Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
or RBG as she is more commonly known these days, passed into eternity a few
days ago. And, since her demise, much has been said and written about her from
both sides of the political divide. Those on the left have lionized her as one
of the most influential (for good) individuals of her generation. Those on the
right, well that's a more mixed bag. Some have "honored her legacy"
while others have indicated the problems with her positions. In general, those
on the right have been more polite than those on the left would be against a
similar political opponent: as is usually the case!
From the Christian perspective, I repeat the comment I made shortly after her death on Facebook: the lady was no doubt influential, but that influence was greatly for evil rather than for good. She was a godless individual whose guiding light was not righteousness and the will of God, but tolerance and support for evils such as abortion, homosexuality, transgenderism, and many others. One could say, without hesitation, that RBG was among the most wicked rulers this nation has known.
At the same time, however, we understand that salvation is of God. God saves whomever, whenever, however He desires. We cannot rule out that God may have regenerated this lady's heart at the very last second of her earthly life. That being said, it is essential for us to also uphold the biblical understanding of salvation. Salvation is neither automatic nor without its costs. Although God saves, He has revealed how He saves and how we can avail ourselves of that salvation. Neither RBG nor anyone else can expect to be given an opportunity to repent after their death. And neither will they be saved without repentance. If it is true that the thief on the cross was saved in the last hour of his life, he was not saved without repenting of his wickedness.
Could RBG have repented quietly in the last hour of her life? Of course. But the likelihood that a person who gave herself to such a mountain of evil during her lifetime is all of a sudden going to backtrack and reject it all is very small. Even so, our desire and hope as believers is that somehow, someway she did become repentant and was saved. We should wish no one hell. That is why we evangelize, because we hope that as few as possible will go to that awful place. In the book of Revelation, John eats a little book that tastes sweet in the mouth, but is bitter in his stomach. The episode is in the context of God's impending judgement.
Yes, the thought that God will judge
the wicked is sweet, at first. But when we consider the awfulness of that
judgement and the end of those who will inherit it, it truly makes our stomachs ache. The lesson that this lady's life provides is that wickedness will end in
destruction. The legacy left by the wicked, as the Psalm says, will stain the
land and perish from the earth. What reward will RBG or anyone else have from a
life of unrighteousness and sin? Nothing but pain, weeping, and gnashing of
teeth. Learn the lesson and repent if you are on the same highway to
destruction!
