No Mulligans Allowed

When I was in college, I worked in a welding shop,  One of the guys had his station where he could see when the boss came out of the office.  He would goof off until he saw the office door open then make a big show of being busy when the boss came out.  God deliberately did not tell us when he was coming so that we couldn’t get by with that, as Jesus illustrated in Matthew 24:45-51.  “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?   Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Leaders who faithfully tend to the needs of others under their authority, seeing that they are taught and encouraged will be richly blessed.  Those who take advantage of their position for their own benefit make it clear they doesn’t really care about the Lord or believe him, and will be punished just like anyone else who doesn’t believe. 

In Matthew 25:1-12, Jesus uses a parable to demonstrate that there will be no opportunity to make changes or get prepared when he comes.  “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”

When the Lord comes for us, we will have had all the chances we get.  If we have not believed in him, we will never get another chance to go to heaven.  That is what Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 16:18-19 when he made the church responsible for telling people how to get into heaven.  “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  He said the same thing again in Matthew 18:18, when explaining the reasons and ways church discipline was to be handled.  “Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

We don’t get a mulligan, a chance to try again after we die.  There is no purgatory.  We either go directly to heaven or to hell, and that will not change when the Lord returns.  The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22-26 makes this very clear.  “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.”