Preach Christ!

Berean Baptist on January 13, 2020

We have no purpose as Christians if first and foremost we do not glorify Christ. We regularly state this in our services at Berean. You will not attend any Sunday service without hearing it in a prayer, in a song, in a sermon, or in a class. Our purpose is to glorify Christ.

            This is the theme of our church every Sunday of every year, which doubles my enthusiasm for the subject of the message today. We begin a multiple part sermon on the church at Philadelphia, which of the seven churches in Revelation is the one we most want to use as a role model for ours. The letter to this church begins with Jesus proclaiming His holiness and truth. These two attributes of Christ might well be the overarching definition of Him as God. He must be perfectly holy and absolute truth, or He fails in His work and His self-revelation.

            In today’s message, I have chosen to concentrate on His holiness. Some struggle to define holiness. Many times, the definition includes the word which is not always helpful. The Greek word is hagiosune, which is also translated sanctification.This causes us to dig deeper to discover that holiness means what sanctification means—that is, to be set apart. It is to be distinctly different. In this application, it is to be different in ability, in character, in reverence, in righteousness, and in spirituality. God is distinctly different from us in all these areas.

            God commands us to be holy as He is holy, but we can never reach that perfect ideal of the extent of His different holiness. The Bible describes Him as high and holy. His holiness is above all others; it remains so and is thus unattainable. I mean to say the holiness we achieve as His people is of a different quality. For this reason, when we speak of the righteousness of God imputed to us by faith, it is not God’s inherent righteousness we receive. This righteousness cannot be transferred to us. Instead, we receive righteousness that is earned by Christ keeping God’s law perfectly. We are incapable of doing this ourselves, and yet it is the holiness without which no person will see God (Hebrews 12:14). This holiness is first derived from God, but its connection is to earned righteousness by obedience to the Law. In other words, it is not our intrinsic holiness, but that which comes from outside of us.

            God is distinct because unlike us, His holiness is not derived from any other. It is not earned by keeping laws. It does not come by imputation, or by bestowment of any other. He is holy because His being is holy. As God is self-existent, He is self-holy. In Revelation 3:7, Jesus said He is holy. This holiness is the same as God’s inherent holiness, the being of holiness that only God is. Therefore, Jesus is God.

            Similarly, Jesus said He is truth. In the next message, we will concentrate on truth. Think on this during the week. Jesus did not claim to know truth. He said He is truth. He is the standard of truth, which means how you or I feel about truth is of no consequence. We will not be judged by our opinion of truth. We are judged by the one who is truth.

            This is a fitting beginning to Philadelphia, the model church. They preached Christ, and for this, they were commended. If we preach Christ, so shall we.

                                                                                      Pastor V. Mark Smith

The Lord’s Supper

Berean Baptist on July 15, 2019

The Lord’s Supper is a solemn occasion which we labor to maintain through its observance as a sanctified, holy remembrance of our Lord. The Lord’s Supper was given as a memorial ordinance to remind the church of Christ’s death. It is to be observed until He returns to receive the church to Himself. The Bible does not tell us how often we should observe the Supper, only that we should do it. The timing is left for individual churches to decide.

            From my fifty-eight years of experience as a Christian, I have reached the conclusion the Supper should not be observed too often to the point it begins to lose its special sense of significance. Though we may claim it is always special, we note that members’ frequent absences to attend its observance obviates their claims. We must confess that reducing the frequency will do as the adage says, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

            For years, our church celebrated the Supper at the begging of each month and was usually little more than an extra function tacked on at the end of the service. I believed we should change this and reduce the frequency to the beginning of each quarter. This enabled us to separate it from the other services and to concentrate on the Supper as our main theme. Does this mean there are no other times we speak of the Lord’s death? Certainly not, for every sermon in every service will find its way to the cross, and all preaching is tied to Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.

            Some years ago, I had an encounter with a Christian couple who claimed their church was very disappointing in its celebration of this blessed memorial. Their complaint was that in their two-year membership in the church, the Supper had not been observed. The excuse according to the pastor was the church was not ready for it. He did not believe the church was spiritual enough to satisfy the Lord that they were worthy to take of His body and blood. This is very unfortunate for every child of God has been made worthy by the blood of the Lamb. Our sins are forgiven, and we stand in the righteousness of Christ, not in the merits of our supposed earned holiness. This is not to say there are no restrictions. We are clearly told not to tempt the Lord, and we should not come to His table with unconfessed sins.

            Confession of sin does not require penance as taught by Catholicism. Therefore, there is no time lapse between repentance and forgiveness. As soon as we repent, we are ready for fellowship. This interdicts the pastor’s objection. It is removed with a singular encouragement—a plea for the people to repent. When this is done, the Supper may proceed. The faithful are blessed, and if some will not repent, they are judged by God and not by man.

            After observing our night of the Supper, after the prayers and the singing of hymns; after the message preached from the word; after the visuals of breaking bread and pouring cups; after witnessing the members united and partaking of the elements, the visiting couple were saddened for the blessings they had missed.

            I encourage all members of Berean to be here and not miss our few opportunities each year when we place our focus entirely on this ordinance. Our practice is not intended to be critical of churches and their frequency of observing the ordinance.  We do what is best for this body to solidify the solemnity of the occasion.

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Living in Wisdom

Berean Baptist on February 5, 2018

It is impossible for the natural man to choose a holy and righteous life, or essentially the things that will make him healthy and wholesome. The health I am speaking of is not necessarily physical although many of us have a very difficult time making the right choices in that area. I am speaking of choosing health for the soul—the ability to come to Christ in salvation and to begin a course of living for God.

Righteousness eludes every person who does not know Christ. Our fallen nature prevents us from choosing godliness which is the reason we need the Lord to change our hearts. Jesus said we must be born again. This infers the old life must be replaced with the new life that only He can give. Until the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to this truth, we remain carnally minded and cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8).

