What Will you Be at the Last Judgment, Wheat or Chaff?

Pastor Pete Beck III • November 29, 2020

Psalm One compares those who trust and obey God to those who do not by calling the former wheat and the latter chaff. Chaff is the outer covering of the wheat kernel, whose purpose is to protect the valuable kernel until harvest time. At harvest, the wheat is separated from the chaff, in biblical days by threshing it. The threshed wheat would be tossed into the air, when a breeze would blow the light and airy chaff away, but the heavier wheat kernels would fall to the ground. Over time, the worthless chaff would be completely separated from what was valuable and life giving.

The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1:4–6 (NASB95)

We all come into this world as chaff. Our bodies are the “husk” that contains the spirit breathed by God. Sin crushed the God-life out of our spirits, leaving us empty husks of a person. When someone responds to the gospel by faith through the power of the Spirit, God’s life re-enters that person through what the Bible calls the new birth.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6   Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7   So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:5-7 (NLT)

This new birth radically transforms the believer from within. God’s life is planted in that person and will invade every portion of his being.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!  2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (NLT)

This new life is what makes us eternally valuable to God. Without it we are lifeless, worthless chaff, fit to be destroyed at the last judgment. The only way to be transformed from chaff to wheat is through faith in Christ and his saving work. He died on the cross to take away our sins. We must receive his gift and give back to him the gift of ourselves. He is the risen Lord. He wants us to believe in him, follow him, and serve him faithfully. That is what it means to be a Christian.

Do you want to have confidence on the judgment day? Do you want to live forever in God’s presence? Do you want to know God’s amazing love, which is the most liberating and fulfilling force in the universe? You can have it all by surrendering your life to Christ.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I have lived independently from you for long enough. I realize now that without you I have no hope, but with you I can experience God’s life and blessings. Thank you for dying for my sins. I receive the forgiveness you provide. Come into my life. Be my Lord from this day forward. I receive the eternal life you provide. Thank you for reconciling me to the Father and making me part of your eternal family. Please reveal Father God and his love to me in a greater way. Baptize me in the Holy Spirit so that I can serve you more faithfully. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, the next step is to find a body of believers who are walking in step with our Lord and be water baptized as a public declaration of your allegiance to Christ. If you need help, please contact me.

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How Can I Transition from Spectating at Church to Being a Player?

By Pete Beck III • December 3, 2024
Christianity is not a spectator sport. The Reformation renewed some very important truths of the faith that had been lost over time, one of which is the priesthood of the believer . This doctrine means that in the New Covenant there is no clergy-laity distinction. Everyone is called to ministry. All followers of Christ are called, equipped, and expected to partner with the Holy Spirit in the adventure of using their spiritual gifts, time, energy, finances – everything – to fish for people and encourage them to become followers of Christ and fishers of men in their own right. Every football and basketball season an interesting phenomenon takes place. People personally identify with their favorite teams. When their team is doing well, they feel good about themselves and become enthusiastic, vocal, and visible fans. What is so intriguing is that many of us think that we somehow acquire greater worth and prestige, if our team excels and does better than the other teams. It is almost as if we were the ones who are competing. All big sporting events are filled with such fans who get satisfaction out of watching others play the game. So it is with many people who attend churches. We all know that playing and spectating are vastly different. When we spectate, we can imagine ourselves making better decisions and better plays than the players on the court or the field, but the reality is that we are not playing. Jesus has invited his followers actually to participate in the greatest adventure of being his Spirit-filled and empowered representatives. Unfortunately most of us who call ourselves Christians are merely spectating fans. We may agree with the concept of being involved in the Great Commission, but we have fallen into the trap of being passive, sitting on the sidelines, hoping that someone else will lead our family member, neighbor, or friend to Christ and teach them how to follow him fully. Many Christians think that evangelism is inviting someone to church, where they will hear the preacher talk about Christ. We do not see ourselves as the one who can best share the gospel with them. However, the truth of the matter is that we cannot transfer our responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission to someone else. God does not give us the option of merely being fans or spectators. God asks us to be players – disciples and disciple makers. Not everyone is equally gifted in this area, but we are all asked to participate. Some may win thousands to Christ, while others may help only a few become followers of the Master over a lifetime. Sadly, a great number of those who call themselves Christians have never led even one person to faith in Christ. In some cases they have given up trying. This ought not be. Could this be because we do not even talk about Jesus in a serious way with anyone outside of church meetings? Suggestions Ask God to forgive us for succumbing to laziness, fear, and the spirit of the age that tells us to keep our faith to ourselves. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir in us the fire of enthusiasm for Jesus and the Gospel. Ask him to give us a love for those who live around you who do not yet know Christ. Familiarize ourselves with the Gospel. (I recommend The King Jesus Gospel by McKnight. You can read my summary by clicking here or you may wish to read my articles on the subject .) Pray for opportunities to speak meaningfully to people. Make it a priority to get to know the people in your neighborhood, at work, at the gym, at school, and wherever you have the opportunity to connect. As we spend time in conversation, we will begin to see how Jesus and the Gospel can help them. Our care for them may give us a platform from which to speak about Jesus to them. Visit people and have them over to our homes. The more time we spend with people, the greater the opportunity we provide for the Holy Spirit to work in the relationships. Offer to pray for people on the spot when a genuine need for God’s help surfaces. Join a group (or start one) whose focus is fishing for people and making disciples. In many cases this will be what some call a “missional” church, as opposed to an event-oriented spectator church. We need to be encouraged in the work of the Great Commission because, although it is rewarding, it can be difficult and discouraging at times. Never, never, never, never give up. Our heavenly reward will be great!
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