HopeLives365

Guest (Male): We've been on a journey, a journey through the book of Revelation, but particularly looking at Revelation chapter 14, verses 6 to 12. This is HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message: Will You Pass God's Judgment, Part One. Enjoy, and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with HopeLives365 and Pastor Mark by going to HopeLives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: In these verses, God presents his last-day message for mankind. He pictures that message as being carried by three angels in mid-heaven. In our last presentation, we looked at Revelation 14, verse 6. We saw that the everlasting gospel, the gospel of God's grace and goodness, was to go to the ends of the earth.

We saw as well that God has a plan for us, a plan to participate with him, to cooperate with him in taking the message of his love, grace, and truth to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And that, of course, begins with our own families, with our own neighborhood, with the workplaces where we work, with our community, in our schools.

In Revelation 14, verses 6 and 7, the Bible says, "I saw another angel flying in the middle of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come."

When many people think of the judgment, they begin to become quite frightened about their lives appearing before God in judgment. In this presentation, we're going to focus especially on the good news of the judgment. Let's pray together.

Father in heaven, thank you that we need not fear that eternal judgment, that in Christ we can have confidence that you are our judge, our attorney, and that you will vindicate us in these last days of earth's history. That in Christ, we have nothing to fear.

So as we study about the judgment in Revelation, help us to have that sense of your standing by our side, but teach us, too, that we're responsible for the choices that we make. In Christ's name, amen.

The title of this presentation is Jesus and the Judgment: Why the Judgment is Good News and Not Bad News. Now, you may not have thought of it that way before. You may have thought about the judgment and trembled at its thought. That's legitimate. The judgment is a very serious issue.

In fact, some time ago, Daniel Webster, who was one of America's best-known statesmen and orators, was asked, "What is the most solemn thought that has ever passed your mind?" And Webster responded, "The sense of my individual responsibility to God."

You and I were created as free moral agents. We were created with the capacity of choice, of the opportunity to make decisions based on the faculties of conscience, of reason, and of judgment. And the judgment of God in eternity is based on how we have responded to his grace and the choices that we ourselves have made.

Daniel Webster said this: "This thought, that is the thought of the judgment, is not pleasant to those who are living in their sins and out of relationship to him, and consequently are not prepared to face the tremendous issues involved. But whether the issues are faced or not, the fact remains."

So quoting Romans 14:12: "So that every one of us shall give account of himself to God." We are all responsible to God, as the Word of God declares, and cannot escape our responsibility. You and I are created to make positive choices. The Holy Spirit impresses our heart to enable us to make those choices.

God arranges circumstances in our lives so that we can make the best possible choices. But the judgment has to do with the decisions we've made in life. Did you catch what Webster quoted in Romans 14, verse 12? "So every one of us," not a few of us, not one or two of us, but "every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

That is part of our destiny. One day, we'll appear before the judgment bar of God. Choices are the stuff that life is made of. And our choices will determine our eternal destiny. What kind of choices are you making today? What kind of choices have you made this last week?

What kind of choices have you made this last month, this last year? Are your choices guided by a Spirit-directed conscience? Are your choices in life subject to the principles of God's Word? Are your subjects guided and shaped by the teachings of Scripture?

Second Corinthians 5, verse 10 adds, "For we must all," again, notice the universality of this, just like in Romans 14:12, "for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he's done, either good or bad."

So in the final judgment bar of God, the issues in that judgment bar are how have our choices been made? What choices have we actually made that either will lead us to eternal life or eternal damnation? Now, someone says, "But wait a minute. In life, is it our good deeds weighed against our bad deeds?"

Let me explain it this way. When God created us, he created, of course, Adam and Eve as free moral agents. Throughout life, since Adam and Eve's fall, the devil, the serpent, the evil one, has been leading men and women to make poor choices. He's been leading us to make choices that lead us away from God.

Jesus, on the other hand, appeals to us with hands outstretched to come to him. He appeals to us to make eternal decisions guided by his Spirit, decisions that are based in and founded in his very word. There's no question that based on the Bible, we're accountable to God.

There's no question that we are responsible for our actions. You know, some people say, "Well, it's my genetics that has done this. I'm predisposed to act this way. My father got angry, so I get angry. My mother lost her patience, so I lose my patience."

Somebody says, "Well, you know, I have obesity in my family. It's in my genes." Other people say, "Well, I can avoid anything except smoking because my father was a chain smoker. He was an alcoholic." You see, all kinds of excuses can be made.

But the truth of the matter is, although we may have genetic predispositions to something, we do not turn on those genes. This is called epigenetics. We don't turn on those genes until we make choices to indulge those inclinations. So we are responsible for our actions.

Now, there's no question at all based on the Bible that the decisions we make are going to determine our eternal destiny. Now, there are a number of facts about the judgment we're going to study, this judgment that's outlined in the book of Revelation.

Remember Revelation 14:7: "Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come." We're going to study that very clearly. The first thing we notice about the judgment is that in the judgment, Jesus is our judge. Now, that surprises some people because they have the idea that the Father is the eternal judge.

