All must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ - It is time to repent and be saved (2)

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE FARE WELL AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT?

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 that they always tried to please the Lord because we shall all appear before his judgment seat. Therefore the sinner must repent of his sin, accept God’s grace and forgiveness for it while the backslider must return to the Lord like the prodigal son of the scriptures returned to his father. 

We have to resist sin and cannot rationalize our actions to soothe our consciences. Jesus will not accept any of our rationalizations of sin. The only correct posture before God for sin is repentance. For example, the homosexual cannot say to him you made me this way. He will not accept it. Homosexuality is sin. 

God wants his people to know that this is sin. He did not cause anyone to be homosexual. They succumbed to temptation. In James 1:12-15 it admonishes, “Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death”. Yet some would argue, “These feelings and attractions were with me since I was a child, how is it that I was not born like this?” For those who understand the mechanics of sin this is not surprising. We read about the school where 4 and 5 year olds engaged in oral sex with each other. What made these children want to repeatedly commit this sin that they had observed somewhere? They were tempted by what they saw, once they committed the sin, the feeling of it drew them in and they succumbed to it continually. Temptation is not afraid of even the very young. To be tempted with any sin, including homosexuality, when one is very young is not surprising at all. 

The enemy engages us in temptation from the time we are children to create patterns of sin in our lives that will be difficult to overcome when we grow into adulthood because we will be practiced at them. He does this to create a place for himself in our lives and to rob us of salvation and a deep, abiding relationship with God. Homosexuality is not different from any other sexual temptation. 

Do not believe the lie that Jesus made you that way. It is a lie and when you give yourself fully to homosexuality you will find that it will impair your relationship with Jesus. Many have experienced this estrangement from him even though it does not appear that such is the case. What I am telling you is the absolute truth and if you forsake homosexuality and all other sin you will find the peace of knowing Jesus indeed and no one can take that from you. In the judgment, Jesus will not excuse sexual sin or any other sin that we commit that has not been expiated by his blood. Many will find no place with God on judgment day and this is why there will be great weeping on that day. If you overcome your sin, whatever that sin is, you will enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

If you think, contrary to what has been said above, that God will accept your homosexuality, here is what the Lord says about homosexuality in the scripture. In Leviticus 20:13 the Lord says, “If a man lies with mankind as he does with a woman both have committed an abomination…”. The penalty under the Law for this was death the same penalty as adultery and murder. Do you really think as some have purported that this refers to lying in bed only and not to anal intercourse? It is very lucid. Romans 1:26-27 states, “For this cause God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet”. Do you think that this does not refer to homosexuality that it is speaking about something else? What other interpretation could there be that would not misconstrue, abrogate or dismiss the words of this scripture? Again it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”. The term ‘effeminate’ refers to a youth kept for homosexual relations with a man or a male prostitute. The term ‘abusers of themselves with mankind’ refers to a homosexual. Thusly, we understand that the bible labels homosexuality as a sin. 

Your peers may tell you that the word homosexual is not mentioned in the scripture so the bible does not show that homosexuality is sin. Are the above scriptures unclear to you? In any case, how could the word homosexual be mentioned in scripture since it did not yet exist when the King James Version was translated? The term was first used in the late 1800’s. Newer translations have the word because it exists in our time. You can be sure that no one will tell Christ on that day you have made me a homosexual. He knows the absolute truth about how and when they fell into that sin, nothing is hidden from him.

The only way to hear, “Well done you good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord” on that day is to live a holy and righteous life for the scripture says, “Without holiness no man can see God”. Titus 2:14 instructs, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 

These are the days to turn from sin, to seek the Lord in repentance for judgment is about to come to the nations in the earth and in some cases, it has already begun, also, the Lord is about to pour out his Spirit upon mankind yet again and those who call upon his name in sincerity will be saved. He is calling all who have turned away from him to return to him and to walk in holiness, righteousness and godliness in his presence. In Zechariah 1:3 he says, “Return to me and I will return to you”. He has left the righteous ones and has come looking for you, please heed his command. This is the time to appeal to God’s mercy, a time to forsake all wrong so that you may be ready for the snatching away of his bride and his return for these events are soon to occur. 

