In Touch Ministries

Dr. Charles Stanley: He knows what he called you to do. He knows what you're gifted to do, skilled to do. Listen, God singled you out. There's only one person with your thumbprint. There's only one person that has your personality, your spiritual gifts and talents and skills just like you. There's nobody like you. You're an individual, and God will judge us accordingly.

He knows how many gifts you have. He knows what you're able to do. He knows what your skills are. The issue is, are you living them out?

Guest (Male): Dr. Stanley is in the series now called Countdown to Judgment. Well, how much do you enjoy hearing about the coming judgment? If you're like most, the answer is probably not much. Well, even though eternity is a settled matter for Christians, we will answer to God one day.

What will that be like? Here's today's edition of In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley, to explain more about the judge and the judgment.

Dr. Charles Stanley: The Bible is very clear about the idea of judgment. And the scripture says that there is a judgment seat that is a judgment for believers, and there is a judgment for unbelievers. The judgment seat of Christ is for believers only. The great white throne judgment is for unbelievers.

What we're talking about in this message is when children of God, when those of us who call ourselves Christians, followers of Jesus, when we leave this earth and we leave this world and we stand before him, what is it going to be like? And so what I want to talk about in this message is the judge and the judgment. And this is the second message in our series entitled Countdown to Judgment.

And if you'll recall, we mentioned this, that the day that you were born at that very moment, the countdown began. From that moment on, our time in this life gets shorter and shorter and shorter. We think about it getting longer and longer, but the truth is it gets shorter and shorter. And so once you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior, the countdown is going to be going. And so from that moment on, we should be living a godly life.

What happens when we don't? What happens when we do? That's what the judgment is all about. With that in mind, let's think about this. What's the purpose of judgment anyway? Well, the purpose first of all is to reveal our true nature. That's why we're there. In other words, it would really not be fair, humanly speaking, for God to say, here's my judgment upon you and this is what's going to happen.

But rather he's going to show us. He's going to show us what you and I are really like. And that's why there's not going to be any of this idea of defending yourself. Look in First Corinthians chapter four for a moment. I want you to read this first. First Corinthians four, and look if you will in verse five. Here's what he says.

"Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts, and then each man's praise will come to him from God." See, it's not the time to be scared to death and in terror. When the Bible talks about a terrifying thing to fall in the hands of the living God, he's talking about lost people.

It is a terrifying thing to fall in the hands of a holy God when you rebelled against him and mocked him and refused to believe him. So what he's saying here is that all the hidden things come to the light. Now think about this. There's some things about you and me we don't even understand, we're not even aware of. And if you ask somebody, tell me how you see me, you probably wouldn't like some things they say.

And so we don't have to go around asking other folks what do you think about me. People who do that are very insecure number one, and most of the time when you tell them they don't like it. So it's best to keep your mouth shut and just wait till the judgment because only he knows us and he knows us absolutely perfectly. So what is he doing? One of the reasons for his judgment is he's going to reveal us to ourselves.

And in the process of doing that, there's not going to be, as we said, any defense and any talking about it. A second thing is this: it's going to be a time of final cleansing. Now you say, well, I thought Jesus had forgiven me of all my sin. Yes, he has. But suppose, for example, that when you came to church today or wherever you are, you woke up this morning and you and somebody at your home had this big fight and you were so angry and you were just bitterly angry.

You get in your car and you head to work and you get killed instantly. Well, you're going to meet the Lord with what? Anger, bitterness, resentment, and hostility in your heart. Remember this, he's a righteous, holy judge. There's not going to be any bad feelings, there's not going to be any lies, there's not going to be any rejection, there's not going to be any hatred, animosity, prejudice, nothing in heaven.

It's the absolute perfect place of God that has nothing but absolutely what is holy, righteous, pure, and true. So therefore you die with that animosity, or maybe some guilt over something you've done in the past that you've never told anybody, that you've kept it to yourself and you say, well, you know, I have a secret nobody knows. And the next time somebody tells you, "Look, nobody knows about this but me," just point up and say, "You're forgetting something."

