He shall come to judge the quick and the dead
Heidelberg Catechism
Heidelberg Catechism Question 52. What comfort does the return of Christ “to judge the living and the dead” give you? That in all affliction and persecution I may await with head held high the very Judge from heaven who has already submitted himself to the judgment of God for me and has removed all the curse from me; that he will cast all his enemies and mine into everlasting condemnation, but he shall take me, together with all his elect, to himself into heavenly joy and glory.
Study Catechism
Study Catechism Question 48. How do you understand the words that “he will come again to judge the living and the dead”? Like everyone else, I too must stand in fear and trembling before the judgment seat of Christ. But the Judge is the one who submitted to judgment for my sake. Nothing will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord. All the sinful failures that cause me shame will perish as through fire, while any good I may have done will be received with gladness by God.
- 2 Cor. 5:10 “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.”
- Eccl. 12:14 “For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
- Acts 17:31 “He has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
- Rom. 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- 1 John 4:17 “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.”
- 1 Cor. 3:12-15 “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.”
- Acts 10:42 “He is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead.”
Study Catechism Question 49. Will all human beings be saved? No one will be lost who can be saved. The limits to salvation, whatever they may be, are known only to God. Three truths above all are certain. God is a holy God who is not to be trifled with. No one will be saved except by grace alone. And no judge could possibly be more gracious than our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- Heb 10:31 “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
- Rom. 11:32 “For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.”
- Matt. 18:12-14 “What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”
- Eph. 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
- 1 Tim. 2:3-4 “This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
- John 3:17-18 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
- Ezek. 18:32 “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live.”
- 2 Cor. 5:14-15 “Because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”
Study Catechism Question 50. Is Christianity the only true religion? Religion is a complex matter. When used as a means to promote self-justification, war-mongering or prejudice, it is a form of sin. Too often all religions — and not least Christianity — have been twisted in this way. Nevertheless, by grace, despite all disobedience, Christianity offers the truth of the gospel. Although other religions may enshrine various truths, no other can or does affirm the name of Jesus Christ as the hope of the world.
- Matt 7:3 “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?”
- James 1:26 “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.”
- James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
- Acts 4:12 “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”
- John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
- Rom. 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
- 2 Cor. 4:7 “But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.”
Study Catechism Question 51. How will God deal with the followers of other religions? God has made salvation available to all human beings through Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. How God will deal with those who do not know or follow Christ, but who follow another tradition, we cannot finally say. We can say, however, that God is gracious and merciful, and that God will not deal with people in any other way than we see in Jesus Christ, who came as the Savior of the world.
- Rev. 7:9 “And there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands.”
- Ps. 103:8 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”
- John 3:19 “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.”
- Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.”
Study Catechism Question 52. How should I treat non-Christians and people of other religions? As much as I can, I should meet friendship with friendship, hostility with kindness, generosity with gratitude, persecution with forbearance, truth with agreement, and error with truth. I should express my faith with humility and devotion as the occasion requires, whether silently or openly, boldly or meekly, by word or by deed. I should avoid compromising the truth on the one hand and being narrow-minded on the other. In short, I should always welcome and accept these others in a way that honors and reflects the Lord’s welcome and acceptance of me.
- Rom. 15:7 “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
- Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
- Matt. 5:44 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
- Eph. 4:25 “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.”
- Acts. 13:47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
- Rom. 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
- Rom. 13:10 “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.”
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