As I’ve heard David Reagan say so often, “God does not wrap Himself in the American flag.” He is simply saying, along with the apostle Peter, “… “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34).

We, as a society, think we can do or say anything we want and never have to pay the piper. Most in our society either do not believe in God or think we are so special that God would not dare judge us.

Is God really just a big teddy bear up in Heaven that winks at sin? Is He really so impressed by us that He would consider us an exception and just hold His nose while He gives us a big hug? I personally feel we are under judgment now, and I’ll explain why I believe that later on in this article.

First of all, I would like for us to consider a few judgments by God upon others in the past and the future. These are in no particular order.

PAST JUDGMENTS

God’s Judgment in the Garden of Eden:

Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and disobeyed God, then sin entered us and had to be judged. Judgment was handed down by God upon them and their progeny, and judgment was also pronounced upon the serpent. Read chapter three of Genesis.

God’s Judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah:

Sodom and Gomorrah were extremely wicked in every respect, much like us, by the way. Jesus’ half-brother said of them and the surrounding cities of that day the following:

“In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire” (Jude 7).

The account of their destruction is recorded in Genesis 19:23-29. Only Lot and his daughters survived.

God’s Judgment on Those in Noah’s Day:

Well, here is another group of people, much like us, who refused to repent of their evil devices. They ignored Noah’s warnings and became more and more evil. Their judgment is recorded in Genesis 6:1-8; 7. Only Noah and his family survived. Everyone else drowned by a worldwide flood.

God’s Judgment on Egypt:

Because of the Pharoah’s arrogance, the people suffered, and the Egyptian army was drowned in the Red Sea. See Exodus 14:26-28.

God’s Judgment on Israel:

The northern kingdom, called Israel at that time, had turned its back on God and was taken captive by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Out of 19 kings, they were all bad, from Jeroboam I to Hoshea, a period from 931 B.C. to 721 B.C. You can read about their judgment by Assyria in 2 Kings.

God’s Judgment on Judah:

In the book of Daniel, we can get a first-hand look at Judah, the southern kingdom, following its captivity by the Babylonians from 607-586 B.C. Out of twenty kings, from 931 B.C. to 586 B.C., there were only eight that could be called “good.”

God’s Judgment on Babylon:

In 539 B.C., God allowed the Persians to capture Babylon to punish them for taking Judah captive. In Daniel 5, we can see the beginning of Babylon’s fall.

God’s Judgment on all Israel for Rejecting their Messiah:

In 70 A.D., Israel’s temple was destroyed and the people scattered to the four winds. Luke 19:43-44 gives us the reason for their judgment.

FUTURE JUDGMENTS

God’s Judgment and Reconciliation for Israel During the Tribulation:

Note Ezekiel 20:36-38; Romans 11:26; Revelation 6ff. (I will repeat this judgment at the end.) In Daniel 9:20-27, we are told of 483 years and then the additional seven years remaining, which will comprise the Tribulation.

God’s Judgment of the Gentiles at His 2nd Coming:

Read Matthew 25:31-46. There will be three classes of people at this judgment: sheep (saved Gentiles), goats (unsaved Gentiles), and brothers (the people of Israel).

God’s Judgment of Fallen Angels at the End of the Millennium:

Please see Jude 6.

God’s Judgment of the Wicked Dead at Great White Throne After Millennium:

Read Revelation 20:11-15.

God’s Judgment on Gog and Magog:

See Ezekiel 38 – 39.

God’s Judgment of Satan:

See Revelation 20:7-10.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, but it is clear that the Almighty God we serve will not hesitate to administer judgment upon individuals and nations that refuse to repent. Someone may say, “My God is a God of love!” I must reply that God is a God of love, and He is also holy. He cannot condone sin, and there are no exceptions.

“Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

The United States of America was once a God-fearing country. Today every area of our society is so deep in sin that we are now a carbon-copy of those in Noah’s day and those in the days of Lot. Our government is totally corrupt, steeped in pride and greed, and hates anything associated with a holy God. Along with the politicians, the entertainment industry in our nation is perverse and laughs in the face of Almighty God, as the world of business robs from the people and thumbs their nose at God. Even most of the churches have been taken over by false prophets, perversion and apostasy, and are leading people by the millions straight to hell.

What has happened to us, a country that at the very least once showed the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob respect and recognized the Son of God as the only way to the Father?

As did Ephesus, we lost our first love and turned our back on God. In our pride, we have sunk to the lowest depth of Satan’s sewers. We removed God from every aspect of our society and have never looked back since at least 1963, when we chose to remove Him from our schools.

As I said earlier, I believe we are already under judgment, for Romans 1:24-25 says that God gave us over to sinful desires. Romans 1:26-27 says God gave us over to shameful lusts, and Romans 1:28-32 say God finally gave us over to a depraved mind. In other words, God backed away and gave us what we wanted, and now we are reaping what we have sown.

Yes, God is love, and He proved it at the cross, but He doesn’t save anyone by His love. He saves all who will come to Him by His grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

God’s Judgment at the Cross of Calvary:

The greatest judgment of God was upon Jesus Christ at Golgotha (Calvary). On that cross, Jesus took our sins upon Himself and died for us so that all who come to Him will be saved from wrath. Please read John 12:30-33.

