Do you like justice? Test days? Report cards? A day of reckoning?
Do you ever hear the crazy people on TV or social media and wish they could get a glimpse of the truth—that Jesus is Lord? Sometimes I just want to tell them that “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” Philippians 2:10-11 (there are similar verses in Isaiah and Romans). Everyone you know will bow. Everyone you don’t know will bow. Everyone who is good. Everyone who is bad. Every child, old person, man, woman, rich, poor, educated or uneducated.
And then God will set up the scariest, most impressive, overwhelming courtroom in history: THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT.
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 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. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” Revelation 20:11-15.
Imagine God’s throne, so awe inspiring and fearsome that “Earth and heaven flee” from it. (The earth itself runs away?)
But those who have refused to bow the knee in this life will not be allowed to run away, but will desperately bow before God’s throne in heaven. But it will be too late.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the Lake of Fire (v.15).
There will come a day of reckoning. The lost will face the Great White Throne Judgment, also called “the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord” in Malachi 4:5. But we will also be judged. Believers will face a different judgment–the Judgment Seat of Christ according to 2 Corinthians 5:10. Our lives will be evaluated based on our deeds done as believers. Are we serving God? Are we sharing His truth? Are we growing in Christ? Are we using our spiritual gifts? God will reward us for our deeds done as members of the Body of Christ. There will be a day of reckoning for us too. May He find us faithful.
Dear God, fill us with urgency about the truth: You are “coming again to judge the quick and the dead” 2 Timothy 4:1. Show us how to share that message with the lost. Help us remember the simple truth—this world and all its debates is temporary; it’s all going to burn, and the lost will bow their knees, confess Jesus as Lord, then be cast into the lake of fire. And our souls may be saved, but our works will be judged. Inspire us to do more and better works for you. Help us to love your word and to love and serve your people. Find us faithful. Make us faithful. Make us faithful, hardworking servants of Christ, doing your will with joy every day. May we be inspired by the truth—you are coming quickly, with rewards in your hand, Revelation 22:12. We love you. Help us love you more every day. We are yours. You died for us, you rescued us from the lake of fire. So help us remember that and serve you well every day. Find us faithful. Find us faithful. May all who come behind us find us faithful. Thank you.
ΑΩ
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