by David Brenneman
Many get angry when cornered concerning where they stand before Jesus Christ. Jesus said that the Cross would be: "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 NASB.
I was reading the in the book of Esther in recent days. The mood in the middle east is much the same as was found while Haman was doing his evil campaign against the Jewish people. All throughout history It can be seen that God has a special place in His heart for His chosen people.
Now, not to spoil it, but in that book Haman found himself fighting against God. Haman was hanged on the very gallows that he intended to use for Mordechai, a God fearing Jew. Later, his 10 sons were also hanged.
People in Hell are not lounging around nor are they relaxing. Sin is being atoned for by everyone who is waking up there. By atoned for it means they are paying for it. In Romans 3:23 that everyone has sinned. All are guilty as charged. All are to get the same sentence of Hell. We were born in sin. We got it from Adam and Eve.
Romans 6:23 says that the wages...what we get for it...concerning sin is death. Permanent eternal separation from God. Paying for each and every single sin. Nobody there has any defense in the Court of God in regards to sin.
But wait, there's more. God saw this and didn't want to condemn all of humanity to that judgment. Jesus came to Earth as one of us, lived among us, was perfect in every way, every aspect of His life, and became the necessary perfect sacrifice necessary to erase that debt of sin. He stands ready to come in and take the place of any in the Court of God who call upon Him to be saved. Salvation is through no other. There's no other sacrifice great enough to satisfy the judgment of God concerning sin. He is the only Defense in the Court of God.
As we read in Revelation, at the final judgment of God, everyone's life will be seen for what it is. All humanity that died without salvation in Christ Jesus will find that on God's perfect scales of good and bad, that without salvation ther lives were meaningless. Without salvation in Christ Jesus there's no way a person's name is written in the Book of Life. Trillions and trillions of people will see their great deeds on that day piling up versus their sins. They will then hear "guilty" because after their life's been seen for what it is...no name written means no entry into Heaven.
In the here and now, even through the troubling times of the Great Tribulation and the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on this Earth, people will be given the opportunity to realize their need to be saved. There's coming a day, very soon, where the chapter of Human history will close at the return of Jesus Christ for those who have indeed come to Him to be saved prior to the events of the book of Revelation. History must be completed as written by God's Word. Mankind must go through the last of the prophecies of the Bible. Jesus said it must be completed and it will be, down to the last jot and tittle. To the very last exclamation and period in modern day terms.
The only viable Defense is not to defend yourself. The statement is never more true than in the Court of God that any who defend themselves there has a fool for a client.
Jesus paid for the sins of mankind. Every single sin by every single person in human history. He died on a cross, arose 3 days later defeating death. Making the way possible to escape that death sentence for all who believe in Him for salvation. He made the gift free. The process to obtain His free gift of salvation is so easy a child could understand it and receive it. It remains free today to all who would believe.
A single sin is a guilty verdict. Being born in sin guarantees a guilty verdict. When we come to Christ for salvation in our turn in the Court of God, He steps up to take our place, to be our Defense. When God the Father sees those who have Christ Jesus for salvation, He sees not the person but Jesus. Perfect and sinless.
Further in Romans we read this: Romans 10:8-13 NASB "But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”".
Unbelief will be met with the judgment of God as well. The Bible says that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Only in this physical existence do people try to live lives in denial of that truth. Every single person who has died finds that truth to be utterly true. In Hell and obviously in Heaven there's no created being that doesn't understand that to be true.
My Dear Reader please don't take what's being said lightly. You seriously do not want to spend eternity paying for something that you do not have to.
Life isn't about trying to get ahead or trying to create a utopia here on Earth. It isn't sports or entertainment. It isn't theme parks or sight seeing. All of that is a distraction to move your mind away from the need to settle that matter of sin.
Life isn't guaranteed either. I have seen many people in my life who thought they had more time. They thought they had a today. Who quite probably woke up in Hell. I do not want that for you! Granted some of those indeed woke up in Heaven. That's what I want for you! To know the love of God and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent to take your place. The only one who could satisfy the judgment of God concerning sin and death.
There's no need to step into eternity to find pain and torment in Hell. You still have a choice in the here and now. You have a choice to accept Jesus Christ as your Defense. Not one single person has ever regretted the free gift of salvation. Every single person who said no and has died has regretted it, and they have no hope of a second chance. None.
Hell, as we read in the book of Revelation, isn't even the end. It's a temporary place of judgment until that final judgment. When even Hell will be cast into the lake of fire. All who have died will receive a perfect body. Both the saved and unsaved. The unsaved will receive one and be found guilty, and cast into the lake of fire for all eternity. A new kind of painful torment worse than Hell.
This doesn't have to be you! My Friend the opportunity is before you in the here and now. The gift is free. You must choose, nobody can choose for you.
Will life improve? Possibly. You see God's Word includes what we all have actually seen in this life. That those who come to Christ inherit the enemy of God. Not to scare anyone, but by far he's no match for Jesus. Satan is his name and he's got quite a few minions that help him. They oppose anything to do with salvation in Christ Jesus. They really care not who goes to Hell, but do not want any to go to Heaven. Jesus promised to all who come to Him for salvation that they would never be alone. That His defense of them begins on day 1. He always keeps His promises and always keeps His eyes on those who came to Him to be saved. Always.
Without Christ Jesus alone for salvation you have no Defense. With Him, Satan has no Defense against Him.
Your very future is in your own hands.
You must choose. You cannot afford to pass this up. What good would it do you to gain this world and yet lose your soul?
There's no Defense possible in the Court of God if Jesus isn't the one doing the Defending.
Read that most famous verse this way:
For God so loved you that He gave His only Son and if you believe in Him you will not perish but have everlasting life.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him." John 3:16-17 NASB.
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