The one that it matters most to already knows. They're not going to be any secrets. What he's going to do, he's going to show us who we are, what we're really like, not to condemn us, not to shame us, but to show us. And in the process of doing that, what does that do? That just makes us love him more because we think, God, that's who I am and you saved me anyway? You're going to reward me for these good things?

It's revelation time, inspection time, not condemnation time that often times we often think about. So he's going to see all the good in our life. He's going to see the things that we don't know about. He knows the things you would have done if you'd had the courage to do it. He knows about the things you would never have done if you knew the consequences and what they'd be.

He knows that you wouldn't have done that if you knew you were going to hurt him or hurt her the way you did. He knows the times when you failed because you didn't know what to do. You didn't quite understand. We've all been through some situations and circumstances in life where if I'd have just known this, if I'd known that. In other words, many and many people will stand in the judgment.

Listen, tears, yes, because we're going to see it like it is. And in those moments, whatever short time that may be or length of time it may be, we're going to see, we're going to be able to look, we're going to be able to evaluate, and one thing for certain, we're going to agree with him. Now the third reason is this, and that is God wants to evaluate the quality of what we've done. Not just what we've done, but the quality.

For example, and let's get down real close to home. I don't know who you work for, but you are probably agreed to work for somebody and you work eight hours a day, forty hours a week, and this is what they're going to pay you. So what you do is you work about six hours a day and you just sort of fiddle around and waste time the other two. And so you check out and you always check out right on time.

You think, well, you know what, nobody pays any attention to that. And so that's okay. I'm here to tell you, you just lost. The two hours you goofed off were two hours that are going to be counted worthless. You're going to lose in the judgment. He is going to judge us for the quality of our work. You're a father and you don't take any time with your kids and you just slough off and you drink and you've got beer in the refrigerator and you don't read the Bible, you don't do anything.

And your wife's trying to live a good Christian life and you're just being an unfaithful father to your children. You think, let's say your children grow up and they all become preachers and missionaries. You think, well, see what a good job I did. No, you didn't. You're going to be judged for worthlessness. And what I want you to see, the things that he's going to judge us for may not be things that are all evil. It's not murder and adultery and stealing and lying, but the other things out there that are considered worthless.

In other words, when you and I waste what only God can give us, which is time, which is life, when we waste that we will have to give an account for it. And so what you have to ask is this: is what you're doing, is it worthy? Because you see, watch this, he knows our motives. He knows our opportunities. He knows what he called you to do. He knows what you're gifted to do, skilled to do.

Listen, God singled you out and gave you, listen, there's only one person with your thumbprint. There's only one person that has, listen, your personality, your spiritual gifts and talents and skills just like you. There's nobody like you. You're an individual, and God will judge us accordingly. He knows how many gifts you have. He knows what you're able to do. He knows what your skills are. The issue is, are you living them out?

And so we're going to be judged, he says, by the quality of our work. And I want you to slip over to Hebrews and I want you to look at this verse. Hebrews chapter six, he says in verse ten of Hebrews six, and this, listen, this applies to every believer. Listen to this. "For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you've shown toward his name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints."

See, you say, well, is that talking about preachers? Not at all. He's talking about to the people who read this. He says, look, watch this, here's what he says. God is not so unjust as to forget your work. It would be unjust for God to forget any good righteous thing that you and I have done. And you say, well, that's for people who serve God. Listen, the truth is we're all servants.

And let me remind you of something. There are people that the world will never know. Their name will never be in the newspaper, on the television, the radio. And you know what? Great saints of God. And I think about people who were genuine prayer warriors who spend time praying for people and praying for our leaders of our nation or praying for people in their family, whatever it might be. There are people who are intercessors.

That's what they live for is to cry out to God on behalf of others. We'll never know most of them because a person who does that, the last thing they're going to do is say look at me, I'm a prayer warrior. They're not going to say that. There are people who serve God in ways that you and I will never know. They use the skills and abilities and talents they have, they may be very few, but they give their best.

I think about godly mothers who give their time and spend their time and sometimes they teach their children, doing the schoolwork with them and so forth. I think about how they give. That's not time spent, that's time that is invested. It's worthy things. There's so many people who do so many good things that we don't hear about. And so he says, God is not going to forget your labor of love.

