A Day of Judgment
After Abinadi finished speaking, he raised his hand and said, 'A time is coming when everyone will see the Lord’s salvation. Every nation, family, language, and people will see it clearly and admit before God that his judgments are just.' 'Then the wicked will be thrown out. They’ll have every reason to howl, weep, cry out, and grind their teeth. Why? Because they refused to listen to the Lord’s voice. So the Lord won’t rescue them.' 'They’re driven by flesh and ruled by the devil—that ancient serpent who deceived our first parents and caused their fall. That fall made all humanity carnal, sensual, and devilish, knowing evil from good, slaves to the devil.'
'All humanity was lost. We would have been lost forever if God hadn’t rescued his people from their fallen state.' 'But remember this: anyone who clings to his selfish nature and keeps sinning and rebelling against God stays trapped in that fallen state. The devil has total power over him. It’s as if no rescue ever happened. He’s God’s enemy, and the devil is God’s enemy too.'
Christ Breaks Death’s Chains
'If Christ hadn’t come into the world—I’m speaking of future things as if they’d already happened—there could be no redemption.' 'If Christ hadn’t risen from the dead and broken death’s chains so the grave has no victory and death has no sting, there could be no resurrection.'
'But there is a resurrection. So the grave has no victory, and death’s sting is swallowed up in Christ.' 'He is the light and life of the world—a light that never ends, that can never be put out, and a life that never ends, where death can’t touch us anymore.'
Standing Before God
'This dying body will become immortal. This decaying flesh will become incorruptible. We’ll stand before God to be judged by our actions—whether they were good or evil.' 'If they’re good, we’ll rise to endless life and happiness. If they’re evil, we’ll rise to endless damnation—handed over to the devil who’s enslaved us. That’s what damnation is.' 'They followed their own selfish desires and cravings. They never called on the Lord, even while mercy reached out to them. Mercy reached out, but they refused. They were warned about their sins, but they wouldn’t turn away. They were told to change, but they wouldn’t.'
Abinadi’s Final Warning
'Shouldn’t you be trembling right now? Shouldn’t you turn from your sins and remember that only through Christ can you be saved?'
'So if you teach the law of Moses, teach that it’s a shadow pointing to what’s coming.' 'Teach them that redemption comes through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen.'
Influences
- 16:1 — Matthew 12:49 (KJV)And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
- 16:1 — Revelation 14:6 (KJV)And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
- 16:2 — Matthew 22:13 (KJV)Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- 16:2 — Matthew 22:13 (KJV)Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- 16:3 — Revelation 20:2 (KJV)And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
- 16:3 — 2 Corinthians 11:3 (KJV)But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
- 16:3 — Genesis 3:5 (KJV)For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
- 16:7 — 1 Corinthians 15:14 (KJV)And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
- 16:7 — 1 Corinthians 15:13 (KJV)But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
- 16:8 — 1 Corinthians 15:54 (KJV)So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
- 16:9 — John 8:12 (KJV)Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
- 16:9 — Revelation 21:4 (KJV)And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
- 16:10 — 1 Corinthians 15:54 (KJV)So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
- 16:10 — Revelation 20:12 (KJV)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.
- 16:10 — Ecclesiastes 12:14 (KJV)For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
- 16:11 — John 5:29 (KJV)And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
- 16:11 — Romans 8:20 (KJV)For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,