PRAY THIS IF YOU WANT TO BE SAVED AND HAVE NEVER BEEN SAVED 

Dear Lord Jesus 

I am a sinner and I want to have eternal life so that I may fare well in the judgment. I repent of my sins. Wash me in your blood and save me. I give my life to you. I give my heart to you. Make me yours now Lord. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Come to live inside me and help me to obey you and live a righteous life. Give me the power to turn from all ungodliness, all unrighteousness, the power to live righteously, soberly and godly now in the earth. Make me a part of your bride. Keep me and my spiritual garment pure and clean. Lord, write my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Thank you for saving my soul. Amen 

PRAY THIS IF YOU HAVE BACKSLIDDEN AND WANT TO RETURN TO THE LORD 

Dear Lord Jesus 

I have sinned against heaven and against you. I have failed to live as you have required. I repent of my sin. I want to return to you my Savior. Remove the stony places from my heart and the stiffness from my neck. Wash me in your blood, cleanse me from every sin and stain, fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit, renew my spiritual life. Clothe me in a new spiritual garment and help me to walk in righteousness so that I may maintain a clean and pure garment in your presence. Strengthen me with might in my inner man, by your Spirit and dwell in my heart by faith. Renew my vigor in the faith, let no deceit envelop my life, protect me from the deceit of sin, from the deceit of the enemy. Protect me from the enemy, from principalities and powers, from the rulers of the darkness of this world, from spiritual wickedness in high places. Help me to put on my spiritual armor that I will be able to stand in these days and having done all to stand. Help me to accept your forgiveness, purge me from a guilty conscience that I may live in faith before you. Thank you for washing and rescuing me. Amen

All must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ - It is time to repent and be saved (1)

Written by Maxine Pinder

Romans 14:10-13 

“…For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us shall give account of himself to God’. 

All people will appear before the judgment seat of Jesus. All who claim to be believers will also have to appear there though they will not face the judgment of the lake of fire if all is well with them. What do you think it would be like to stand before the judgment seat of Jesus? What do you think he would tell you? What kind of atmosphere do you think would exist there? Many people’s ideas of what Jesus would say and how he would respond to them are based upon their understanding of who he is. This article will show what will happen before the judgment seat of Jesus and will explain how to fare well there. 

WHO IS JESUS? 

In these days, even those who identify themselves as Christians are blasé about the deity and position of Jesus Christ. They call him, the man upstairs, JC, the dirty God and other epithets that are not befitting the glorious one who died in the place of mankind. Some may say these are not epithets for they are not meant to be derogatory. Would you address your mother by her initials, call her the woman upstairs or the dirty woman, irrespective of the meaning you intend to convey, wouldn’t it be considered disrespectful and dishonorable to her? How then do these words express respect to Jesus, one so exalted? 

Jesus is not on our level. He is the highest being in the heaven and earth. The apostles regarded him as Lord and Master even though he served them for he says in John 13:13, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am”. We have a familiarity with God, in these days, that breeds contempt and the world has absorbed it, these things ought not to be. It is this familiarity that would cause people to think that he would accept and excuse their sins and behavior in the judgment but he will not. 

Jesus is the image of God, the Potentate and authority of the universe, the creator—all things were created by him and for him even thrones and principalities. He is the Word of God, the one who upholds the universe by his powerful word, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Lord of the living and the dead, the one that purged mankind’s sins and he is the judge. There is none higher than he and these words barely describe the majesty that is Jesus. See Hebrews 1:3, 1 Timothy 6:15, Colossians 1: 15-17, John 1:1, Matthew 28:18, Romans 14:9 and John 5:22 for confirmation of these facts. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT HIS JUDGMENT SEAT? 

Many perceive that Jesus will respond to them in the judgment in the same manner in which he responded to the woman caught in adultery in John 8:1-11. They think that he will excuse them because of their giving to the poor or some charitable work even though they have held on to certain sins without remorse. An example of this would be one who gives readily to the poor but maintains an adulterous relationship and uses love as justification for that relationship. This will not hold up in the judgment. 

