If the judgment of the last day is not based on the fact that we are bound by sin (since we are born that way and in a sense are a victim rather than a culprit), on what basis will the dead be judged? If the dead are judged according to their works, and the works under review are not the sin in which we were born, what, then, are the works God will judge?

The basis for the last judgment is how we lived our lives. Did we obey our conscience? Were we a person of integrity? More especially, did we put God and people first or were we bent on serving our own good at whatever cost to others?

If we were given the chance to hear the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, how did we respond? Did we waste the talents given to us? Did we take up our cross and follow the Lord? Were we diligent? Did we waste our life on what is unprofitable? Did we neglect our salvation?

Can you see that God does not condemn us because we are bound in sin? In fact, it is the chains of sin that themselves are the judgment of God on us. God does not judge us because of the sin that causes us to do things of which we do not approve and from which we wish we could be delivered. Rather, God judges us on the basis of what we are able to do.

If we do the good we are able to do (with Christ's help if we are a disciple, and by conscience if we have not heard the Gospel), then our sentence is to enter the Kingdom, into eternal life: that is, to be released from the bondages of sin and to be permitted to live in the redeeming Presence of God's Christ.

By doing good we are not speaking of hearing the Gospel and then attempting to live a moral life instead of receiving God's Redeemer. Neither are we referring to attempting to impress God by some great achievement in church work. Rather, we are indicating good moral works that spring from an upright conscience. These are acceptable to God.

And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. (Acts 10:4)

"Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God"!

The good works of Cornelius were accepted apart from receiving Christ. Of course, Cornelius could not receive eternal life until he came to the Author of Life, Christ. But his good works, his righteousness, were a "memorial before God" and moved God to bring him to Jesus for salvation.

If Christ decides to receive us because he has found our faith and character to be worthy of salvation, either in the first or the second resurrection, we will be released from all bondages of sin and death and brought into eternal life.

To be continued.