Luke 10:9-16 “And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' (10) But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, (11) ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this that the kingdom of God has come near you.' (12) But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. (13) "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. (14) But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. (15) And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. (16) He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
Again, if we use the legal system of this world as an example, we know that even though all criminals are found equally guilty, not all receive the same sentence. For each one is sentenced, according to the severity of their crime for which they have been convicted. That same principle will be applied on the unbeliever’s day of judgement. In the above passage of scripture, our Lord Jesus reveals to us that not all unbelievers will receive the same sentence on that day. For He tells us that the towns in which He preached, and they rejected His message of salvation, will incur a greater degree of punishment than Tyre, Sidon and even Sodom on their day of judgement. This particular passage is very enlightening, for it gives us some insight of how heaven views sin. In the natural, we assume that the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah should receive a greater punishment on that day, than towns like Bethsaida and Capernaum. But heaven views the rejecting of the gospel the greater sin, to even the sinful practices of Sodom and Gomorrah. Nevertheless, on that day, every unbeliever will receive their just punishment for that which they did on the earth. No-one will get away with anything, for every deed will be accounted for.
Michael E.B. Maher
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