Read and pray: "Faithful is the saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us;" (2 Tim 2:11,12)
PUNISHMENT IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
The Bible says that many children of God will have a specific punishment. Many Christians have improper conduct. They do not live in a godly manner. They love the world and walk according to their own will. They worship God according to man’s way. They do not obey the Word of God in taking care of God’s work, but instead they do what they themselves like to do.
They try to please men. They seek the glory of man rather than the glory of God and do not want to take the same place of shame that the Lord took. They have committed many mistakes and sins and have not been disciplined by the Lord in this age.
After dying and being resurrected on that day, will they be able to reign with the Lord? The Bible says that first we must suffer and endure wrongs with Him, before we can reign and be glorified with Him (2 Tim 2:12). Many Christians not only have never suffered, but they also have many sins. They love the world and walk according to the flesh. When they leave the world, they will still have much unrighteousness and many sins that have not been dealt with. The Bible shows us that such Christians will have a specific and definite punishment.
Matthew 18:23-35 speaks of a servant who was forgiven his debts by his lord. Another fellow servant had a debt with the first servant. But the servant who was forgiven his debt did not want to forgive his fellow servant. The first servant definitely represents a saved person, for he pleaded for his lord’s forgiveness, and the lord, moved with compassion, let him go and forgave him the debt.
We are all helpless people coming to the Lord to seek grace. The Lord forgave our debt and let us go. If the first servant represents a Christian, then whatever he expresses represents what we will express. The way the lord deals with his servant will be the way the Lord will deal with us.
Verses 28-30 say: "But that servant went out". He went out because he was now a free man. "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying: Pay me what you owe. So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. But he would not; rather, he went and threw him into prison, till he should pay the debt".
This passage is about a Christian who does not forgive another’s sin. You are someone who was forgiven, but you do not want to forgive. The Lord forgave you ten thousand talents. Now your brother owes you only a hundred denarii, but you say in your heart that he must pay you back. He must return to you down to the last cent. What then will be the result?
Verses 31-33 continue: "So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very grieved, and came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him: You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me; should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?"
That this person represents someone saved is again proven by the fact that the Lord had mercy on him. The Lord said: Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you? Should you not forgive your fellow servant as I forgave you? This proves that this person represents someone who received God’s mercy and forgiveness.
He must be someone who already has life, yet he does not forgive other Christians. "And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due to him". This person who had been granted mercy and forgiven was delivered to the tormentors until he had paid all the debt to the Lord. Whether he could pay back everything he owed is another matter. The fact is that he had to suffer.
This shows us that if a Christian does not forgive another, on that day the Lord will deal with him in the same way he dealt with others. If you do not forgive your brother, the Lord will deal with you according to your relentless attitude.
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