A Faithful Warning in an Age That Hates Alarm
The judgment day is coming,
We warn you faithfully;
A shelter find in Jesus;
Be saved eternally.
We plead with fervent pleading:
From wrath and peril flee,
And find in Christ a refuge,
A hiding place for thee.” The Judgment Day Is Coming, We Warn You Faithfully (Elisha Hoffman)
Warning and Redemption
The message we proclaim is not selective, nor is it softened by fear of offence. We preach Christ to all, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, because every soul stands shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. The call to repentance and faith to every man, for the need for every man. No one is exempt from accountability, and no one is excluded from God’s grace and mercy.
Colossians 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
The Imperative of Warning
Our mission is unequivocal: to preach, to warn, and to teach every man with absolute wisdom. This is not a casual invitation, but a critical proclamation that carries eternal consequences. The goal transcends mere words - It should be your desire to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
The Approaching Judgment
The drumbeat of impending judgment reverberates with unmistakable clarity:
- The day of reckoning is drawing near
- Wrath and peril stand as stark realities
- A divine call demands immediate response
The "perfection" Paul speaks of isn't a state of moral flawlessness we achieve on our own; it is the state of being "found in Him." When we flee the "peril" and enter the "Refuge" of Christ, His righteousness becomes our covering. The "Hiding Place" is where our perfection is found. We are "presented perfect" because we are standing behind the one Shield that the judgment cannot pierce.
If You Loved Them, You’d Wake Them
We live in an age that finds "warning" to be offensive and "pleading" to be intrusive. We are told that to tell someone they are in danger is "judgmental." But if you see a person sleeping in a house that is silently filling with carbon monoxide, the most hateful thing you can do is let them sleep in "peace." The most loving thing you can do—the most faithful thing—is to shake them and plead with them to wake up.
The "emotional gravity" of these passages is found in the tears of the watchman. The warning isn't proclaimed from a position of superiority; it is proclaimed from the doorway of the Shelter by someone who has returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.
There is a day coming that will test the foundation of every life. Delay is dangerous, and indifference is costly. The refuge stands ready, but it must be entered. The "peril" is real, the "wrath" is certain, but the "Hiding Place" is open wide. The warning is the most beautiful sound you will ever hear if you understand that it is a love letter from a God who refuses to let you perish without a fight. He isn't just watching the clock tick toward judgment; He is sending messengers with "all wisdom" and "fervent pleading" to bring you home.
The Kindness of the Alarm
Don't mistake the alarm for the fire. The alarm is the mercy. The plea is the grace. Step out of the "peril," leave the "scarlet" of your past at the door, and find in Christ the only Refuge that can turn a fugitive into a masterpiece, presented perfect before the throne of God.
