Oct 6, 2009

Flashcard

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Heb 9:27)


There is a subject of truth that we like to avoid. It is uncomfortable and disconcerting. To some, it is politically incorrect , if not downright offensive. The painful fact remains; that all mankind, imagined ‘saved’ or otherwise, will still be subject to judgment. We may escape damnation by His mercy, but we will still be called, to give account for the lives, the every days we have been blessed with.

It would be wise to reflect frequently on this, from the days of our youth, to avoid the day when we would regret, with advancing years and receding hairlines, the days left to remedy a lamentable, blotched and mottled service record before the Son, who we would meet the next time as Judge of His Kingdom. This Judge is not biased, and can not be bribed in any fashion. To think that we could submit or contort our reports, to Him who redeemed us, to be our Lord, by His own blood, for the works He had ordained us to do? Perhaps we are all due for healthy dose of Peter’s experience, when he looked into His Master’s eyes after his vocal betrayal. It is doubtful that we are all keen and ready to meet our Maker.

It is convenient to regard our salvation as an ‘open and shut’ matter. Many procure it as an insurance policy, safeguarding a passport and passage to heaven; the only premium being playing church every now and then. It is a tedious task to mark out who is ‘saved’. Jesus Christ died to save the whole world; is the whole world saved? The LORD is merciful and kind, not wishing that any should perish; do none perish? Confess Him Lord with your mouth and call on His Name, and one will be saved; ‘Not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven.’ There is no dispute to the existence of tares and goats in the midst of His church. There is no dispute to the wide and narrow ways. There will be many who will claim on that day ‘Lord, did we not’. There will be many who have gotten lost, stayed lost and never wished to return; shipwrecked, turned and stopped from following the Lord. There will be heap loads of regret, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

We have been redeemed for good works. Faith without works is dead. To follow Him is evidenced by daily keeping in step with Him, hearing where His voice leads and continue following. Prepared to meet the Lord requires on-going preparation and readiness. Preparation postponed is still a state of unpreparedness. In His service means exactly that; not an on-off convenient compliment given with sporadic reluctance. Taking up one’s cross is a life-long commitment; it is foolish not to count the cost, even more foolish, should we decide to lay it down some place further down the road.

Hell is a sure place. It’s descript should propel our sense of self-preservation to seek escape. The fear of pain and suffering is an innate God-given survival instinct, even when we have not yet learnt to love Him. It is not conceivable that a man would simply resign himself to contemplate an eternity of pain and suffering, but many do bury their heads in the sand on this tumultuous issue. We must make our salvation sure, worked out in fear and trembling.

It is already fearsome to stand before our Maker, worse still unprepared. Except for the merciful relief of sins confessed, repented, restitution made where possible, sin forgiven, and covered by His blood and far removed to the deepest, we will know the true meaning and full extent of nakedness before the LORD, in the assembly, in the congregation and before the whole world..Some would welcome the bearing of stripes over the baring of unmitigated truth. All creation shall know of our triviality or travesty of sin in word, action, thought, heart, soul, mind and strength. We have not yet even delved on our faithfulness to Him ,whom we call Lord. We really do not mean what we say, often. We run the gauntlet bearing known baggage of sin, careless to the fact that we make ourselves, the subject of His divine justice, either now or in the hereafter, and seemingly unafraid of losing His graces. We do not keep good account of the gifts and the life that He has given us. It is easy to misappropriate or misuse them at times. We forget that our lives and the gifts were given for the edification and building of His Church. The blessing of oneself is praiseworthy but ancillary.

May we be careful about our salvation and with our lives. May we not fall into the hands of a fearsome God, a consuming fire; except that the consumption is for an eternity. May we be mindful that there is really no place to hide, except under His shadow.May we never be the recipients of these words forewarned by Judge to come;

But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!'(Luk 13:27)



"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mat 25:41)


God bless.





/ckh

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