Judgment Is Coming Series

How to Do Life

Judgment Is Coming!

James 2:12-13

* Once when Alabama was playing Auburn, Coach Bear Bryant sent in his 2nd string quarterback with instructions to run on every play and he had better not pass the ball. Alabama led by three points and only had to run the clock out to win. Three downs in a row Alabama was crushed. On the fourth down with a few seconds left and Alabama ahead the quarterback took the snap. Looking into the end zone he saw his receiver so open the temptation was too great. He threw the ball only to see it intercepted. Though he was the slowest player on the field the 2nd string quarterback ran down the interceptor and Alabama won the game. After the game coach Dye of Auburn said to Bear Bryant, “How could that boy run down my boy who was so much faster?” “Simple,” answered Bear, “Your boy was running to score a touchdown – my boy was running to keep me from killing him!” Motivation is EVERYTHING!

* Additionally, one of the greatest motivations of all time is accountability. Weight watchers, groups dealing with addiction, multi-level business, and more all use accountability as motivation. When you are tempted to eat that piece (or have a 2nd piece) of pie and you know you’re going to have to give an account to the people at weigh in, you think twice about it. If you know that you are going to have to answer to your boss for time spent and wasted, you will make sure that you can completely account for your time. To know that we have to answer for our words or deeds causes us ‘pause.’

* Several months ago we began a journey through the book of James. After taking a 4 week’s break we are picking back up with our series of messages on “How to do life.” Turn to James 2:13-14.

* Three times in these two verses we read the word (in some form) ‘judgment’. Today’s message is not a popular message. It is not one which will be heard by the ‘positive preachers’ of the day. Candidly, it is not one that is given from many pulpits today because of the principle found in 2 Timothy 4. There are some things which people don’t want to hear, deal with, or be reminded of, because it hurts too deeply & strikes to close to home.

* Here it is: Judgment is coming! Judgment is coming to every person who has ever lived. This means every person, saved or unsaved, will be judged. Revelation 20 tells us that the lost person will be judged at the Great White throne. These are the people who have rejected Christ’s salvation. Christ is the only way. 2 Corinthians 5 tells the believers that we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Whether lost or saved, our judgment will be according to how we live our lives. Revelation tells the lost soul that he’ll be judged according to his works, while the believer (2 Cor. 5) will be judged according to the “DEEDS DONE IN THEIR BODY.” What deeds will these be? Our treatment of one another, the matter of using our influence, the reputation we have, and even the witness for Christ we are.

* Judgment is coming where we will be accountable. Since we cannot stop it, why now prepare for it and accept the truths about it. Three issues to know.

1. Know the Standard – (Verse 12). Whether we read the law of freedom or the law of Liberty makes little difference because in the context of our text, those words mean the same. The text says that we will be judge by God’s law of freedom. Don’t confuse the ‘law of ____ with the ‘law of freedom.’

a. Practically learn about the law of freedom. – This is a difficult issue for Americans because we have never lived one day in social bondage and somehow spiritual bondage has been largely downplayed. Too often we confuse the law of the land with the law of the Lord. One of the tenets of the American legal system is ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ The law of the Lord is ‘guilty until made innocent.’ The Bible tells us that, in our natural state, we are locked into sin and guilt. Since Genesis 3, there is no one who is innocent as sin holds every one of us in bondage. It is one thing to be in bondage, but it is another thing to be in bondage & not realize it. In 1998, a movie was released with actor Jim Carey starring in “The Truman Show.’ While I rarely to never recommend movies, the story line of this movie illustrates perfectly the idea of being in bondage & not realizing it.