How Can I Change?/Living for That Final Day/es

From Gospel Translations

La falta de raíces en lo eterno puede ser el mayor defecto de la predicación evangélica que atrae a grandes números de personas...El principal propósito de predicar no debe ser acumular beneficios en esta vida para los feligreses sino preparar a los individuos para que comparezcan ante la presencia de Cristo. No hay propósito ni motivación más grande que saber que todos nosotros nos dirigimos a la eternidad, y muy en breve.^[2]

Si alguien fue enraizado y motivado por lo eterno, éste fue Pablo. Sin descuidar las necesidades prácticas de aquellos a quienes servía, él constantemente llamaba la atención de ellos a la vida que estaba por venir. Y nos dice por qué en su segunda Epístola a los Corintios: “Porque es necesario que todos comparezcamos ante el tribunal de Cristo, para que cada uno reciba lo que le corresponda, según lo bueno o malo que haya hecho mientras vivió en el cuerpo” (2Co 5:10).

Este versículo revela uno de los incentivos más apremiantes de la Escritura - y el que se pasa por alto con más frecuencia - para la santificación. Habla de un día cuando seremos juzgados por la manera en que hemos vivido como respuesta a la gracia de Dios. A base de esa evaluación, Cristo dará a cada creyente “lo que se merece”. Uno no necesita meditar mucho tiempo sobre las implicaciones de ese versículo para desarrollar un apetito para llevar una vida santa. Tenemos una vida corta en la que podemos determinar nuestras recompensas eternas...o nuestra pérdida eterna. Es esta urgencia que Pablo buscaba impartir a las iglesias a las que servía.

Vivir Según un Calendario de Dos Días

De modo que, como prisionero para el Señor, te recomiendo encarecidamente que lleves una vida digna del llamado que has recibido. (Ef 4:1)

Todo cristiano genuino ha recibido un llamado de Dios. Este llamado fue concebido en la eternidad pasada. Antes de crear el mundo, Dios ya nos había escogido para ser suyos (Ef 1:4). En el momento de nuestra regeneración experimentamos el efecto de esa decisión. Esto no es un resultado del esfuerzo humano, ni tampoco es una recompensa por las buenas obras - es totalmente una obra de gracia. Sin embargo, en respuesta al llamado de Dios tenemos la responsabilidad de vivir de cierto modo.

Este es un asunto que con frecuencia se entiende mal, así que por favor síguelo con cuidado: Nunca fuimos ni nunca seremos dignos de su llamado. Pablo no nos está exhortando a que de alguna manera cualifiquemos para nuestro llamado. Eso sería imposible y sería una negación de la gracia. Él lo describe a los efesios como un llamado “que Dios nos dio” - no algo que ellos habían logrado. “Las riquezas de la gracia que Dios nos dio en abundancia” (Ef 1:7-8) incondicional y libremente por medio de la elección, la adopción, la redención, y la regeneración.

Todo cristiano necesita cultivar una confianza de y seguridad en este llamado. No obstante es nuestro privilegio y responsabilidad construir sobre ese fundamento por medio del proceso de santificación. Como Pablo dijo de sí mismo, “Pero por la gracia de Dios soy lo que soy, y la gracia que él me concedió no fue infructuosa” (1Co 15:10). Habiendo recibido un llamado del que no éramos dignos, ahora somos responsables de vivir como dignos de ese llamado.

Pablo vivía intensamente consciente de que todos nosotros un día apareceríamos ante Cristo para dar cuenta de la manera en que hemos respondido a su llamado. Pero para algunos esto quizás parezca una contradicción. Si Cristo nos ha perdonado y nos acepta, ¿de qué se trata esto de un juicio?

Como cristianos, no seremos juzgados por nuestros pecados en el día del juicio. Jesucristo ya ha sido juzgado en nuestro lugar. Por su expiatorio sacrificio a favor nuestro ya hemos sido salvados de la ira de Dios. “Y ahora que hemos sido justificados por su sangre [de Cristo],¡con cuánta más razón, por medio de él, seremos salvados del castigo de Dios!” (Ro 5:9; ve también Ro 8:1).

Pero ¿seremos juzgados por las obras que hemos hecho - o que hemos dejado sin hacer - desde la conversión? Definitivamente. Todos nosotros daremos cuenta a Dios y nuestra vida será evaluada. Pablo presenta esto en términos muy vívidos:

Si alguien construye sobre este fundamento, ya sea con oro, plata y piedras preciosas, o con madera, heno y paja, su obra se mostrará tal cual es, pues el día del juicio la dejará al descubierto. El fuego la dará a conocer, y pondrá a prueba la calidad del trabajo de cada uno...pero si su obra es consumida por las llamas, él sufrirá pérdida. Será salvo, pero como quien pasa por el fuego. (1Co 3:12-13,15)

Es crítico que captemos esta distinción. Aunque nuestra reconciliación con Dios ha sido asegurada, nuestras recompensas (o pérdida de las mismas) serán determinadas por el punto hasta el que hemos buscado la santidad en respuesta a su llamado. No es que Dios esté obligado a recompensarnos - esto, también, es un acto de pura gracia, como Jerry Bridges tan bien lo describe:

Esta es una asombrosa historia de la gracia de Dios. Dios nos salva por su gracia y por su gracia nos transforma más y más en la semejanza de su Hijo. En todas nuestras pruebas y aflicciones, Él nos alienta y nos fortalece con su gracia. También nos llama por gracia a desempeñar nuestra propia y única función dentro del Cuerpo de Cristo. Luego, de nuevo por gracia, da a cada uno de nosotros los dones espirituales necesarios para cumplir con su llamado. A medida que lo servimos, Él hace ese servicio aceptable a sí mismo por gracia, y luego nos recompensa cien veces por gracia.^[3] Pero yo creo que es seguro decir que la mayoría de los cristianos tiene la actitud que dice que si tan sólo logro pasar por la taquilla ya me las he arreglado para la eternidad. Suponen que todos terminarán en los “asientos generales”. Pero eso simplemente no es bíblico. La Escritura enseña claramente que las recompensas variarán. Pasar por alto esta verdad es descuidar uno de los principales incentivos para la santificación.

Martín Lutero dijo que sólo había dos días en su calendario: “hoy” y “aquel Día”.^[5] Cada día nos acerca más a ese Día. Será un día de regocijo sin paralelo cuando veamos a nuestro Señor cara a cara. Pero también será un día de intenso escrutinio y examen. Y como explica Randy Alcorn, “Somos nosotros, por virtud de las decisiones que tomamos cada hora y cada día, quienes determinaremos lo que suceda en ese día”.^[6]

God will ask, “In light of the call you received, in light of the grace I extended despite your unworthiness, where did you invest your life? What were your priorities and values? Did you serve me or use me? Did you live a life worthy of your calling?” Again, our answers to those questions won’t determine our reconciliation to God, but they will have everything to do with whether or not we receive the rewards God so eagerly desires to give us.

Randy Alcorn writes about this rarely considered subject in his excellent book Money, Possessions and Eternity. I find his perspective extremely helpful and motivating:

Heaven will be a wonderful place. But what we seldom consider is that at the entry point to heaven Scripture plainly tells us there is a judgment of believers that will determine for all eternity our place or status in heaven...Scripture simply does not teach what most of us seem to assume—that heaven will transform each of us into equal beings with equal possessions and equal responsibilities and equal capacities. It does not say our previous lives will be of no eternal significance. It says exactly the opposite...

We have been given fair warning that there lies ahead for each of us, at the end of the term, a final examination. It will be administered by the fairest yet strictest Headmaster in the universe. How seriously we take this clear teaching of Scripture is demonstrated by how seriously we are preparing for that day.

When we took courses in college we asked ourselves and others about the teacher: “What are his tests like? Does he take attendance? Is he a hard grader? What does he expect in your papers?” If I’m to do well in the course, I must know what the instructor expects of me. We must study the course syllabus, God’s Word, to find out the answers to these questions. And when we find out, we should be careful to plot our lives accordingly—in light of the long tomorrow.^[7]

Our Lord’s return was a day Paul eagerly anticipated. So should we. Secure in the fact that we stand justified in his sight, we should devote ourselves to the good works he has prepared beforehand, fulfilling his eternal purpose in the context of the local church. Then we’ll be able to share Paul’s confidence that “there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2Ti 4:8). But crowns come at a cost. Paul had lived worthy of his calling. Let’s now look at someone who did not.

The Wisest Fool

It can be quite sobering to examine the private lives of prominent figures. After studying one hundred of the most well-known leaders in Scripture, author Robert Clinton found that fewer than 25% of them finished life’s course with their reputation and leadership intact. Perhaps the most tragic of those failures was Solomon.

Solomon started off with such potential and promise. Soon after his birth, the prophet Nathan announced that God had a specific and special name for him: Jedidiah, meaning “loved by God” (2Sa 12:25). Every time someone used his special nickname it was a fresh reminder of God’s affection. (You can guess that Solomon’s brothers and sisters at times found it difficult growing up with him.)

As David’s successor, Solomon inherited the throne of a thriving kingdom. Initially he displayed genuine humility. One night after he sacrificed a thousand burnt offerings, God appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon, aware of his limitations as well as his responsibilities, responded, “I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties...So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1Ki 3:7-9). God was so pleased with the request that he promised to make Solomon the wisest man (other than Jesus) in history and to prosper and honor him above all other kings. With God’s anointing, Solomon was able to lead Israel into unprecedented and unparalleled prosperity.

But in the final analysis, Solomon squandered his call. How unprepared we are for Scripture’s final assessment of his life:

The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord...So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.” (1Ki 11:9,11)

What happened? How could a man with Solomon’s unique calling bring upon himself such strong discipline? The Bible doesn’t leave us speculating: “His heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1Ki 11:4). Though loved, called, and uniquely gifted by God, Solomon developed a pattern of disobedience that led to his gradual, spiritual deterioration. He failed to heed his own wise counsel: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Pr 4:23).