Standing before Jesus is not like standing before any other. He is the highest being in the universe. He will never judge by appearance, false evidence or hearsay. He will judge justly and he cannot be deceived, cajoled or bribed. If you have done wrong and have not repented, there is no chance for you at the judgment seat of Christ. Jesus is not soft on sin as some think, Hebrews 1:9 informs us that he loves righteousness but he hates sin. All will bow the knee before him and confess the deeds that they have done in their bodies. Nothing will be covered on that day. Mark 9:43-48 shows that those who sin, that is, those who break God’s Law, will be thrown into the lake of fire where the worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. 

Many read Matthew 25:31-46, see the nations judged according to their charitable works to mankind and think that this is the only manner in which the nations will be judged but such is not the case. Each individual will also be judged for his other deeds. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 states, “…Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment with every hidden thing whether it is good or evil”. Revelation 20:12, 15 states, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire”. Revelation 21:7-8 states, “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son but the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. 

Matthew 13:24-30 is a parable that shows how the enemy positions his people among the people of God. They look and act like God’s people but are positioned to accomplish the devil’s purposes. The explanation of this parable is in verses 37-43, it announces, “He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He, who has ears to hear, let him hear!”” We see, then, that these ones will be brought to the judgment seat of Christ also and it will not go well with them. It is at the judgment seat that sentence is pronounced. 

Not even stalwart believers in the Lord who have lived for God all their lives will escape the judgment seat. God’s servants, those who work for him, that is, those who prophesy, preach, teach and administer in his name, for the furtherance of his kingdom, will also be brought to the judgment seat. There are several examples of this in the scripture. I will cite two. Matthew 24:45-51 shows that if the servant of God feeds the people of God with the word at the time that he is supposed to he will be rewarded but if he does not he will be eternally punished. Verses 48-51 state, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, “My master is delaying his coming,” and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talent, shows the servants that did well were rewarded but the servant who hid his talent and did not make use of it was thrown into the darkness where there will be gnashing of teeth. An example of this would be someone who fails to preach the word that God has given him such that those for whom it was intended were not saved. Having their blood on his hands, as is mentioned in Ezekiel 3:17-21, he would be cast out of God’s presence.

The Loveliness of Christ

Written by C.I. Scofield

"Yea, He is altogether lovely." Song of Solomon 5:16

All other greatness has been marred by littleness; all other wisdom has been flawed by folly; all other goodness has been tainted by imperfection. Jesus Christ remains the only Being of whom, without gross flattery, it could be asserted, "He is altogether lovely.

Perfect Humanity 

First, of all, as it seems to me, this loveliness of Christ consists in His perfect humanity.

In everything but our sins and our evil natures, he is one with us. He grew in stature and in grace. He labored and wept and prayed and loved. He was tempted in all points as we are -- sin apart. With Thomas, we confess Him Lord and God. We adore and revere Him. There is no other who establishes with us such intimacy, who comes so close to these human hearts of ours: no one else in the universe of whom we are so little afraid. He enters as simply and naturally into our twentieth century lives as if He had been reared in the same street with us. He is not one of the ancients; He is one with us.

How wholesomely and genuinely human He is! Martha scolds Him. John, who has seen Him raise the dead, still the tempest, and talk with Moses and Elijah on the mount, does not hesitate to make a pillow of His breast at supper. Peter will not let Him wash his feet, but afterwards wants his head and hands included in the ablution. They ask Him foolish questions, and rebuke Him, and venerate and adore Him in one breath. And He calls them by their first names, and tells them to fear not, and assures them of His love. In all this He seems to me altogether lovely. His perfection does not glitter; it glows. The saintliness of Jesus is so warm and human that it attracts and inspires. We find in it nothing austere and inaccessible, like a statue in a niche. The beauty of His holiness reminds one rather of a rose, or a bank of violets.

