Kamala Harris, “107 Days,” and the judgment of God

I just started reading Kamala Harris’s 107 Days, her memoir of her 2024 presidential campaign. As the leader of a nonpartisan ministry, I will not comment on the book regarding partisan politics.

But I will make this obvious observation from the book’s title, which refers to the truncated duration of her campaign: From its beginning, she knew when it would end. This date and outcome motivated everything she and her campaign did.

This fact, of course, has applied to every political campaign in American history. In 1845, the US Congress passed a statute establishing the presidential election as the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Such elections hold elected officials accountable to the voters since they will face the voters’ choices in the next election. And the fixed date focuses their efforts in preparation for the outcome they hope to experience.

This simple fact is true not just of our electoral politics but also of our souls.

Why I gave daily quizzes

In today’s Daily Article, I noted that being ready to meet the Lord today is essential to living in ways that glorify him and draw others to him. Let’s expand on that thought.

The psalmist urged us: “Ascribe to the Lᴏʀᴅ the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the Lᴏʀᴅ in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!” (Psalm 96:8–9). Not just because he is worthy of such worship and service, but because we will be held accountable for our response to his character: “He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness” (v. 13).

When I taught philosophy of religion, I assigned daily readings from our textbooks. Knowledge of these readings would be a major part of the course’s final exam. However, since these readings were challenging and their content was new to most of my students, I was afraid they would not keep up with them and would, therefore, struggle with their exams and grades. Thus, I gave quizzes on the day’s reading at the beginning of each class period.

My students didn’t enjoy taking them any more than I enjoyed recording them, but such accountability was vital to their experience.

This is a trivial illustration of a truly important fact: the more significant the outcome, the more urgent the accountability for attaining it. Passing the bar or a medical licensing exam is hard because the work of lawyers and doctors is vital to society. An airline pilot in the US needs 1,500 hours of flight time to qualify, a high standard because a pilot’s errors can kill their passengers.

The most important calling of all is being and making disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:18–20). Our faithfulness to this calling positions us to experience God’s best in this life and his rewards in the life to come (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:11–15).

As a result, the Bible consistently warns and encourages us to prepare for judgment to come by living faithfully every day until that day.

Six ways to prepare for judgment

The Bible says that “each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). The fact of judgment motivates us to:

One: Choose obedience.

The writer of Hebrews encouraged his readers, “You have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay, but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him’” (Hebrews 10:36–38).

Two: Refuse “private” sin.

One day God will judge “the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16). When the Lord comes, he “will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Jesus warned us: “Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops” (Luke 12:2–3). Paul added, “God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16).

Three: Speak godly words.

Jesus declared, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak” (Matthew 12:36).

Four: Choose public faithfulness.

The Bible states that “God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Paul agreed: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

On that day, God “will render to each one according to his works” (Romans 2:6) and “will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4). We are assured that he “judges impartially according to each one’s deeds” (1 Peter 1:17).

Five: Care for people.

We are warned: “Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Paul encouraged us: “Each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother” (Romans 14:12–13).

Six: Be ready now.

The psalmist said of the Lord, “He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). Accordingly, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This is why salvation is so urgent: “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Judgment could come at any time, for God “is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5). If we are ready, we will be eternally grateful: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

The “supernatural work” only God can do

To be ready for judgment today, it is vital that we submit our lives to God’s Spirit today (Ephesians 5:18). In today’s reading in My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers reminds us, “The summing up of Our Lord’s teaching is that the relationship which he demands is an impossible one unless he has done a supernatural work in us.”

Only God’s Spirit can mold us into the character of God’s Son (Romans 8:29) and manifest the “fruit” of godly character in our lives (Galatians 5:22–23). As he empowers us, we partner with him in choosing faithfulness. As we work, he works.

And together, we are ready for eternity, today.