Why is it that some face death without any dread even though they are outside of Christ? For the Bible says, And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 NKJV). These are sobering verses. But I have known some who had not prepared themselves to meet the Lord in judgment, and they had no pangs of conscience before they died. The psalmist, Asaph, wrote of such in his day. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm (Psalm 73:3,4).
There are three logical explanations for such behavior. First, such a person may be ignorant. Ignorance may be bliss before one dies, but it sure will not be afterwards. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). Ignorance will not be accepted in the day of Judgment. Because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:19,20).
The second reason some seem to go out easy is because of a hard heart. There were some in Paul's day who believed they would "escape the judgment of God." He said it was because they had a hard heart. And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:3,5). Those who have hardened hearts believe that they have no need of healing, and they do what is right in their own sight. John writes of this malady: Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them” (John 12:39,40). When someone hardens his heart, he reaches a point to where he is past feeling (Ephesians 4:19).
A third reason is because they have a false hope. This one may be the most pitiable condition. Imagine believing that you were going to heaven when you died, then only to land in hell. Jesus warned of this when he said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matthew 7:21). According to Jesus, there will be many religious people who will be turned away from heaven (Matthew 7:22,23), because in their religion, the will of God was not done. How many will be turned away because they worshiped with mechanical instruments? How many will be turned away because they believed they were saved by faith only? How many will be turned away because they did not repent?
After Asaph realized that death wasn't the end for the wicked, but that they would face judgment, he considered how foolish he was to envy them (Psalm 73:17-22). Unless the Lord comes first, all of us will face death. My prayer is that we all can face it with no pangs because we did not receive the grace of God in vain. And may we strive to inform ignorant souls, appeal to the hard-hearted, and reason with those who have believed a lie. Brotherly, Jamie
