Gary Varvel: How to respond to OJ Simpson's death
What the Bible says about death, judgment and eternity
OJ Simpson is dead. So how should we act at the news of his death?
The response on social media was mixed. Some celebrated the death of a murderer. Others offered condolences to Simpson’s family.
In 1995, when a Los Angeles jury found Simpson ‘not guilty’ of brutally murdering his wife Nicole and her friend Ron Goldman, there was shock and celebration around the country. The Oprah Winfrey Show covered the verdict live and the response of her audience was a picture of the racial division at that time.
Proverbs 11:10 says, “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.”
God has given us a sense of justice so it’s natural to feel satisfaction when someone we believe is evil dies. Example: Osama bin Laden.
But God has called us to a higher standard.
Ezekiel 33:11 says, “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”
Since God takes no pleasure with the death of the wicked, neither should we. Notice that God’s desire is that the wicked would repent and live. The Apostle Paul is a perfect example of someone who was persecuting Christians and sending them to their deaths but God not only saved him but used him to write nearly half of the New Testament.
Did Simpson ever repent? I searched for any mention of Simpson’s confession or remorse but found nothing. So does that mean that he got away with murder? No, because Hebrews 9:27 says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
Why is it that the wicked prosper in this life? That is the theme of Psalm 73. The writer complains about how the wicked getting away with sinning. Then the Psalmist wrote in verses 16-17, “When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”
The destiny of the wicked is hell. If OJ never confessed his sin to God and asked Jesus to save him, then God will judge righteously.
God says in Deuteronomy 32:35 says, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
God is omniscient, so unsolved crimes will be solved. People who escaped judgment in this life, will pay in the next. God knows everything which is the point of my cartoon.
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” - Ecclesiastes 12:14
Every thought and deed will be brought to light. If we hide our sins, God will expose them on judgment day. But if we confess our sins to God in this life, He will cover our sins with the blood of Jesus and remember them no more (Hebrews 8:12). But those who never repent, the Bible describes their final judgment as the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:12 says, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”
Now according to verse 15, “anyone whose name was not written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.” Therefore, the question is, how do you get your name in the book of life? Answer: Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
It’s too late for OJ. But not for you.
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Great reminder: "But God has called us to a higher standard". "Ezekiel 33:11 says, “‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.”
Hello Gary,
I thank you as well for the reminder of God’s perfect justice in “How to respond to OJ Simpson's death.”
So many times, we Christians shake our heads and wring our hands to see the wicked continually getting away with not only sinning but prospering.
So, I am often comforted by verses 16-17 in Psalm 73 as well as Deuteronomy 32:35. God’s justice is always right and good. I must confess I have been on the look for the feet slipping of the wicked.
However at the same time, we are commanded to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)
To do that, we need to follow God’s command to Jeremiah to prepare ourselves to share the Gospel to this dying world and “Arise” to root out sin by the Holy Spirit and to pull down strongholds and to destroy the sinner’s self-righteousness so he understands his need to throw himself on the mercy of God.
I always look for your VIEWS FROM THE RIGHT because we can always count on your accuracy of accounts with a Biblical lens.
God Bless You, Lou