has given his life as a ransom for the sins of all people and has made, from the ransomed, a kingdom and priests to God. The ransomed (i.e. the Church) have become the people of God; they have received the promise which was formerly given to Israel (Exodus 19:6; 1 Peter 2:9). All the saints on earth and heaven join in the worship of God and Jesus as equally worthy of worship and glory.

Jesus illustrated the kingdom of heaven with the parable of the “talents” (an amount of money said to be worth a thousand dollars). The master was going on a journey and called his servants and entrusted his investments to them, according to their ability. To one he gave ten talents, to another five, to another two, to another one. The servant who had received the ten went and invested and doubled the sum. So likewise the servants with the five and the two also invested and doubled their sums. But the one who had received the one talent buried his talent and hid it in the ground.

After a long time, the master returned and asked for an accounting. The servants who had invested what they had been given and had increased the amounts were commended, and the master rewarded them with greater position in his kingdom. But the one who had buried his talent justified his action by declaring that he thought his master was difficult to please and, since he was afraid, he had hidden the talent for safekeeping. The master condemned the wicked servant, because he could have at least put the talent in the bank were it would earn interest. The master ordered the talent be taken from the wicked servant and given to the servant who had managed the ten, and the wicked servant fired.

The Lord desires obedience to his will. Because of disobedience, Israel was exiled to Babylon. The Lord brought a remnant of Israel back to their land again. In a wider sense this also applies to all people on earth. We have all been in exile in the “Babylon” of sin because of our disobedience to God’s will (We have all sinned; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). He promises that a remnant will return to the “Zion” of the kingdom of heaven, where he will dwell in our midst for eternity. God is God, regardless of our response to him, but he chooses to fulfill his duty to be the loving father and provider that being God implies, only to those who are willing to be his people. He doesn’t force anyone; we each make our own choice.

Notice that John’s vision of heaven doesn’t include any atheists. There won’t be any demonstrators advocating against prayer or the worship of God. Heaven will be full of people who love God and want to do what he desires. People who have learned during their life on earth to know and serve God will be ready for eternal life. People who hate him and want their own selfish way wouldn’t be happy there.

Jesus’ parable of the talents suggests that we have all been given talents (resources) by the Lord. We can learn to use those resources to further the Lord’s purposes, or we can use them to further our own selfish purposes. The wicked servant selfishly buried his master’s talent in the ground to avoid being held accountable to his master for his handling of it. The master proved to be generous and fair to the servants who were faithful in the performance of their duties. The wicked servant thought his master was mean because the wicked servant was not willing to fulfill his duties as a servant. It was his choice; the master didn’t force him to be his servant; but the servant must bear the consequences.

We’ve been given the gift of life. We can use that life to seek God and his will (Acts 17:26-27), or we can use it to satisfy our own selfish desires. Jesus is God’s only plan for our redemption (Acts 4:10-12). Salvation is the free gift of God; we don’t deserve it, can’t earn it or buy it, or take it by force or deception (Ephesians 2-8-9). We must simply receive it (John 1:12) by trusting in Jesus as our Lord and obeying him (Revelation 3:20).

3 Advent - Saturday

first posted 12/19/03

Zechariah 8:9-17 The promise of restoration
Revelation 6:1-17 Opening the first six seals
Matthew 25:31-46 The Great Judgment

The Lord said to the exiles who had returned from Babylon that since they had begun rebuilding the Temple of the Lord, the Lord would restore and bless them. Where before there had been chaos and disorganization, strife and want, the Lord would bring peace and prosperity. He will save his people, who had become a “byword of cursing” (i.e. an object of scorn) and they will become a blessing (rather than a curse). As the Lord punished them relentlessly when they were disobedient, he now will reward them abundantly as they as they submit to his will and obey his commands. The Lord requires justice and peace, love for one another (rather than plotting evil against one another; v. 17a) and honesty.

In a vision, the revelator, John, sees the Lamb (Jesus) open the first six seals of the seven-sealed scroll, which is God’s future plan . The first seal reveals a white horse and a rider with a bow and a crown (probably symbolizing the Christ as the victorious conqueror). With the opening of the second seal, a red horse and its rider (symbolizing war) come forth. The third seal reveals a black horse and rider (symbolizing famine). At the fourth seal’s opening, a pale horse and its rider, Death, are revealed. (These are commonly known as the four horsemen of the apocalypse.) They were given power to kill over a fourth of the earth.

When the fifth seal was opened, John saw a vision of the souls of the martyrs in heaven, under the altar because they had been sacrificed for the cause of the Gospel. They pray for divine vindication. They are given white robes symbolizing righteousness and victory. The opening of the sixth seal reveals great disturbances of nature: a great earthquake, the Sun extinguished, the Moon blood-red, all the stars falling. The sky disappears and the whole earth is shaken. All the people on earth are in fear of the Lord, but there is no way to hide; the Day of Judgment has come.

Jesus taught that he would return in glory, with all the angels, and would sit on his glorious throne and judge all the people on earth, and he would separate them into two groups, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. Those who by their obedience to his teaching have shown that Jesus is their Lord will receive eternal life his heavenly kingdom with Jesus. Those who have shown by their disregard for his teaching that Jesus is not their Lord will receive the condemnation of eternal death in Hell with Satan and his demons.

When the exiles had returned from Babylon, they neglected the worship of God while they pursued their own success. As a result, God withheld his blessings so that great effort produced little reward (see Haggai 1:1-15). Then they repented and became obedient, and began to rebuild the Temple, and the Lord had restored his blessings so that they prospered. The Lord promises to save and restore his people, who are obedient to his will. What God promised to the returning Jewish exiles then, applies also to us today. He promises to bless those who are obedient to his word, and punish those who aren’t. He promises to save his people (those who obey him) and that they will become a blessing rather than a curse.

John’s vision is of the Second Coming of Jesus and of the Day of Judgment. Jesus will come in glory as a victorious conquering King, with a vast army of angels. War, famine and death, and the great disturbances in nature are symbolic of the widespread punishment of the wicked. The martyrs, who have been killed for the cause of the Gospel, will be vindicated and clothed in righteousness and salvation (as will the redeemed, but we haven’t gotten to that point in the narrative yet).

Jesus foretold his Second Coming and the Day of Judgment. He will be the Judge, and he is also the standard of judgment. God promised to save his people; Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Jesus is God’s only provision for our salvation (Acts 4:12). Salvation is by grace (unmerited, free gift) of God by faith in Jesus; not by works [deeds; acts (Ephesians 2:8-10)]; but those who truly have faith in Jesus will do what he teaches (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46). Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have been obedient to his commands will have a personal relationship now in this life (John 14:21). The risen Jesus is the Holy Spirit; don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God (1 John 4:1). Christians have the certainty that God has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ; if we have the Son we know we have life; those who do not have the Son do not have life (1 John 5:11-12). Those who are truly Christian disciples need have not fear of the Day of Judgment.