Monday, April 7, 2014

Judgment is Coming, All Will Be There

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.  
Each on receiving justly his due... I love the older songs. Those words are from the third stanza of the song, "When I See The Blood," written by John Foote sometime in the 19th century.  We don't hear them sung in church much anymore. What a shame. It seems that most of the songs heard today are praise choruses or songs. Oh I love to sing and praise the Lord Jesus as much as anybody. But it is good to be reminded of judgment sometimes. My wife and I were discussing a verse of scripture found in Lamentations this morning.  It is found in Lamentations 1:9a  "Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter."  Shirley mentioned in our discussion that her Bible gave a cross reference to Isaiah 47:7 which says, "And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it." This of course is speaking of Babylon for in Isaiah 47:5 it says, "Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms." God is taking the daughter of the Chaldeans, e.g. Babylon,  to task because they showed no mercy on Israel. What they appeared not to recognize that one day in the future, God would hold them to account for their deeds.

But judgment is indeed coming. We don't know when but we do know where. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:10 that, "... we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." Everybody! You and I! We will be judged one of these days. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 8:11, "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." Do you really think God winks at your evil? He doesn't. He has given us time "while it is called today..." to repent. (See Hebrews 3:13) In fact the verses in Hebrews really say it. Hebrews 3:12-14 says, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation."

There is a scripture in 1st Timothy 5:24-25 that says, "Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid." I have always believed that was referring to judgement to come. I realize that there may be other explanations but it has been my belief that when we stand before God's Great Judgement Seat that those who have brought their sins and laid them at the foot of the Cross have in fact sent their sins before to judgment. They have put their trust in Jesus Christ and what He did when He died on the cross for their sins.  On the other hand, those who have rejected the sacrifice of Calvary, who have spurned Jesus Christ's offering of Himself for their sins, (or who perhaps have never heard, see Romans 1:20) will face their sins at judgment.

You say that you have been baptized in Jesus name and spoke in tongues when you received the Holy Ghost? You remember the day and the hour that you knelt at an old fashioned altar and asked God to forgive you of your sins? Thank God if it is true. However in Ezekiel 18:26 God speaking to Israel said, "When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die." So it appears that even those who have once known the Lord, if they turn back to their old ways lose there "eternal security." God went on through Ezekiel 18:27-32 and said, "Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.(thank God for the gift of repentance) Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye."

Someone might say that that was the Old Testament. Well, that is true. But the New Testament says in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." If we believe that the Lord Jesus was the God of Deuteronomy 6:4, and I certainly do, then I cannot divorce the God of the Old Testament from the God of the New! To me there are no obscure verses of scripture, either in the Old or in the New. There is a verse of scripture found in Hebrews 9:27 that says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" How often it has been used by preachers to bring sinners to the sure knowledge that the day of judgment will come. Please let me point out that that verse, while true of you and I, is speaking of the Lord Jesus. For in the next verse, Hebrews 9:28 the Bible says, "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." So if you who have read thus far feel that there is no hope left for you, be encouraged and look to the Lamb of God who took our judgment upon Himself at Calvary.

Which brings me back to some of the words of that old, and to some, outdated song
     Christ our Redeemer died on the cross,
     Died for the sinner, paid all his due:
     All who receive Him need never fear,
     Yes He will pass, will pass over you.

     When I See The Blood, 
     When I See The Blood,
     When I See The Blood, 
     I will pass I will pass over you.

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