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Originally Posted by Ohio
How is the debt of sin paid? Is it by length of time spent in prison? Does pre-sentencing lockup, like the time spent by the rich man, count towards the sentence? Could the amount of pain suffered also count? Could there be other sentencing guidelines available? Would those without faith in the Blood of the Lamb ever finish their sentence, and then get released?
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Lotsa good questions there, Ohio. I especially like the idea that there may be a "Time Served" clause in the final judgement. You made a nice distinction too that it is the Law that judges us, not God directly, and that He made a provision not to be judged by it. Years ago when reading Revelation, I got a flash of insight that maybe, just maybe, God wouldn't judge the unbelievers against the Law but against their own words. That is, their own version of the Law. Rev. 20:12-15 triggered this thought:
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12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works ... 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
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So, the dead are judged by things written in "the books." Books? Could this be the books we all write on HOW THINGS SHOULD BE? IOW, our very own self-written Law books? If so, I need the blood of Jesus even more than if the Mosaic Law judges me because, tbh, I've laid down a lot of law on other people, especially other drivers and also Democrats, things Moses had no idea about.
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Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
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I have not done a serious analysis of this idea so I'm sure there are a lot of contradictory verses that could be fired at me. But in terms of fairness, can you create a more just system than having a person judged by their very own standards? The
Hypocrisy Law ... that's what it should be called. And isn't hypocrisy the sin Jesus rails on the most in the Sermon on the Mount and throughout the gospels?
It is also quite interesting that, after having been judged by "the books" there is still a chance to avoid the Lake of Fire: another book, the
Book of Life. It's a kind of final, doublecheck.
I just finished reading Job and I am fully aware that my sense of justice lacks the big picture that God has seen from when he put the talons on the eagles and the claws on the bears. I am fully willing to be adjusted in my thinking as Job was. But I also, like Jacob, love wrestling with the Great Creator. And I enjoy giving Him my opinion.