Jesus receives sinners and eats with them -- all kinds of sinners: Nicodemus, the moral, religious sinner, and Mary of Magdala, "out of whom went seven devils" -- the shocking kind of sinner. He comes into sinful lives as a bright, clear stream enters a stagnant pool. The stream is not afraid of contamination, but its sweet energy cleanses the pool.

Perfect Compassion

Moreover, Christ's sympathy is altogether lovely. He is always being "touched with compassion." The multitude without a shepherd, the sorrowing widow of Nain, the little dead child of the ruler, the demoniac of Gadara, the hungry five thousand -- all these represented suffering, and whatever suffers touches Jesus' heart. His very wrath against the scribes and Pharisees is but the excess of His sympathy for those who suffer under their hard self-righteousness.

Did you ever find Jesus looking for "deserving poor"? He "healed all their sick." And what grace there is in His sympathy! Why did He touch that poor leper? He could have healed him with a word as He did the nobleman's son. Why, for years the wretch had been an outcast, cut off from kin, dehumanized. He lost the sense of being a man. It was defilement to approach him. Well, the touch of Jesus made him human again.

A Christian woman, laboring among the moral lepers of London, found a poor street girl desperately ill in a bare cold room. With her own hands she ministered to her; she changed her bed linen, procured medicines and nourishing food and a fire, making the poor place as bright and cheery as possible. And then she said, "May I pray with you?"

"No," replied the girl, "you don't care for me. You are doing this to get to heaven." Many days passed -- the Christian woman unwearily kind, the sinful girl hard and bitter. At last the Christian said: "My dear, you are nearly well now, and I shall not come again, but as it is my last visit, I want you to let me kiss you," and the pure lips that had known only prayers and holy words met the lips defiled by oaths and unholy caresses -- and then, my friends, the hard heart broke. That was Christ's way.

Perfect Humility

Again, Christ's humility is altogether lovely. Can you fancy His calling a convention of Pharisees to discuss methods of reaching "the masses"? He, the only one who ever had a choice of how He should be born, entered this life as one of "the masses." What meekness, what lowliness! "I am among you as one that serveth. He "began to wash his disciples' feet." "When he was reviled, reviled not again." "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Can you think of Jesus as posing and demanding His rights?

Perfect Gentleness

Further, Christ's gentleness is altogether lovely. It is in His way with sinners that the supreme loveliness of Jesus is most sweetly shown. How tender He is, yet how faithful; how considerate, how respectful! Nicodemus, candid and sincere, but proud of his position as a master in Israel, and timid lest he should imperil it, "comes to Jesus by night." Before he departs, this master in Israel has learned his utter ignorance of the first step toward the kingdom, and goes away to think over the personal application of the truth, "they loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." But he has not heard one harsh word, one utterance that can wound his self-respect.

When He speaks to that silent despairing woman, after her accusers had gone out, one by one, He uses for "woman" the same word that He used when addressing His own mother from the cross.

Follow Him to Jacob's solitary well and hear His conversation with the woman of Samaria. How patiently He unfolds the deepest truths, how gently yet faithfully He presses the great ulcer of sin which is eating away her soul! But He could not be more respectful to Mary of Bethany.

Even in the agonies of death, He could hear the cry of despairing faith. When conquerors return from far wars in strange lands they bring their chief captive as a trophy. It was enough for Christ to take back to heaven the soul of a thief.

Perfect Poise

Finally, Christ is altogether lovely in the perfect equipoise of His various perfections. We could speak at length of His dignity, of His virile manliness, of His courage. In Him, all the elements of perfect character are in lovely balance. His gentleness is never weak. His courage is never brutal. My friends, you may study these things for yourselves. Follow Him through all the scenes of outrage and insult on the night and morning of His arrest and trial. Behold Him before the high priest, before Pilate, before Herod. See Him browbeaten, bullied, scourged, smitten upon the face, spit upon, mocked. How inherent greatness comes out! Not once does He lose His self-poise, His high dignity.

I close with this word of personal testimony: This is my Beloved and this is my Friend. Will you not accept Him as your Saviour and likewise discover His loveliness?

Is He not altogether lovely?