The Bible teaches that it is “appointed unto men once to die, then the judgment.” Most of us understand the first part of this verse – we will die. In fact, the older we get, the more we realize that no one will escape death. We don’t know when, but we know we will die. But after we die, what happens? There is the judgment. Ouch.

How will you fair when you stand before the Holy God for judgment? Let’s see how we look when we compare ourselves to God’s Law, the 10 commandments. Answer the following questions honestly.

1. Have you ever told a lie? This includes white lies, half truths, and exaggerations. Remember, time does not forgive sin. God sees the sins of your past as though it was yesterday. If you have ever told even one lie, you have violated one of God’s commandments. (Be honest with yourself, because God will be on the Day of Judgment.)
2. Have you ever stolen something? The value of the item is irrelevant. If you have stolen one thing, then you have violated one of God’s commandments.
3. Have you committed murder? Don’t answer no to quickly, because Jesus taught that if you hate someone, you have committed murder in your heart. If you have hated, you have violated one of God’s commandments.
4. Jesus said, “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart.” Have you ever done that? Have you ever committed adultery, looked at pornography, lusted after another person? If so, you have violated more of God’s commandments.

We could go on, but I’m sure you get the idea. All of us have broken God’s commands. We have not always honored our parents, we have not put God first in our lives, we have used God’s name in vain, and we haven’t loved our neighbors as we have loved ourselves. Sure, we may not have sinned as much as the next guy, but the fact is, we have sinned. In fact, all have sinned and fall short of God’s perfect standard and “everyone will give an account of himself to God” on the Day of Judgment.

If God judges you according to the 10 commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? Would you be able to stand before God and say “I have kept all of them from my youth?” Would God pronounce you innocent or guilty? If you are guilty, you, along with all the “wicked will be cast into hell” and be “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.” Don’t be fooled into thinking that if you are good enough, God will let you into heaven. No matter how good you are, your sin is still present. The penalty for your sin is not having to be good the rest of your life, the penalty is eternal separation from God.

There is only one Way to escape this judgment. Every member of the human race that has ever lived or who will ever live has sinned and faces this judgment, with one exception. That exception is the Lord Jesus Christ, who was God and out of His love for us, became a man. During His life, Jesus never sinned and therefore did not have to face judgment for sins. This also meant that He could die in our place. Instead of us dying for our sins, Jesus could die in our place. The Bible says, “God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The Bible further tells us that “Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [brought to life] by the Spirit.”

The fact is, we are all condemned, but God provided a Way for us to get to heaven, in spite of our wickedness. That Way is Jesus Christ. You must know make a decision: Do you believe with your whole heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died for your sins and was resurrected on the third day? The Bible says “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.” It is a gift of God and you must receive the gift. If you don’t accept God’s gift of salvation, you will have to stand before Him on the Day of Judgment and explain why you disobeyed His commandments and why you didn’t think His Son, who died on the cross for your sins, was good enough for you to believe in. The choice is yours. If you believe, simply tell God, then study His Word and obey what you read.