What A Day

WHAT A DAY

REVELATION 20. 11 - 15, 21. 2 - 4

One of the beauties of having a long drive is that you have plenty of time to think. Plenty of time for God to speak to your heart without the normal distractions of daily life. As I was driving home from Lynchburg on Friday, God began to speak to my heart about several things, guiding me toward the thoughts for today. The thought I have is very simple. There are two days listed in Scripture here in these verses that qualify for the thought of what a day. One of the days is the saddest day that will ever come, and the other is the happiest day.

1) WHAT A DAY OF JUDGMENT. REV 20.11-15

* As we envision the Great White Throne, we must notice first that it is a great throne. No comparison, no other like it. It is truly a great throne, and sitting upon it is the only Great God. It is Jesus Christ, the one who died for man’s sin. The greatness of it is given in that the earth and the heaven fled from the face of the one sitting upon it.

* It is a white throne. Purity, justice, no deception. No sin upon it, no faults found in it. It is not a throne of mercy, not a throne of grace, but a throne of judgment. Pure, righteous, unadulterated, unaltered justice. No politics, no race, no unions, no denominations at this throne.

* The one on the throne - Jesus Christ Himself. Not an apparition, not an angel, not a man, but Jesus Christ, glorified of the Father as a result of Calvary. Sitting in judgment. God has committed all judgment to Him. John 5.22. His work, His offer, the rejection is of Him, and on this basis judgment will come.

* The dead stand before the throne. It is not all that have died physically. The unregenerated, the unsaved, those who have never trusted Christ as Savior. Small and great - not in stature, but in man’s opinions. Kings, beggars, rich, poor. There is no status before this throne. Family won’t matter, church affiliation won’t matter, church attendance won’t matter.

* The books will be opened. A book of life. Historical. All of God’s pleadings with you through the work of the HOS. The manifestation of God in nature, the gospel message given either word or in deed. Every pricking of your heart that something wasn’t right, that there was something missing will be presented. Every rejection, every excuse, every time you put it off, all will be in this book. No denying it, no arguing it. No room for excuses at this throne. Remember it is a righteous throne. It is a righteous judgment. No bias of the court toward one person or another. All who stand will be judged according to those things written in the book.

* To stand before the throne of Jesus Christ who gave Himself for your sins and offered salvation from eternal judgment, with nothing to say, without excuse. a sad day at best.

***** It gets worse. Vs. 15.

* Not only will you stand before Jesus Christ without excuse, but Scripture tells us that those whose names are not written in the book of life were cast into the lake of fire. with no hope of an end, no hope of escape, no hope of an easing, but an eternal home in a real lake of fire, with real screaming, real gnashing of teeth, real pain, but no death. No end.

* And worse.

* My understanding of Scripture is that in hell, there is eternal separation. From God, from all that is good, from any and all joy and happiness, from all that is pleasant.

* The reality of what is at stake. Husbands and wives separated. Parents from children. Friends from friends. Children from parents. To be eternally separated from all that you hold dear, from all that you love, from all that has meaning to you except one thing. When the world means more to you, when what you think you have a right to do means more to you than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will spend eternity with that. Knowing that your selfishness, your self-serving attitude kept you from the only hope for eternal joy will haunt you each and every moment of your eternal judgment.

* Do you know without a doubt, for certain, stake you life on it that you have been born again. Not that you are playing church, not that you were baptized, not that you are a Baptist, a member of this church, you name is on a roll somewhere, that you daddy was a this, your wife is a this, or that you are, were, or desire to be a deacon or ss teacher, but that there is a defining, definite moment in your life that you surrendered everything you have, everything you are, everything you ever will be to the LJesus Christ and asked Him to be your personal savior. Not that you said a prayer, not that you can quote Scripture, but that your life is not what it used to be, that there has been a change, not only in conduct, but in creation. That there is within you a new life, a life that flows from Calvary, a life that is fed by the manna of the HOS, that feasts upon the WOG, that cherishes each and every moment you spend with God in prayer, in devotion, in service. Is there a moment like that in your life. Have you truly been born again, truly been saved by God’s amazing grace? Or do you play church and bank on some prayer you heard the preacher pray as a child. I can pray for you to be saved from now until this day of judgment, but that doesn’t make you saved.