Have you ever noticed the squeaky-clean sound you hear after washing your hair and running your hands through it? This got me to thinking about a comparison between the body and the soul of a Christian. Can we say that our spiritual self is as squeaky clean as our physical being?

We take great pains in keeping our bodies clean, which I’m sure is greatly appreciated by those around us. Some even apply that same care to their favorite car, truck, boat or whatever. Let’s stick with the body and soul for now, though.

Referring only to true Christians, they probably all keep their bodies clean if they are able to do so. How many of us, however, are as concerned about the cleanliness of our souls, especially as we see the Day approaching (Hebrews 10:25)? When Jesus returns for His bride (His Church), how many will be caught “with egg on their face”… so to speak? We should give that serious consideration.

In my opinion, Christians handle their spiritual cleanliness in one of three ways.

1. Constantly worry about sin in their life.
2. Confess sins as often as necessary
3. Feel they rarely sin, if ever.

Before looking at these three attitudes toward sin, let us be clear on something else first. When it comes to our salvation, we are sinless in the eyes of God. We are squeaky clean, in other words. How can that be?

I hope we can all agree with Simon Peter in Luke 5:8 when he “fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

How about with Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5 when he said, “… Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips…”

Every true Christian came to the point in their lives that, along with the publican in Luke 18:13 when he, “standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.” Along with Noah, we “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8).

So here’s the point, as far as our salvation (relationship with God) is concerned, upon our being born again, we are righteous in the eyes of God. We are squeaky clean. What makes that possible? Upon our being born again, Jesus covers us with His righteousness.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

(Also see Job 29:14; Psalms 132:9; Isaiah 11:5; 59:17; 64:6; Zechariah 3:4; Revelation 3:4 and 19:8.)

If we are truly Christian, we will never be judged for our sins.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalms 103:12).

Therefore, since Jesus has covered us with His righteousness, we are always squeaky clean positionally. At the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins and clothed us with His righteousness when we called upon Him to save us.

However, even as Christians, we still have that old sin nature within us that wants to fight with the new nature that God has placed within us by His Spirit. The apostle Paul spoke of this in Revelation chapter 7. So how do we deal with this dilemma?

Some Christians constantly worry about sin in their life.

Everyone sins, Christians and non-Christians alike, without exception. When a Christian sins, the penalty for those sins has been paid by the blood of Christ, but even so, they wreak havoc on our fellowship with God. Our salvation is secure, but the fellowship we have with our Lord is interrupted because He cannot fellowship with sin.

That being said, Satan wants the Christian to spend as much time as possible worrying about his/her sins. He doesn’t want us to confess them (1 John 1:9), forget them and move on. No, no, he wants us to keep looking at the sins because it keeps our eyes off God.

Let me be clear that I am not making light of any sin. They are all offensive in God’s eyes, and our Lord paid dearly for our freedom from sin. And that is the point … when we worry about sins we have confessed to Him, and then keep worrying about them, we keep sinning in two ways:

1. He said He would forgive us if we confess our sins. If we continue to worry about them, we are calling God a liar, refusing to believe He actually did forgive us.
2. Also, we make light of the price paid by God to save us and to keep us in fellowship with Him.

Some Christians confess their sins as often as necessary.

This is exactly what we should be doing every day. The word “confess” in 1 John 1:9 means literally to name the sins. God tells us to name our sins to Him and He will forgive them (“He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins”), and also He will forgive those sins in our life we forgot or were not aware of (“and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”).

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Some Christians feel they rarely sin, if ever.

It’s hard to believe that a Christian would make such a comment, but some do. They have a real problem at this point because God doesn’t see it that way. God says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Those are strong words. I would advise anyone disagreeing with what God says in the above verse (and many other Scripture verses) to immediately go to God and ask forgiveness.

Is it even possible for a true Christian to say they don’t sin? My mother’s Sunday School teacher years ago actually made the comment that she “does not sin.” That is in direct conflict with God’s word on the matter. This sounds very much like the Pharisees, and we know from Matthew 23 what Jesus thought of their sins.

So to recap, we all sin, but a true Christian can go to our Heavenly Father and confess their sins and be forgiven. For the true Christian, the relationship with God (our salvation) is always intact, and the fellowship can be restored by seeking forgiveness and turning from the sin/s.