And so if he's not going to forget it, what's he going to do? He's going to reward us for it. And that's what he's talking about. One of these things that he's going to reward us for, well, there's lots of them. And we'll get more into how many times he talked about rewarding us. The Sermon on the Mount, all through the scriptures, God is in the process of rewarding his children. That's what he wants to do.

That's what this judgment's all about. It's all about rewarding us, but in the process he has to deal with what we lost. And the tears are going to be when we get a glimpse of what we could have done, the opportunities we had, what we could have been, how we could have helped, what a tremendous difference this would have made if you'd invested your life here.

And that's why to me, and I happened to be speaking to about two thousand senior citizens yesterday, and every time I get in a group like that, I just get this awesome burden. I think, here sits all of these people with all this experience and faith and often times resources, and most of them are wasting these last years of their life when they could be the best years of their life. And the truth is any year can be the best year.

And it makes no difference what our age is. And we should teach our children very early in life, listen, you're going to have to give an account for God. There are some things you just do not want in your life. You want to give your life in service to God. He's going to, listen, he's going to determine what our rewards are. And then the fifth thing, the fifth reason he's going to determine the place of service you and I have.

So what is the one thing, listen, that's most like Jesus? Somebody say, well, loving. Well, I'm talking about action besides love. The one thing that pleases him, I think, the most is that you and I give ourselves away to him in service to others. I'll tell you why. Look in the twenty-second chapter of the book of Revelation. Listen to what he says. Beginning in verse three.

"There will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his bondservants will serve him. They will see his face, his name will be in their foreheads, and there will no longer be any night. They will not have need of any light of a lamp nor the light of the sun because the Lord God will illumine them and they will reign forever and ever." What are we going to be doing?

We're going to be serving him. There are some people, you know, have the idea, well, when I get to heaven, we're just going to praise God forever. I hear that. We're going to praise God forever. Well, you may be praising God forever, but I doubt if you're going to be standing around with your arms up. You're going to be serving him. He said we are his servants. Now think about this.

If you and I are going to forever serve the living God, don't you agree that it's time we got started? Because you know what life is like? Life is a school, it's a journey, it's an awesome opportunity. This is where we learn who he is. This is where we learn what he's like, what he wants us to do, how we can give ourselves away. And we learn here how valuable our life can be whether it's to our family, our friends, our nation, or whatever it might be.

He says we're going to serve him. And then if you'll notice again what he says, because one of his purposes for the judgment is to determine this. He says this last verse that we read a few moments ago. He says, and there will no longer be any night, no need of light of a lamp nor the light of the sun because the Lord God will illumine them and they will reign forever and ever.

That is you and I are going to reign with him. We're going to have responsibility when we get to heaven. Look at the parables that Jesus talked about: five talents, two talents, one talent. This one had five, now ten; two, now four; one, zero. And what was he saying? He was saying we're going to be held accountable. And he also speaks in this Revelation here also of reigning with him, that is we're going to have a responsibility.

Somebody says, well, but you know, just so I get in. I'm here to tell you, that is a devil's lie. It is not a matter of just getting in. Listen, Jesus saved you and me for the purpose of bringing us into a personal intimate relationship with him. He loves us and he's gifted us and he's enabled us and he's given us opportunity. How can I say just so I get in, when you and I owe him everything?

The judgment seat of Christ should be a time that you and I look forward to. And remember this, that nobody's perfect, so nobody's going to, there's not going to be any choice kind of significance. We're all on the same level. We were all born in the sin. We became a Christian at some point in our life. At that point on, either we did or did not do what God called us to do.

Somebody says, well, but you know what, I'm about sixty-five or seventy-five years of age and I don't have much time left. Is it going to be bad for me? No. Well, how much reward am I going to get? Not much. But I'll tell you this, the more you do in those last ten years and the more faithful and loyal and obedient you are, you'll be surprised how good God's going to be to you.