That is true in a sense, but notice what the Bible says in John 5:22: "For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son." So based on Jesus' own statement in John 5:22, Jesus is our judge in this final judgment.

In the judgment, not only is Jesus our judge, but he's our defense attorney. Now, you say that's kind of confusing, isn't it? Let's look at it. First John 2:1: "My little children, these things I write to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

So Jesus is our judge. Jesus is our advocate. You say that's a conflict of interest. It really is. But aren't you thankful that Jesus takes upon himself that conflict as our judge and our defense attorney? Let's suppose that we're going to court.

Let's suppose that I have gotten a speeding ticket. Hopefully, as a pastor, I haven't gotten that speeding ticket, but let's suppose I did. Let's suppose I was going 70 miles an hour in a 40-mile-an-hour zone because I'm rushing to get to some meeting.

And the officer stops me and he says, "Now, you're going 70 miles an hour in a 40-mile-an-hour zone. That's going to be a fine." And let's say, "Hey, wait a minute. I was rushing to the hospital to see somebody dying. I'm going to fight this in court."

And so I go to court and I stand up, and I look there and that's my brother who's the judge. And I'm astounded. Now, I don't have a brother, this is an illustration. So let's suppose that's my brother who's the judge. And I think, "That's good news."

And then let's suppose he gets off the bench and he says, "I'm going to be your defense attorney as well." So my brother is my judge and my brother is my defense attorney. I think that's a pretty good opportunity for me that I'm not going to pay that expensive fine. What do you think?

Jesus, our elder brother, is our judge. And before the judgment bar of God, our elder brother says to us, "These wounded hands were for you. The thorns that pierced my brow were for you. The guilt and shame and condemnation I bore on the cross was for you. I am your judge, but I'm also your attorney."

And before the universe, before thousands and ten thousands of times being, I will present your name and I will say, "This man is one of mine, this woman is one of mine." In Christ, because he is our judge and our attorney, we need not fear.

But if we do not have Christ, if Christ doesn't fill our hearts, we tremble in the judgment as our lives are exposed before the universe. Now, Revelation's last-day judgment presents it very clearly that there is a judgment. These three angels fly in the midst of heaven.

They announce to the whole world: no more business as usual, no more pleasures as usual, no more life as usual. We're living in a critical time of this earth's history. Remember what we read and have been studying in Revelation 14, verses 6 and 7.

"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those that dwell upon the earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come. And worship him that made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of waters."

Do you notice the expression "for the hour of his judgment"? This is not simply the hour of our judgment; it is the hour of God's judgment. What does that mean? The devil has claimed that God is unfair and unjust and that he's not worthy to rule the universe.

In the eternal judgment that takes place in heaven, the hour of God's judgment, it will be revealed before a waiting world and a watching universe that God has done everything he could to save us, that there was not one more thing he could have done.

And God will be proved righteous. God will be proved just. God will be proved as the one worthy to rule throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Jesus' life and Jesus' death revealed his character of unselfish love.

In the judgment, it will be shown conclusively that this Christ that lived the perfect life that we should have lived, that died the death we should have died, that was resurrected, this Christ has done everything possible to save us. There was not one more thing he could have done.

Now, the judgment reveals God's justice and mercy. The law demands that those who break that law suffer eternal death. God's justice could not have let the human race go on without paying the penalty of a broken law.

If God would have done that, it would have created chaos in the entire universe. And so God has to deal justly with the sin problem. But God's mercy would not allow him to destroy the creatures that he created.

And so justice and mercy blend together at the cross of Calvary, determining for us, when Jesus determines for us, to bear the guilt and shame of our sins. That enables us to stand free before the universe as our judge, Jesus, and as our advocate, Jesus, presents our case before the entire universe.

In the final judgment, the entire universe will see the countless times that God has reached out in loving ways to save us. In the final judgment, before the whole universe, the record books of heaven will be open.

And it will be shown that God sent angels to beat back the forces of Satan in our life. It'll be shown before the universe, recorded in those books of heaven, that at the times of our deepest temptation, at times we were about ready to be discouraged and couldn't go another step, that God was sending his angels there.

He sent them to beat back the forces of hell, to bring light into the darkness of our lives, to give us encouragement and hope and inspiration just when we needed it. It'll be shown in those books of record that God arranged the providences in our life.

It will be shown that God brought people into our life to lead us closer to him. It'll be shown that he revealed himself in the natural world. Every sunrise and sunset reveals his love. The gentle falling rain that causes the crops to grow reveals his love.

The stars twinkling in the sky reveal the very love of God. The earth that spins on its axis and orderly makes its way around the sun reveals the precision, the accuracy, and the love of God. You see, in the judgment, it will be shown that there is nothing that God could have done that he hasn't done to save us.

But most of all, it will be shown that Jesus left the glories of heaven, left the worship of the angels, left the worship of the seraphim, and Jesus plunged into the snake pit of this world. This morally defiled, this sex-centered, thrill-jaded generation, this crime-riddled, polluted world.

Christ came here and he tabernacled in human flesh. And as he did, he lived the life we should have lived so that we need not die the death that he died. The judgment reveals all of that. He gave us opportunity after opportunity to respond to his loving appeals.

