"As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me and every tongue will praise God."

Well, Mr. Psalmist, as a matter of fact, He does and they will.

i was thinking about death last night and how so often, we the church are left grieving without hope for a loved one who died or words of hope for a grieving brother or sister who has lost someone for we do not know the state of their faith.  Where was their trust?  Unfortunately, if no one knows the state of a person's faith, chances are, we are just not admitting we do know.  Yes, there could have been death bed conversions.  Last minute exchanges between the merciful Savior and finally humbled saved.  But how often do you think that happens?  How many do not die as they lived?  How many at the end are given that much clarity and the time to call upon the one they have never actually called upon before?  i am not trying to be morose.  i am saying, there is but one Way and one Truth and one Life and Jesus said, his family are those who hear the Word of God and do it.  This is how we know what's in the heart.  Not that they are good people, for we know from looking at ourselves, there are no good people.  God doesn't save good people.  The only good person who ever lived does the saving.  God saves sinners.  God saves the helpless and the dead in their sin, He alone chooses and gives the faith to believe, the desire to obey, the humility of Spirit to submit to Him.  To say, Thy will be done.  Anyone whom God has resurrected in this way will show it (1 John 1 and 2).  How can someone born again into new life and regenerated by the Holy Spirit hide that?  Why would they?  And we will see and when they die we will be able to say with some assurance, "this one knew his or her Savior and we will see them in the next resurrection."  Not with one hundred percent certainty, we are fallible and people are exceptional liars, even to themselves.  But for the most part, the Spirit recognizes the Spirit.

Now is the time of God's mercy.  Now is the time of repentance.  Now is the time He has alotted for us to come to Him and trust in the only good person who ever lived, the one who said, "Truly I say to you, the one who hears my word and believes the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment but has passed from death into life."  Now is the time, in life, to bring the Good News of what Jesus has done for them to your friends and loved ones and total strangers and enemies.  The dead will indeed rise one day and admit God is God and Jesus is Lord.  Every knee will bow and every tongue confess He is Lord and His judgment is just.  Some will just be doing it in anguish.