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Rev Patrick Notley
Rev. Patrick Notley is the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church located at 525 N. Broadway in downtown Wichita. Reverend Notley received an MA in Divinity at San Francisco Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA. Born in Denver, CO and raised on the East Coast, Reverend Notley along with his wife, relocated to Wichita in 1997 to join the church, where he is responsible for Evangelism Educational programs. You can reach Reverend Notley at (316) 263-0248 ext. 22 or by email at pwnotley@firstpresbywichita.org
Religion
2005-01-01 09:20:00
Will we be judged more harshly than those of the Old Testament?
: Since the beginning of the New Testament, we have a myriad of resources to aid in our salvation, unlike those who lived and died during the Old Testament.   Will we be judged more harshly when we die, than they were?
ANSWER: The simplest answer to this question is, I do not know.  Only God knows how God will judge people of any age and God has not chosen to reveal that knowledge.  And while this response should be sufficient, it is clear from the numerous questions that have and, no doubt, will continue to be posed about what will happen to us when we die, more needs to be said.As a Christian, I consider there to be only one source of salvation, and that is God's love and response to humanity in the wake of humanity's action to kill Jesus as shown to all in the resurrection of Jesus.  All other "resources" that Christians have are witnesses to that event.  However, as one who has also gratefully inherited the wisdom and words of the Old Testament I must acknowledge that there were many witnesses to God's love during the time before Jesus as well.  However, the simple fact remains whether one lived before or after Jesus, whether one had only the law and prophets of the Old Testament or the entirety of the Biblical witness to draw upon, there is no one who will measure up fully to the perfection and love of God.  So in a very real way, all people will be judged and all people will be found wanting.  This is to say that we should be less concerned about what we have no control over - how we will be judged when we die, and more concerned about how we are called to respond to God in this life right here and now.  God has gifted us with a gift that we can hardly imagine - God's infinite love and faithfulness.  So it seems to me that our task is to, in all ways and at all times, work at living into the fullness of that gift.  If we focus on that then we can do nothing less than continue to seek to be fully present with God each day of our lives, and if we are fully engaged in that process there will be little time for us to worry about that which we can not control and can not change, namely how God has and will act.
 
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