1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?
They devour my people as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
2 Timothy 2:11-13
11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
II. Reflection Questions:
1. Could God truly be God if He were not a just God?
2. Do I trust that God always does what is right and that He understands more than I do?3. Are God’s desires for people to be saved also my desires, so that I am one with Christ in His longing?
By Jason Schezer
God is a loving God; it is a simple statement, and maybe rolls off the tongue easily. But love is an incredibly deep concept that originates with God, not with us. God is love, the Bible declares. His desire is that all people should be saved; He “…wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth”, 2 Timothy 2:4. God is unchanging, and His desires do not change, just as His character does not change. He always wants for people to be saved, with an intensely deep longing.
It is unimaginably difficult to think that a hell is a real place. But we need to first grasp the reality of heaven, the glorious joy of heaven, that Jesus went to heaven to prepare a place for us (as He promised before going to the cross). Psalm 14 tells us that the one who says in his heart, ‘there is no God’, is the fool, and says so because of a corrupt and deceitful heart. Yet the LORD is looking from heaven to see who has an understanding heart, and who seeks Him. The human condition is universal: everyone has turned away from God; the only exception is the Son of God, Jesus the Christ. Since we have all turned away from Him, so drastically as to make ourselves out to be His enemies, how could He possibly accept us into His heaven?
If God is good at all, He will not allow sin into His heaven, not even a little, as there is no small matter of sin. Imagine that a friend is wronged by someone, so seriously that the matter ends up in court. Would your friend feel as though it is ok if the accused secretly slip a bribe to the judge to get off the hook? Any such judge would be expeditiously relieved of their position and find themselves on the other side of the courtroom. No, God cannot tolerate even one iota of sin, not even for a moment. He has to take it seriously.
Christ died for our sin, taking the just penalty that was demanded under the Law. Paul’s letter, 2 Timothy, assures us that if we die with Christ (united with Him in His death; our sin nature dies with Him), then the promise is that we will also live with Him. This is Heaven: to live in Him and with Him forever. So let us endure so that we can truly reign with Him – this is a mystery, that He would not only save us from the wrath of sin but also let us reign with Him. He wants us to share in His divine nature. Not that we can be God; by no means, but that we can share His character, His attributes. This is certainly Heaven – that we can have evil completely washed from our heart and soul, and live with Him.
God is also jealous, and reasonable. If anyone disowns Him (ultimately and finally), then He will disown them. He will not force anyone who is not willing. So let us endure the momentary, light afflictions that He has precisely measured for us to endure, which are achieving a tremendous weight of glory for us. “if we endure, we will also reign with him,” 2 Timothy 2:12
IV. Prayer:
Dear Lord, I know that You are real, and You are looking intently from Heaven to see who will seek You. Strengthen my heart today, and every day to seek after You. It is hard to believe that a hell is a real place, but it is unthinkable that You would leave sin unpunished. You are just and right and true, and You are the eternal life. Yes, Lord, strengthen me so that I can endure to eternal life, by your grace and mercy. In the Name of Jesus. Amen.
City Life Starter 
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