In the mercy of God, Solomon repented before he died. But God’s forgiveness couldn’t relieve the agony of regret as he pondered what his life could and should have been.

His reflections are recorded in the Book of Ecclesiastes,the painful memoirs of an old man who realized much of his life had been spent in vain. Rather than live worthy of his calling, Solomon pursued every form of personal pleasure (Ecc 2:10) and found it failed to deliver as advertised. There is much we can learn from his final words:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecc 12:13-14)

As Solomon prepared to die, I believe he was painfully aware he would not hear the words, “Well done.” Only those who have done well will. But his life has been preserved as a warning so that we might avoid a similar experience. There is no reason for us to end our lives with regret. By committing our lives to the process of sanctification, we can prove to be wiser than Solomon.

How to Ask the Right Questions

One day we will stand before God—not as a group, but alone. He will then evaluate all that’s transpired in our lives since conversion. Scripture gives us a preview of that moment: “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God” (1Co 4:5).

To make this possible, he has called us and regenerated us, prepared good works for us to walk in, and placed us in the local church where we can apply and obey biblical teaching. However, we must be aware that he is a just God...and an objective grader. When that day comes, there will be no second opportunity.

History tells us of an individual who did receive a second chance. Randy Alcorn relates the story:

Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist who made his fortune by inventing dynamite and other powerful explosives, which were bought by governments to produce weapons. When Nobel’s brother died, one newspaper accidentally printed Alfred’s obituary instead. He was described as a man who became rich from enabling people to kill each other in unprecedented quantities. Shaken from this assessment, Nobel resolved to use his fortune to reward accomplishments that benefited humanity, including what we now know as the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nobel had a rare opportunity—to look at the assessment of his life at its end, but to still be alive and have opportunity to change that assessment.

Let us put ourselves in Nobel’s place. Let us read our own obituary, not as written by uninformed or biased men, but as an onlooking angel might write it from heaven’s point of view. Look at it carefully. Then let us use the rest of our lives to edit that obituary into what we really want it to be.^[10]

Editing our obituaries begins with the willingness to ask some penetrating questions. In fact, every day of our lives should be marked by probing biblical assessment:

“Is my knowledge of and passion for God growing?”

“Am I regularly practicing the spiritual disciplines?”

“Can others confirm that I’m growing in character?”

“Am I committed and serving in the local church?”

“Is this activity worthy of the call I have received?”

“What am I doing that’s making an eternal difference?”

No decision or activity should be exempt from this kind of questioning. “The reality of our eternal future should dominate and determine the character of our present life, right down to the words we speak and the actions we take,” writes Alcorn.^[11] If God is going to evaluate every aspect of our lives, so should we. This will transform the way we view work, leisure, church involvements, and relationships. And it will insure that a lot less goes up in flames on that final day.

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb 10:24-25). I trust this chapter has enabled you to see the Day that is inevitably approaching. And we pray this book has encouragedand provoked you in the process of sanctification.

It’s not an easy way you have chosen. Sanctification will be difficult, challenging, and painful—though nothing like the pain of God’s disapproval. But when the Day comes and you hear God say, “Well done,” all sacrifice will pale in light of your eternal reward. Compared to that, nothing else really matters.

Nothing.

Group Discussion

1. Darius Salter writes, “The preacher who best equips his hearers to cope with the pressures of American society may not be the preacher who best prepares his people for heaven.”^[13] Divide the group into two parts: the “Earthly Minded” and the “Heavenly Minded.” Let each group come up with three relevant sermon titles which reflect its perspective, and then compare notes.
2. How can we show God we are worthy of his calling? (Warning: This is a trick question.)
3. Should we be afraid to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ?
4. Before reading this chapter, did you think everybody in heaven would wind up in “General Seating”? Explain.
5. What’s the difference between pursuing rewards and trying to earn our salvation?
6. Is it sub-spiritual to be motivated by rewards?
7. What were the highlights of your obituary? (Page 90)
8. How are you going to respond to this chapter?

Recommended Reading

Money, Possessions and Eternity by Randy Alcorn (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989)

References

1. ↑ Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989), pp. 138, 139.
2. ↑ Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990), pp. 123, 124.
3. ↑ Jerry Bridges, Transforming Grace (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress,1991), pp. 169-170.
4. ↑ J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology, Volume 3: The Church, the Kingdom, and Last Things (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), p. 457.
5. ↑ Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity, p. 151.
6. ↑ Idem.
7. ↑ Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity, pp. 144, 149, 150-51.
8. ↑ Jonathan Edwards—Representative Selections, with Introduction, Bibliography, and Notes, Clarence H. Faust and Thomas H. Johnson, ed. (New York, NY: Hill and Wang, revised edition, 1962), p. 38.
9. ↑ David Powlison, “Crucial Issues in Contemporary Biblical Counseling” in Journal of Pastoral Practice, Vol. IX, No. 3, 1988, p. 61.
10. ↑ Randy Alcorn, Money, Possessions and Eternity, p. 151.
11. ↑ Ibid., p. 139.
12. ↑ Ibid., p. 137.
13. ↑ Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry, p. 121.