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Intimacy with God  /  Chapter 25: The Apostle John and the Robber  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 10
Near the end, the chapter insists that those who “live in accordance” with the prophecies and apostolic words will not fear judgment, while those who “continue to sin perpetually” should “blame your own soul”; how does this portrayal of final judgment and human responsibility challenge common modern ways of talking about grace, blame, weakness, and eternal security?
Another way to ask: The chapter says people who live by the prophecies and apostolic words won’t fear judgment, but those who keep sinning should blame themselves. How does this view of final judgment and personal responsibility challenge modern ways of talking about grace, blame, weakness, and eternal security?

Direct Answer The chapter ties confidence at judgment to repentance and lived obedience, and it places blame for persistent sin on the willful soul rather than on God, riches, or “fallen flesh.” That challenges modern talk that treats grace as removing urgency about how we live, or that shifts responsibility away from the person who “chooses to continue to sin perpetually.”

Support from Transcript:

  • The promised confidence is conditional on lived response: “By living in accordance with them…when you die, you will see the fulfillment of these truths.”
  • It claims the truly repentant need not fear judgment: “will not be ashamed…will not fear the fire.”
  • It warns against ongoing indulgence: “if you choose to continue to sin perpetually in pleasures…prefer to indulge yourself here.”
  • Responsibility is assigned directly: “blame neither God nor riches nor the fallen flesh. Blame your own soul, which voluntarily perishes.”
  • Yet it still offers hope to the earnest seeker: “whoever desires salvation and asks for it vehemently and boldly…the good Father…will grant true purification and eternal life.”
Discussion Follow-ups How can a church preach God’s generosity (“true purification”) while still keeping the transcript’s strong language about voluntary ruin? What does “asks…vehemently and boldly” suggest about the posture of someone seeking salvation?

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