When we stand before the Lord Jesus most men will feel regret. There was something they could have done but did not. Or there are things they should not have done but did.
I think about my own life and I can pinpoint a few of both. I suspect every Christian can also find a few. Not a one of us who reads this is yet perfected.
Now here’s the obvious question, but I’ll ask just the same. If we know there will be regret, why aren’t we doing something about it now?
Isn’t that a curious quandary?
A man came up with a magnificent idea to make himself a fortune. The potential of his idea was $500 million in 3 years. What he planned to do was a sure thing. There was no such item on the market. All he needed was 1 million dollars to get started.
His credit was good. And he had plenty of collateral. So he gathered his papers and headed to the bank.
The banker ushered him into his office. It was a plush office but was in need of some janitorial services.
The man presented his request to the banker and showed him the papers. To his pleasure, the banker smiled and seemed very interested. After about 20 minutes of study the banker looked up and gave him a broad smile.
“I need to go and take care of something but I’ll be right back.” Said the banker. “In the meantime, could you do me a favor and dust my office.I feel bad asking such a man as yourself to do such meanial work. But as you can tell there is no one here to do these things for me. I would greatly appreciate your help. And what I must go do will take about 15 minutes.” With that, the banker simply left his office.
The man had smiled and said yes, just before the banker left. He thought to himself that such and gracious work would surely secure the loan. So he grabbed the duster and went about a quick business.
The banker came back in and took a very short look around before he sat down. “How is your wife and children?” The banker asked. “I would like to come in see them if I can.”
The man was taken back by the request. But he replied it would be good to have dinner together. So without making a judgement on the loan the banker shook his hand and they set a time.
At the appropriate time the banker showed up for the dinner. He took note of how the yard was kept. He noticed the disrepair of the house. And when invited in he took very careful note of the state of the interior.
After a pleasant dinner and a chat with some rather rebellious children, the banker thanked the family for the meal, set a date and time to meet again regarding the loan, and when his way.
The man was perfectly pleased thinking he had done the very best possible that he could. He told his wife and children they would soon be rich. And they all went joyously to sleep.
At the time of meeting, the banker handed the man a folder. The first page shook the man’s nerves to the bone. The loan was stamped “DENIED”.
Visibly shaken, the man asked the banker why. “I have done everything you’ve asked! I cleaned your office for you! I even invited you to my home and gave you a wonderful meal! But you have denied me and I need to know why.”
The banker held up his hand and calmed the man down.
“Let me reason with you for a moment. Look around you. Do you see the streaks of dust you missed? When I came to your house your yard was quite unkept. Your house is in dire need of repair.
The meal itself was good and I thank you for it. Your wife is a generous and good cook. But your children are unruly. And you make no attempt to control them.
I am about to loan you a million dollars plus interest. Don’t you think I have a right to know the caliber of a man before I give him such a large amount?”
The man had nothing to say. After exchanging pleasantries and a handshake he simply left with half a tear in his eye. On the way home he had plenty of time to ponder how he would break this news to his family.
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If a man is not in control of his own wealth, who will give him more? If he is not diligent with the wealth of others, who will grant him a wealth of his own?
The body is our gift from God. This is a wealth granted to us to display our intent for eternity. If we do not use it for holy purposes, how can we expect God to grant us wonderous things?
As a man dies so is he sealed. The greedy and the unholy cannot expect a warm welcome.
Let us encourage one another to do far more and better. We do not approach a banker for a mere million dollars. We ask for royalty for eternity. And God does not come over for dinner. He clearly sees the disrepair of our life without invitation.
It’s been spring for a while. As has become my habit, I wax my truck three or four layers deep. It produces a beautiful shine. It is noticeable from a long distance off.
As I drive down the road, I am prone to notice the cars that are not waxed. I even pass the time by guessing which one is clean and which one is waxed. I confess there is not a lot of difference between a clean car and one that is waxed with a single coat. But let someone apply two or three coats of wax and there is a startling difference.
Now the question here is: do I notice these things because I wax my truck, or do I notice these things because they are apparent? I suspect it is a measure of both. In the one, I am looking. In the other, it is obvious.
Who can help but notice the sun shining off an object in front of them? A fully unexpected place to find the Sun . But when someone notices they remember the look of their own. And they take mental note that this is something they would like to do also.
Isn’t the same thing true with righteousness in Christ? Someone gets their act together by worshipping the living God in Christ Jesus. As they live their life, the righteousness of Christ shines through them. A fully unexpected place to find the living God.
They live their days looking at others to see if they have appropriated the righteousness of God. It becomes almost a hobby.
They see some forms of righteousness that are produced by diligence in the world. And they are given reason to ponder if this is righteousness of God or just righteousness of the world. But let a man spend immense time with the Lord Jesus and there is a distinct glowing difference.
And just like the waxed car, others take a mental note and say, “I would like to do that to my own.” As they see enough of the righteousness of God, the mental note becomes important enough to accomplish.
They may even approach others to ask how. That’s how I learned how to wax my truck like I do. That’s how I learned about the righteousness of Christ. That is why it is important to let the glory of God’s righteousness shine in our lives.
Beyond this place is joy for those who learn to trust the Lord. And since we know that God cannot lie, we learn to believe that there is a certain joy in receiving his forgiveness now. Those who believe this have proven that God is true. Yes there is proof! And any man can know it.
It is God’s glory to give, for he is life. Therefore it is our glory to receive. And we do not receive without a substantial reward. For in the soul of he who receives is proof that God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. It is not the reward that comes from the things of this world.
To the soul who is yet blind, such words carry no weight. But to those who have received, a joyful amen comes quickly.
This world will offer you a billion alternatives to the pain you now suffer. They offer you pleasure of every possible sort to alleviate your troubled soul.
I am over 60 years old now and have searched this world for the things that help. from the sensual to the religious, and all things in between, I have looked. I have found nothing that compares to the palpable forgiveness of God in Christ Jesus.
They offer what will deaden a man’s senses. They offer distractions. But such things are not effective in alleviating our guilt before the Holy One; a guilt that troubles us every day and every night of our life.
The guilt of the soul causes hatred of every sort. It stifles love. Its restrains joy to temporary distractions. You know sooner grasp a joyful moment, and it is taken away. You want to love, but the guilt of your soul proves you are unlovely. So you end up striking out in various ways, or trying in vain to cover your shame.
Yoga teaches tranquility of mind. But nothing in the body can bring tranquility to the soul. Religions of this world teach sacrifice. But God has chosen his own sacrifice, therefore he does not accept the sacrifice of men for their salvation. No sacrifice a man can make brings tranquility to the soul. For God has chosen his door of giving.
The riches of this world can be gathered, yes. And for a time they alleviate the stress upon our minds. Yet the soul is restless and full of guilt and shame. And the one who puts his trust in the things he can gather or do, is not at peace deep within himself. He only finds himself looking for another way.
But the tranquility that comes from the forgiveness of Christ is complete. One moment a man’s guilt is upon him. He can feel it as if it is a thick blanket. The next moment he is free and full of joy. An unexplainable transformation has taken place. Unspeakable piece has arrived.
Where foreboding was, now joyful expectation comes. Tears flow. But they are not the tears of a man. They are the tears of a son of God.
I know we have sinned. I know we feel guilty to the very center of our soul; a guilt that our hands cannot reach. I know that in our great weakness we look for anything to alleviate this pain. That is the first part of the gospel of Christ. But if that is all there is, then there is no hope.
But the one who puts his faith in the Holy son of God, and continues throughout his life to look to him for help, will find himself full of an unearthly joy. It is not the joy of child feels at Christmas time. It is an unshakable peace. The man’s Maker has come and healed him.
Men laugh at this message. But even those who laugh, desire it to be true. It is true my friend. The joy you desire lay just beyond the door of pride.
At the threshold of humility a man finds what he needs. If a man will put away the knowledge of his own mind, and understand these things by faith, he will find he has hope. This hope will not disappoint him, if he continues to live in it. And in time, all the remedies of this world pale to oblivion.
I do not speak of this as one who has only heard. I speak of this as one who continually proves that the Lord’s gospel is powerful, effective, true and eternal. And I speak of this as one who’s conscience is clean. It is not that I am sinless. It is that the forgiveness of Christ is stronger than my guilt. And I testify that his forgiveness affects my soul.
If you will listen to these words and seek His face with all you have, You too will be able to prove the glory of God in Christ Jesus.
When men reach the end of their days; when their time in this place to testing is done, they will find that everything the Lord’s people have said to them is true. They will leave this place only to enter the most hideous of circumstances.
I do not say this to laugh at them. I say this as another means to wake a few.
I know that most men will receive what is hideous, because the Lord Himself has testified so. He himself has said that the way to destruction is broad and many go in there by. And he has said the way to eternal life is narrow and few there are who find it.
Will you listen? Will you let your ears hear these words? For the sake of your own life will you give a moment of consideration? Or you will you continue in the broad way to respond as most will?
All things in this world are either a warning of curse or a test for those who will live. Which camp do you desire to enter eternity belonging to?
Certainly you want to live. Even the most wicked among us desires life. Have you asked yourself, “Why then don’t I take it?” Or have you walked through time oblivious to all these things?
The Lord’s people stand still and testify day and night. Who will hear and cease scoffing? Who will eat at the Lord’s people’s table? Who will remain? Who will feast with us and find strength to live?
If there are few who understand and enter in, who are they? If the majority of men do not consider these things and die in hideous shame, who are they?
You are urged to ask. You are urged to separate yourself from those who die. We are dead in our sins, even as we live with the majority. It is by the prevail of holy struggle that we live eternally.
I did not write this to those who will die. I wrote this to those who will hear, understand, grasp and do. Is that you?
Will you humble yourself and receive? Or will you retain your pride and die in hideous shame? The door of salvation stands wide open to those who will enter in. But it remains concealed and eternally locked to those who refuse.
The world does as it desires. Try to restrain it into holiness and it will kill you. In fact it may kill you just for sport.
But put aside the threat of death. They only usher you into the Lord’s presence forever.
Regardless their thirst for pleasure and blood, the Soverign God desires their willing love.
As proof of God’s desire he has dispatched his son among us and glorified him for his obedient love. And now he has left the Lord’s people among those who hate him.
God is the standard of all things good. The Lord Jesus goes on record to show us personally what that means. And now we are left among them to display the standard we are taught to love.
We are urged, all day long, to love the Lord and obey his commands. But not solely for the purpose of salvation.
We are to love him and obey him for the sake of those who hate him, just as we witness the Lord Jesus do for us.
God the Father is the standard. The Lord Jesus is the display of that perfect standard. We to then are to display the obedient standard among those who do not know.
Every time you cut corners in your obedience, you teach others to do the same. Even disobedience in secret will not remain so. Every time you obey without question, you teach others to do the same. For no good action can remain hidden.
Let us willingly become part of the standard of God. Let us live such lives that when they look at us they can see the expectation. By all means let us teach the righteousness of God according to what we have attained.
And let no man think that if he shrinks back the expectations up on him will be less. There are souls to save. There is righteousness to teach. And class is in session as long as you breathe the air of this world.
We: Live, Die, Face Judgment. Jesus or die twice.
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