He sent his Holy Spirit to our hearts again and again and again. The hour of God's judgment is come. Satan has claimed God is unfair. Satan has claimed God is unjust. Satan has claimed that God doesn't care for us. Satan has claimed that God is a vindictive judge, that all he wants is selfish worship from his creatures.

In the judgment, it's revealed that his love is magnificent, that there's no lengths, no depths, no heights that he would not have gone to to redeem us. That's why the whole universe in Revelation 6 and 7 sings, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of saints."

At the end of that judgment, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that he indeed is Lord. At the cross, we find the intersection of justice and mercy. And in the judgment, we find that it's not good deeds weighed against bad deeds; it's rather have we accepted the living Christ into our life.

Now, the Bible says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." Sin has a wage, and that wage or that price is death. But the Bible also says, "The gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord."

If we have come to Christ, if he fills our hearts with his grace, if we are charmed by his love, if our lives are committed to him, we need not fear the judgment. Now, how do works play their part in the judgment?

We talked about choices early on and the importance of positive choices. It is not love Christ and simply do whatever you want to do. When you love Christ, you do what he wants you to do.

That's why Jesus said in John 8:29, "I do always those things that please him, that please the Father." That's why it says in Hebrews 10:7 and onward, "I come in the volume of the book to do thy will, O God."

That's why in Gethsemane, when the world trembled in the balance, the Bible says, "Not my will, Lord, but your will be done." So when we come to Christ and we are truly changed by Christ, when by faith we grasp his righteousness, when his grace changes us, we long to do his will.

We do it not to earn our salvation, but because he has saved us. Apple trees produce apples not in order to become apple trees, but because they are apple trees. Christians produce good works not to prove they are Christians, but the good works are the spontaneous result of a faith relationship with Jesus Christ.

Now, notice Revelation 20, verse 12: "The dead were judged according to their works by the things that were written in the books." What else could the dead be judged by? Our works are the external manifestation of our faith.

Now, notice how it's put in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God." So in the judgment, it's not our good works.

It's not because we have had this striving for salvation and we've gone through this painful torture to do good works. It's rather because Jesus Christ has come into our lives and changed our lives, that Christ has made us over again.

And that's why the Bible said it's not of works lest anyone should boast. But look what it says next: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." So we are saved totally, only, completely by grace.

But that grace leads us to obedience. And the obedient lives that we live are the spontaneous result of being saved and transformed by his grace. Our good works, empowered by the Holy Spirit, do not save us, but they do testify that our faith is genuine.

The external manifestation of our works, presented in the judgment, recorded in the books, based on our choices, demonstrate that our faith is indeed genuine. Did you ever read this story? It's rather an amusing story of one of these wizards who is able to do about anything.

I don't mean some kind of magician, but I mean one of these guys who does strange, odd feats. He strung a wire across Niagara Falls. And he walked on that wire across the falls. Now, people had died trying to go through on a barrel across the falls.

They had died in other ways trying to do this tightrope. But he strung this tightrope wire across the falls, Niagara Falls. And he walked on that tightrope ever so gently across the falls. And he did it two or three times.

And people gathered to see this man, and they were yelling and screaming and applauding. And he said, "How many of you, after he'd done it three or four times, how many of you think I can do it again?" They raised their hand.

"How many of you think I can do it with a wheelbarrow?" They said, "Oh, we know you could." So he wheelbarrowed the thing across and wheelbarrowed it back. "How many of you think I can do it with somebody in it?" They raised their hand. "Yes, yes." "How many want to get in it?"

Not one person stepped forth to get in that wheelbarrow. Did they really have faith? Did they really believe? See, if you believe, if Christ changes your heart and you grasp him by faith, that is manifest in your choices. It's manifest in your actions.

Our good works are empowered by the Spirit because they're not good works we do in and of ourselves. They don't save us, but they testify that the inner faith is genuine. Our inner faith is revealed in our outer works.

Now, there's something else about the judgment. According to Revelation chapter 14, verse 7, the judgment has arrived. It's a present-tense judgment. The hour of God's judgment has come. Now, you say, "What does that mean, the hour of God's judgment has come?"

It means that before the coming of Jesus, there is a judgment in the courts of heaven to determine who will be ready when he comes. If, according to Revelation chapter 22, verse 12, Jesus is coming to give out his rewards, there must be a judgment previous to his coming to determine who receives what rewards when he comes.

And so the judgment has arrived. It's a present-tense judgment. In other words, the destinies of the entire human race, all of those who have died in ages past, are currently being settled in the judgment bar of God. Revelation 14:7: "Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of God's judgment has come."

Guest (Male): You've been listening to HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at HopeLives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: Whatever experiences you're having in life, however you feel oppressed, discouraged, disappointed, there's a door opening in heaven. And what does God say? "After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven."

God says look through the open door, you'll get new courage, new hope, new inspiration. "And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying: Come up here and I'll show you things which must take place after this." Hear the voice from heaven says come up here, come up here into the throne room of the universe, come up here into the judgment bar of God.