Dear Editor:
In the Tidings issue for December 2011, on the subject of “God Manifestation”, Bro. Jim in paragraph three in the last two sentences mentioned:
“Everyone is responsible to God’s judgment. However not all are individually accountable.”
I shall be grateful if he can elaborate on the point he is trying to make in view of the words I have in bold.
Your Brother in Christ,
Joe Badlu (South Ozone Park, NY)
Reply:
Thank you for this question. I was hoping someone would pick up on this distinction. Our community has used the term “responsible” for over 125 years in connection with those whose presence will be required at the judgment of Christ. Using the term “responsible” to define who will attend the judgment suggests that everyone else has no responsibility to their Creator and will bear no divine judgment whatsoever. That would be a very inappropriate understanding. The unenlightened still suffer the divine judgment of suffering that ‘2nd’ death (perishing forever), along with the judgments of hard work, pain, disease, suffering, frustration, birthing pain, etc. Their first and only death is permanent, unlike the temporary death of those who must attend the resurrection to judgment. Paul testifies that there can be no legitimate claim of innocence, or illegitimacy, to suffering these divine judgments due to the profound and extensive evidence of creation (see Rom 1:19-20 and also testified by David in Psa 19:1-4).
That basic responsibility to the One who made our environment and us is not defeated through ignorance. However, enlightenment raises that responsibility to a new level. Those who have had the opportunity to accept the Creator’s seed of the gospel offered to them, and develop it within them, become accountable to Him. Their presence will be demanded at the judgment, unlike those with a lower degree of responsibility whose exposure to enlightenment is limited to the significantly veiled but substantial evidence of creation. The danger in referring to the divinely accountable as simply the “responsible” encourages the understanding that the unenlightened are not responsible to the Creator, completely escaping His attention and judgments.
I agree completely with our community’s historic and completely defensible understanding of the terms for participation in Christ’s judgment. I simply believe that using the term “responsible” without clarification offers the human heart an advantage in its relentless pursuit of undermining divine truths and principles.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One