We serve a righteous and just God who can be no other way. There are many verses that tell us just how wonderful and totally consistent He is, even though there are people who would argue against this. How many times have we heard, “God, why did You do this to me?” Many times people forget we receive “reaction” to “actions” we have taken. Any judgments we receive will be a product of our own making. We just don’t want to admit it.
Deuteronomy 32:4, “The Rock; His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity; just and upright is He.” (any emphasis is mine)
Psalm 119:142, “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.”
Isaiah 45:21, “Declare and set forth your case, indeed; let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, The Lord? A righteous God and a Savior. There is none except Me.”
Psalm 9:8, “And He will judge the world in righteousness. He will execute judgment for the people with equity.”
Acts 17:31, “…because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world, in righteousness, by a Man (Jesus) whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Ezekiel 33:11, “Say to them, as I live, declares the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his/her way and live; turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die O House of Israel?” (was given for Israel, but applies to everyone)
Satan has always been instrumental in trying to put negativity between us and the Father. It is not told as to exactly when Lucifer fell, but it was before the Garden of Eden incident in Genesis 3. Isaiah 14:12-14 tells us it was his destructive pride that brought him down. He is a created being, the same as all the angels and all of us. He was said to be the most beautiful angel that God created, yet he desired to take the place of God. Apparently God allowed a certain amount of freedom of choice, as Revelation tells that about 1/3 of the heavenly host fell with Satan. For any heavenly host to sin and fall, there is no pathway for forgiveness.
As Acts 17:31 says, there is a day fixed where God will judge the world. We do not know the days or hours of everything that will take place in the end time, but we do know they will happen. God cannot lie, as given in Titus 1:2; Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29 and Hebrews 6:18. Even though Satan disputes this, and even causes others to reject the Holy Word, the fact remains that God is in total control.
There will be two final judgments just before the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. The first is Revelation 19:20, where the beast (antichrist) and false prophet are the first two to be thrown alive into the Lake of Fire. Satan will be bound for the Millennial Reign of Jesus, and then let loose for a “short time to deceive the nations.” He will cause a rebellion against Jesus, but he will be the next to be thrown into the Lake (Revelation 20:10). The White Throne is next; and all who disobeyed God and didn’t repent from the beginning to the cross, and all who rejected Jesus from the cross to the end of the Millennium will be judged there. This will be a massive line (Matthew 7:13-14).
Jesus said in Matthew 25:41 that the Lake of Fire was made specifically for Satan and his demons. All who turned against God and all who reject Jesus will be cast in there forever. There is no “parole” or “pardon” from this sentence. There will be people who went to church all their lives that will be there. The key is, all who have not received Jesus as their Savior will be lost.
False prophets today are giving empty messages that are meant to fill pews and collection plates, but not provide truth for the members’ souls. Faith, belief, and acceptance of Jesus is what counts, not a “warm fuzzy feeling.” There are not many ways to heaven; all gods are not the same; and Jesus is absolutely necessary for Salvation (John 14:6).
People who are truly saved will never appear at the Great White Throne judgment. We will appear before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10) to receive or lose rewards, based on how we served Him while still on this earth. At this judgment, our final outcome will be eternity with Jesus. We cannot earn or buy our way into heaven, as this is impossible. Once we have accepted Jesus, we receive His “free gift” that He paid dearly for at Calvary with His blood. The rewards are how we used our talents here in serving Him, and will be different for everyone. For those who were given much, much will be expected.
Some say this still is not fair, that we should be able to have a scale to go by to determine how much “reward” we will get. Let’s take a look at one scenario.
You have committed a crime and are arrested. After a period of time, you are given a trial, and the prosecution brings its case against you. Witness after witness is called; and the main prosecutor, Lucifer, builds an iron-clad case against you through their testimony. You feel totally helpless. There is no way you can rescue yourself.
As you rise before the judge for sentencing, you are given an opportunity to speak, but you realize your words will be useless in this court. The judge declares you “guilty,” and you are about to receive a life sentence in prison without any possibility of parole.
Suddenly, just before the gavel drops, a voice calls out, “Your Honor; I agree he is guilty, but I am here to serve as his advocate, and I take his sentence.” The judge is about to dispute the offer, but then realizes it’s His own son taking your place. The son continues, “Your Honor; yes, he is guilty, but he is one of my servants, and I am responsible to pay for his crime.” The judge then says, “So Ordered!” and you are set free.
While this may seem far-fetched, it’s exactly what Jesus has done for us. When He offered Himself on that cross, He took on every sin that would ever be committed on this earth. His blood reached back to the faithful from the very beginning, and forward to all believers to the end. When God set up animal sacrifice, it was only a temporary measure for the people to show they were willing to obey His instructions. The “Passover lamb” was symbolic of Jesus’ voluntary sacrifice at Calvary.
Jesus was the only “person” who was able to live a sinless life on this earth, and thus became the unblemished sacrificial Lamb. No one forced Him to make this sacrifice (John 10:18). Those who followed God’s instructions in Moses’ day were passed over by the Angel of Death in Egypt. When we follow God’s call for us to accept Jesus as our Savior, we are passed over for the Lake of Fire and taken into eternal life.
No, we are not worthy. No, we do not deserve His Grace and Mercy. However, our God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins because of what His Son did. We deserve the punishment; we deserve the pain and suffering our Savior went through for us; but we receive the “reward” for having the Savior in our hearts.
On the other hand, to reject Jesus and His offer, we are telling God we will answer for our own sins. No matter how great or small our sins are, they cannot be reconciled by us. There is no sacrifice we can make that can take the place of one drop of blood Our Savior shed for us. There is no one else who can speak for us to get leniency. The cost is eternal death in the Lake of Fire, and will be forever. It’s called death, but the people there will be aware every miserable moment that they are there by their own choice.
No matter what you have done, if you call out for Jesus to be your Savior, He will forgive you and save you. This does not take away possible consequences of our actions, but guarantees the sin itself is forgiven (1 John 1:8-10). To take your last breath here without Jesus is a reservation in the line at the Great White Throne. After the Rapture, people will still be able to be saved, but most likely at the cost of martyrdom.
Don’t play the odds; call on Him today. Then when the judge (God) looks at you, He will see that you belong to His Son.
Maranatha