Friday, June 10, 2016

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  - Revelation 20:11-15

Maybe I have an overly sensitive conscience, but I feel nervous around police and judges. Once, when I was called as a character witness for a friend, I was shocked at how anxious I felt just walking into the courtroom. My heart was racing. If I tremble before a human judge even though I’m innocent, what would it be like to stand before The Judge of all the earth?

The images of the end of the age are awesome, with horrible judgments poured out on the earth, and a vision of the Lord on His throne so terrible that the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place for them (Rev. 20:11). People will be so terrified, they will prefer to hide in caves and ask the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. “For the day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Rev.6:14-17).

We don’t usually associate wrath with a lamb. Lambs are docile, sweet and helpless. But this Lamb, who “as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isa.53:7) was also “Christ, our Passover lamb, slain for us” (1 Cor. 5:7). The Lamb of God came to earth the first time to handle the sin problem. Now He is coming to Judge the earth.

In Matt. 25:31-46, Jesus tells a parable about the Sheep and the Goats. It is set at the Last Judgment. Jesus is on the throne. We know this because the One on the throne refers to His Father. Also, we know that all judgment has been committed to the Son (John 5:22, Rom. 2:16).

The images in the last few chapters of Revelation are sobering. Read Revelation 20:11-15 again. You see the awesomeness of the One on the Great White Throne, the reanimation of the dead from the sea and the graves, all standing now before the Judge. Books will be opened, and people will be judged “from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds” (Rev. 20:12).

The most important book seems to be the Book of Life. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).

The good news isn’t good news unless we first hear the bad news. How can we have assurance of our salvation and confidence that we can stand before the throne of this Awesome One without fear? The answer definitely doesn’t rest in us. I can’t “keep” myself in the faith, any more than I got myself into it. Salvation is God’s work from start to finish. He is the “Author and Finisher of our faith.”  He chose me, so He keeps me (Rom. 8:29). They are links of the salvation chain; we are secure because of Christ.

The theological term for this is “justification”. Perhaps you’ve heard that it means God looks on you “just-as-if-you-had-never-sinned”. While it might be a helpful way to remember, I think it’s a weak definition. Justification is actually a legal term. Since we’re dealing with the Supreme Court of the Universe, it’s helpful to speak legal-ease. Justification, as it is used in the Bible, primarily means to be declared righteous, to be declared “right” before God.

When we believe in Jesus Christ, repenting of our sin and resting in the finished work of Christ as our Substitute, God declares us “NOT GUILTY”. We are free!

As the Judge of the earth, He has the right to do that: to let a guilty person go free. But as a holy and just God, He could not do that without going contrary to His nature, which He cannot do. “He cannot deny Himself.”

Justification by faith alone is a beautiful, life-changing, uplifting, soul-assuring truth. Never tire of praising God for justifying you!  Because you are justified, you will not be condemned on that awful day.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ…” (Rom.8:1).

Prayer– “Lord, how awesome You are. You are our Creator and our Savior. You are our Judge and our Redeemer. The truth of a future judgment would be terrifying, if we weren’t for the security we find in You, Lord Jesus!

Pastor Jeff Frazier