Self-Judgment During the Church Age:

Every person who comes to Jesus and asks Him to save them will be saved and never face judgment because Jesus paid the price for us that we could never pay.

1 Corinthians 11:27-32 tells us, as true followers of Christ, to judge ourselves so as not to bring any disrespect upon our Lord. Also, we learn of Him and serve Him in whatever way He leads us. In turn, there is another judgment.

God’s Judgment of the Believers Works After the Rapture:

2 Corinthians 5:10 and 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 promise that Jesus will judge the works of every believer, not sins, but works. He paid our sin debt at the cross, but this judgment is to reward us for serving Him.

Even though our country has placed itself in God’s crosshairs, as did the Pharoah of Egypt and so many others, we must stay true to God’s Word.

There is another judgment that many will face.

God’s Judgment During the Tribulation (Repeated):

The Church will not be here for the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9). We will be in Heaven with Jesus, preparing for the greatest wedding of all. All who have rejected Jesus will remain upon the earth to suffer through God’s wrath (Revelation 6:17), a time so terrible that all mankind would die if not for His grace (Mark 13:20).

In my opinion, our once great country has crossed the line, and there is nothing remaining but the judgment of God. We are in the last days just prior to the Tribulation, and the only thing the Bible says about this time period is that it will get worse and worse until the Church is first removed, and then the Tribulation will begin.

Our leaders and the majority of our populace want nothing to do with God, but the good news is that any who are willing can come to Jesus right now and be saved from the wrath to come. How do you avoid the Tribulation? Call upon Jesus now.

Out of the list of judgments I have mentioned above, how can we be so naïve in thinking we are exempt simply because we are the United States of America? We are not exempt. Do we not realize that God has waited two thousand years in order to give the world plenty of time to repent?

“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:12).

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

Elijah Ogunyi of Gashua, of Yobe state in Nigeria, said of his life as a minister in that region, “Persecution is a part of Christian life. If truly we pastors are called by God, we should expect persecution.” [The Voice of the Martyrs, August 2022, Vol. 56 No.8]

Seventeen-year-old Moses Joseph of Kudana state, Nigeria, lost his father to what he believes was militant Muslim Fulani herdsmen, but it has not stopped him from following Jesus. He said, “Persecution cannot stop me from going to church services and going about my regular church activities. It will not stop me from telling anyone about Christ.” [The Voice of the Martyrs, August 2022, Vol. 56 No.8]

Pastor Emmanuel Maigairi of Kudana state, Nigeria, suffered much at the hands of kidnappers but had this to say, “I know that persecution is a part of the Christian life. We who are Christians will suffer. If this doesn’t happen to us, the Bible is not fulfilled.” [The Voice of the Martyrs, August 2022, Vol. 56 No.8]

Despite its problems, and they are many, I feel so blessed that I live in a country that is the polar opposite of countries where other Christians face persecution and death on a daily basis. Even though Christians may not be facing persecution as a whole in America, there have been several instances of Christian persecution, usually coming from bogus court cases. It will get worse as we get closer and closer to the day of the Lord.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). He said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). He also tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

I sometimes wonder how we would react in America if we lived under the same conditions that Elijah Ogunyi, Moses Joseph, and Emmanuel Maigairi face daily.

Wikipedia suggests that 65-75% of our population (or 230-250 million) are Christians. Personally, I don’t buy it because Jesus said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). I’ll tell you what, let’s just leave the percentages and numbers to God. I’m sure He will know when the full number of the Gentiles has come in (Romans 11:25).

I guess what concerns me for the spiritual welfare of so many who call themselves Christian is, “which road did they take, the wide way or the narrow way?”

Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Yet, few of us who say we are Christian actually walk the talk outside the walls of the church building.

Within the walls, why is it that many consistently will rush to the altar at the close of each Sunday morning service to pray but are also consistently absent for the Sunday evening service and the Wednesday evening Bible study?

Could all this have something to do with true repentance and a real commitment? God said to Israel, “… For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:4, 6). In other words, stop playing church and follow me.

Israel had gotten to the point that their actions toward God were merely routine religious genuflecting that meant nothing at all. Their heart was far away from God. God said in Deuteronomy, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5). Jesus repeated those same words in Matthew 22:37-38. Jesus also said, “… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23-24). Maybe it’s not what we are committed to but Who we are committed to.

If we are not committed to the Lord Jesus Christ when there is little to no persecution, how will we react when persecution comes upon us? Most of us who claim Christ in this country would turn tail and run if we had to face life and death persecution for our faith in Jesus. That would definitely cull the church rolls. Nobody, myself included, desires persecution of any kind, but Jesus did say that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Do we trust Him?

Can we honestly say along with the apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20) and, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Job was persecuted mightily by Satan’s own hand, and what did he say about his trust in God? He said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him” (Job 13:15).

Is it possible that most who claim Christ today will hear Jesus say, “I never knew you, depart from Me?” “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matthew 7:23).

Through the apostle Paul, the Lord challenges all of us to, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com
Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html