Our salvation as a child of God is always secure in His hands. Our position (our relationship) in Jesus Christ is guaranteed by the seal of the Holy Spirit.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Any sins in our lives will not alter our relationship in Christ, but they will interfere with our fellowship with Him. So to keep that fellowship unbroken, we should confess our sins immediately, accept His forgiveness, turn from them and leave them behind us. If they crop up again, and they may, repeat what we have just stated. Don’t allow Satan to cause us to take our eyes off Jesus and focus on our sins, but let us focus on our Lord.

Even though we often fail, we should make as much effort spiritually as we do physically to keep ourselves squeaky clean.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

 

There are two types of thrones mentioned in the book of Revelation. Is it one throne and two types, or two thrones and two types? I’m not really sure, but there are certainly two types.

One type of throne is first mentioned in Revelation 4:2. It is a throne where God’s people and the angels are gathered around Him. There are also twenty-four thrones around God’s throne, and on these thrones are twenty-four elders, which most prophecy scholars believe to be representative of the Church.

This is the throne where the Lord has His bride (the Church) to be seated next to Him. This is definitely the place to be. Notice also that we are seated and not standing. I’ll show later why I emphasize that we are “seated.”

At this throne, the bride of Christ has been clothed with pure white linen to wear, and her works have been judged for any rewards (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Have you ever wondered what it was like for the Lord’s disciples to sit around the fire at night with Jesus at His first coming and listen to what He had to say? They could not grasp everything at that time, but when we are in Heaven, sitting with Him, we will understand.

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:9-12).

The mere thought of being so honored by Jesus is beyond words. Is there any wonder why we will delight in falling down before Him, worshipping Him and casting our crowns before His throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Revelation 4:1-11 is a throne of delight. It is a throne of total joy. It is a throne where only that which is pure will attend. All that defile will never enter.

However, there is another throne. We go to Revelation 20:11-15 to read about this throne. This is a throne where no one will be seated except Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He sits as the King of kings, Lord of lords and Judge of judges. All others will be standing before Him waiting their judgment.

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

“And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.

“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.

“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

All in attendance at this throne will not have the honor of being seated around the throne with Jesus but will be standing before Him to be condemned.

For thousands of years God has called people to come to Him through His beloved Son Jesus. The Old Testament of the Bible and the New Testament of the Bible have pleaded with mankind to come to Jesus and be saved from this time of judgment at the Great White Throne.

God has spoken throughout the dispensations to bring man to salvation. He has spoken through the written Word, the Bible, through prophets, his own creation, leaders, angels, feasts, offerings, miracles, missionaries, pastors, apostles, etc. He has especially spoken through His own Son. His patience has long endured.

One of the Lord’s apostles said it best, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

At the Great White Throne judgment, there will be only the guilty and the Judge. The courtroom will be full of men, women and children (who have reached the age of accountability) waiting for judgment. All standing here are guilty. They will not be there to determine their guilt, but only to determine their place in the lake of fire. All of these people, without exception, will have refused the free salvation of Jesus Christ that they had been offered.

I would like to quote a short passage from John Wayne Gaylord’s book, Finally Home (pp. 1191-92).

“Do not confuse this white throne with the one in chapter 4. Compare the differences: in chapter 4 we saw a throne set in Heaven with a rainbow around it. The rainbow is a sign that God keeps His promises to those who trust in Him. But here in chapter 20, the throne has no rainbow. The only promise to those before the Great White Throne is justice and retribution. In chapter 4, the throne had rumblings and warnings coming from it like a red flashing light at a railroad crossing. But here in chapter 20, there is nothing but the silence. The warnings have come to an end. In chapter 4, there were prayers and pleadings before the throne, but here in chapter 20, the lamp of mercy has gone out, and the time for prayers has ended.

“And finally, in chapter 4, John heard songs of praise being lifted unto God. But at this final Great White Throne scene set at the end of history, there are no longer voices of praise – no songs to sing – nothing but the silence of the damned.”

As Mr. Gaylord emphasized, there will be no more warnings, no more mercy, no more prayers answered … nothing but judgment, and then they will all be cast into the lake of fire (hell).

In my opinion, I don’t believe there will be silence, but in its place will echo screams of terror, cursings, pleadings, and a lot of “why me?”

Also, unlike earthly courts, there will be no attorneys, no jury, no delays, no plea bargaining … nothing but justice. No one will be able to refute the evidence.

It is clear to me in reading this passage that there will be degrees of punishment, “and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds,” but obviously, that isn’t much consolation.

If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ, please do so right now. Ask Him to save you now. He will. Don’t wait until it is too late and you must stand before Him to be sentenced to the Lake of Fire.

Grant Phillips

Email: Phillip5769@twc.com

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html