Separation

‘Just as the weeds are gathered up and burnt in the fire, so the same thing will happen at the end of the age: the Son of Man will send out his angels to gather up out of his Kingdom all those who cause people to sin and all others who do evil things, and they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will cry and gnash their teeth. Then God’s people will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Listen, then, if you have ears!’ (verses 40-43)

Read Matthew 13:36-43

It will happen. There will be a day of judgment. Unmistakably, there will be a separation of the righteous and the unrighteous by angels when Christ returns to earth. Those who reject Christ, the

Son of Man, will be forever separated from him. And the place they are going to will be eternally horrible.

Do you look forward to the glorious day of Christ’s return, or are you filled with fear and trembling?

You and I can be reassured that ‘if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing’ (1 John 1:9). We will shine like the sun in our Father’s kingdom, because we will have no impurities any more. Our lives will be a true reflection of his glory. What a promise!

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for giving your all for me, so that I can live with you, gloriously, eternally. Amen.

by Julie Hahn, in ‘Refreshment for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2003)

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