There is a judgment, inescapable, unavoidable, predestined. The issue is how will you stand before him in that day? We are all going to be there. If you've never trusted Jesus as your savior, I want to challenge you that wherever you are, you make the one decision that will determine whether you spend eternity in heaven serving him and reigning with him or spend eternity separated from him in a place that Jesus called hell, a place of punishment, a place of torment.

You say, but I don't believe that. I want to say, well, let me ask a question. Do you think a tsunami wave coming to you at forty miles an hour would stop and become nothing because you don't believe in tsunami waves? You've got a choice. It's Jesus or condemnation. Maybe you don't like that. I'm not responsible for what you like. I'm only responsible for being sure that when I close this book on Sunday, I've told you the gospel truth.

And you can be saved and forgiven and have a fantastic life. Or you can live in rebellion and unbelief and sin and disobedience and die without Christ and be separated forever. And you'll have to remember, it's a choice that you made.

And Father, I pray that every person who hears this will soberly stop and think and remember, your word is eternal, unchangeable, unalterable, and fixed for all eternity. That wise men and women and young people will take heed to what you said, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And those who reject you will be lost forever. I pray the Holy Spirit will sink these truths deeply into our heart so that even on this day we will begin to think about things in our life that are worthwhile and things that are worthless, and make a wise choice. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Guest (Male): You're listening to In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Jesus Christ will one day be your judge. But he wants to judge you as his friend. And you can know him as both savior and close companion by trusting that his sacrifice on the cross paid your debt of sin. Learn more about becoming a Christian at intouch.org, or go through this message again at the link to today on radio.

And if you go to the bookstore page on our website, you can order a copy of today's complete message. We've called it The Judge and The Judgment. Or order the entire Countdown to Judgment teaching set from Dr. Stanley. You'll find these resources and more at intouch.org. Or you can call or text us at 1-800-INTOUCH. And to write, address your letter to In Touch, Post Office Box 7900, Atlanta, Georgia 30357.

God is graceful, patient, and responsive to those who seek to know him and serve him. Today's moment with Charles Stanley is coming up. We're not the first to seek a life of purpose. The Bible tells of many who followed a specific path step by step, with courage, with surrender, for a deeper purpose, a stronger passion, a lasting peace.

Introducing your path to purpose, passion, and peace, a new ninety-day devotional inspired by the timeless teaching of Dr. Charles Stanley. Available now at intouch.org/store. In Touch Plus is streaming on Local Now, featuring all the best of Dr. Charles Stanley. We're to have strong convictions based on the word of God.

He's working out things that you and I would never know about in our future. In Touch Plus, your streaming network for quality Christian programming twenty-four seven. Now watch this. In Touch Plus, streaming free on Local Now.

How are you responding to the grace of God and the opportunities he's placed before you? With encouragement for believers, here's a moment with Charles Stanley.

Dr. Charles Stanley: God wants the best for you, he will show you the best, and remember this. When he looks upon you, he knows how much truth you know. Ask yourself the question, "Don't I really know that I need to surrender my life to God and just let him have it his way?" And how much opportunity you have, he knows all about that, he's providing the opportunity. Are you taking advantage of the opportunity you have?

And thirdly, what's your response? How are you responding to God's opportunity? God will show you his way. If you will seek his will, he also knows if you're willing to do his will or not. It's not that God is up there looking down to condemn you, that's not it at all. He's willing to show you his will. The issue is, are you willing to do what he tells you to do?

Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we think this is right when that's not exactly what God's will is. He knows that you're learning and that you may be struggling at this point. Don't look upon God as one who's just waiting to pounce upon you, but a loving father who knows how much truth you know. He knows what the opportunity is and he knows what your struggle is about fulfilling his will for your life.

Guest (Male): A believer in Jesus Christ is accepted by God and his intention is that you cooperate with him so that his life is evident in you. Learn more about God's attitude toward Christians at intouch.org. The Bible says to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Has this program helped you with that? Well, we'd like to know.

Tomorrow on In Touch, Dr. Stanley's series Countdown to Judgment continues as we review for the final exam. That's Friday on In Touch, the teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. This program is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia, and remains on this station through the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts.