The Word is life. The Word is joy. The Word is hope and help. How should those who have received any portion of all that keep it to themselves?
We moan and groan at the display of wickedness among men. Have we discharge our duty to share what we know?
The world hates God because it is blind. A simple fearless word to them can begin the opening of the eyes. But if we keep our mouths shut, can we truly say we see? If we live in fear have we appropriated grace?
For some odd reason people do not consider their place in heaven. I don’t know what people believe concerning this. For I cannot recall anyone ever speaking of it.
The Lord speaks of the rewards of heaven as being somewhat equal. But there are places to be given. There are honors to be handed out.
Some will be given great things. Others will receive the barest of necessities. There is a greatest and a least.
When the unsaved are judged we are told there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. They will perceive what is to be gained yet see nothing for themselves. And the Lord speaks of surprises even among his people.
When many see what is received by those who have been diligent in the gospel, they will be their breast with regret. Though they are given eternal life and the joy that accompanies such a gift, their loss will be appreciable. And they will know the fault is theirs.
Let this message Sink in. Many will poo fa this as opinion. Still many others will give this no consideration at all. The sad thing is none of them will debate with me.
As a man sows, so shall he reap. Those who join in the Battle of the cross are bound to receive a proper reward for their service. Judge for yourself, what reward might there be for simply sitting on the sidelines and watching the blood flow?
Do you remember? Do you remember what hopelessness feels like? We struggle along the “Way”. But how can the struggle be compared to endless sins? Do you remember?
Do you remember when there was no prayer? We look back now and have forgotten the agony of life. Like the rest of the world, we called on things of our imagination. We learned from others what they thought worked. We did not know God’s Christ. All we knew was his Holy Law.
Let a vicious dog stand in my way, and I will find another way around. Even if the way around takes far too long and robs me of my expectation, it is better to arrive with all my limbs. Do you remember?
So it is with the world. Do you remember? They have nowhere to go but expectation of judgement. Their soul knows it and they avert their eyes. Do you remember?
The cold of hopeless sleep. The necessity for sin as a distraction from what is sure to come. The chasing after things that do not last, for what lasts does not belong to them. Do you remember?
They cannot pray and no one prays with them. So they worship angels and idols. Prayer to them is the hope of gain. What little and temporary they can gain with their hands is the sum of their prayer. Do you remember?
Or have we begun to feel sorry for ourselves? The way of God can be impossibly arduous if we’ve try to walk it in the flesh. If such is the case, we have forgotten. Remember.
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?
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.
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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