Hebrews 10.17 proclaims their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.
What if seeing God for the first time really was a welcome home party, sort of like when your parents welcome you home after having not seen you for months? What if God really did treat us like He knew nothing of our faults or failures?
How would truly believing these things transform our behavior now? Wouldn’t we begin to treat God like we do that person in our life who just loves us for who we are and cares nothing about our performance?
That is the kind of promise God makes to us; to welcome us into heaven as though we had lived a perfect life having never ever done anything wrong.
How is this possible? What about judgment? The Bible indicates a second judgment is to occur at the end of time.
This judgment is reserved for all those who didn’t participate in the first judgment. The first judgment occurred when Jesus was condemned by God for all the evil all of humanity has ever done for all time. At this judgment Jesus took the punishment all of humanity deserved for failing to obey God perfectly.
Those who believe this, those who admitted in this life they were sinful and in need of a Savior have had their sin and judgment transferred to Jesus Who by His resurrection from the dead proves He is able to pardon all who come to Him for mercy. This transfer and pardon leads to God’s promise that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
This is how those who have humbled themselves before God through Jesus can enter heaven in peace with God, Who in turn will welcome them in joy as though they had never ever done anything to displease their heavenly Father. No other religion makes such an offer to humanity.
What about the second judgment?
That is reserved for those who refuse to participate in the first judgment. These people will stand before God based on their own success at having lived perfect lives according to God’s standards and will be judged by Him accordingly.
