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Are you ready for the judgment?
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13,14).
Judgment is coming. Life is short. All must die. Are we ready? "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).
We will be judged by Christ.
He said: "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father" (John 5:22,23).
Because Jesus is both the Son of God and the Son of Man, He has been appointed to judge mankind. Jesus said: "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth -- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me" (John 5:26-30).
As Paul said to the men of Athens: "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30,31). "It is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:42 -- See also 2 Timothy 4:1).
The word of Christ will judge us.
Jesus said: "If anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:47,48).
Paul speaks of "the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel" (Romans 2:16); he speaks of "the righteous judgment of God, who 'will render to each one according to his deeds': eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness -- indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God" (Romans 2:5-11).
"So then each of us shall give account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12). "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
"And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your sojourning here in fear" (1 Peter 1:17).
How can we get ready for the judgment?
We must know the will of God. We must do the will of God. Our sins must be forgiven through the blood of Christ.
Unfortunately, there are many who do not know the will of God, and yet think they are wise. This mistake was made by Israel many times. The Lord rebuked them:
"Even the stork in the heavens
Knows her appointed times;
And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow
Observe the time of their coming.
But My people do not know the judgment of the Lord.
How can you say, 'We are wise,
And the law of the Lord is with us'?
Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.
The wise men are ashamed,
They are dismayed and taken.
Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord;
So what wisdom do they have?"
(Jeremiah 8:7-9).
People who reject the word of God do not know 'the judgment of the LORD'. The scribes, the religious leaders, were leading the people astray. They had a 'false pen' that worked falsehood! Many people will be lost on the day of judgment because they reject the word of God and listen to religious leaders.
It is only through God's word that we can know His will.
Yet, to know the will of God is not sufficient. We must also do the will of God.
Jesus said: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall" (Matthew 7:21-27).
We must both know and do the will of God. But what about our sins?
Our sins must be forgiven by the blood of Christ.
Jesus said: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life" (John 5:24).
Repentance is required. Jesus said: "Unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3). This means that we must be sorry for our sins and must determine to live according to God's will. We must be baptized. Jesus said: "He who believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16).
Get ready for the judgment.
"For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17).
Judgment begins with the house of God. We Christians can be thankful that we have escaped from condemnation through forgiveness by the blood of Christ. Yet we may not be complacent. We must seriously study the Scriptures so we can know and dothe will of God.
What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? All who have not yet obeyed the gospel are not ready for the judgment. Their sins still separate them from God. They can be saved from the judgment by believing and obeying the word of Christ.
Are we ready for the judgment?
We must know the will of God. We must do the will of God. Our sins must be forgiven through the blood of Christ. Let's get ready! Let's be ready. Then we can "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
Roy Davison
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.
Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)
(http://www.oldpaths.com)