In regeneration, God changes the disposition of the mind and gives the ability to choose the right path instead of repeating the frequent failures of the past. However, this new capability does not mean we possess immediate wisdom to use it. As we well know, there is a sanctifying process in which good choices are cultivated by prayer, study, and practical experience. Wisdom in this case is not a sudden miraculous endowment as God gave Solomon. This wisdom is best described as discernment achieved through repetitive training. In fact, it is wisdom that will never show itself unless great care is taken to work on it daily. When we indulge sin on a regular basis without being cautious to protect ourselves from it, the heart grows cold and calloused and strongly resists correction. The spiritual man can become a couch potato that never heeds the call to work out our salvation (work out your own salvation—Phil. 2:12).

The first way the Bible tells us to discern properly is in our moral choices. Because the moral character of a Christian is changed, it is possible to choose ways of living that are consistent with the Bible’s commandments. Many of these ways we never thought of before and were never bothered because we did the opposite. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, comes the ability to see sin differently, and rather than enjoy its pleasures, we are grieved in our heart and broken by it.

The second area of discernment concerns doctrinal distinctions. All right choices whether moral or theological are governed by our doctrine. For example, the Gnosticism of the first century led to very immoral lifestyles because the doctrine of the body/soul relationship was wrong. We should recognize that every false doctrine leads to unbiblical thinking. Wrong thinking leads to wrong practice and to compromise which in turn becomes bad lifestyle choices.

There are moral and doctrinal distinctions that must be made. We do not have the option of ignoring them. The best place you can learn how to make right choices is to attend church and sit under good doctrinal preaching. Living in wisdom is not mystical. It is to follow the objective truth of God’s word.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Can You Thank God for Everything?

Berean Baptist on January 8, 2018

Psalms 119:71

In Psalm 119, there is an unexpected blessing for which the psalmist gave thanks. He said in the 71st verse, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.” Could you see yourself writing this line? Most of us would never welcome hardships as a teaching method, so we are not likely to ask God to send us pain in order to teach us a lesson. It is only after the pain is endured and has yielded the benefit of bringing us closer to the Lord that we appreciate it.

This thought is expressed in Hebrews 12 regarding chastisement. The writer said chastisement is always grievous, but it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Even when chastisement is not the issue, suffering has great benefits for the soul because it teaches us to pray and depend on God. The Bible never tells us to ask God that we would never suffer and neither does it promise we will not. God knows how to bless in mysterious ways and this is the realization of the psalmist after considering his problems.

While preparing this article, I found another interesting perspective on suffering. J.R. Illingsworth wrote: ”The earliest form of trouble is for most of us physical pain, and our instinctive tendency is to view pain as an unmitigated evil. But such a view of pain is not in accordance with the facts of life. Pain is beyond question the great educator of the soul. Pain makes men real. It indurates their character. It endows them with spiritual insight. But, beyond all this, pain invests a man with a mysterious attractiveness for others. There is a heroism in the very fact of suffering which lifts the sufferer above us, and makes us feel that he is moving in a realm of being to us unknown, till our sympathy is hushed into something of awe-struck admiration, and from the blending of sympathy with awe comes love.”

I thought this was a truly sublime thought. Think of those you have seen endure pain for long periods of time. Do you admire them for their courage to suffer without complaint? Isn’t there something about them that causes you to lift them up as a model you think you could never attain?

I still remember a lady that passed away more than fifty years ago from cancer. My dad would go to visit her and many times I went along somewhat reluctantly because I did not like those kinds of visits. She suffered terribly, and yet her faith was firmly in God and she never complained that God had been unfair to her. What caused me to remember her when there are so many in my dad’s ministry I have forgotten? Pain etched her memory in my mind. Her ability to endure it left an indelible impression. Did this lady know her pain was for this purpose? She probably never imagined it. But, such things God knows. Blessings do not always seem to be blessings until they have yielded the peaceable fruits of righteousness.

Learn to bless God in the bad times as well as the good. Either way, God works all things for your good. Patient endurance of suffering may very well be the work that attends your entrance into heaven and causes others to rejoice with thanksgiving to God.

 

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

The Beauty of the King James Version

Berean Baptist on April 24, 2017

Psalm 85:10

This week as I was preparing for this article on the Psalms, I was reminded of why we love the King James Version of scripture. The language is so beautiful it is truly a joy to read. For an interesting perspective on the beauty of the language, I recommend Leland Ryken’s book, The Legacy of the King James Bible, which was written for the five hundredth anniversary of this beloved version.

First, let me say these comments will be rejected out of hand by many as being simplistic and naïve. I really do not care since this is my article and opinion which is not obligated to be yours. I note that it is interesting many modern readers still associate the King James Version with the words of God. We think this is the way God speaks, and in quoting scripture we freely retain the use of archaic words such as thee and thou. There seems to be a sense of authority in these old words that is not the same as when replaced with you and you for both as my spell checker is wont to do. There are also many sayings from the King James that have made their way into the vernacular. These most likely would not be remembered if they were not spoken at first in an uncommon way.

The reason I was reminded of our love for this translation is Psalms 85:10: “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” This verse speaks of Christ, and we wonder how these virtues could have been spoken more eloquently. If you compare this verse to one of the modern versions, the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), the translation is wooden and vulgar. This translation reads: “Faithful love and truth will join together, righteousness and peace will embrace.” The cadence and the removal of the word kissed makes the verse seem…well, like kissing your sister. There is not much feeling when said this way. It makes you wonder why changes are made that are wholly unnecessary. The eloquence of the language is destroyed, and quite frankly, we cannot imagine God would say it this way.

We are quite sure that God did not speak King James English since Old Testament scripture was written in Hebrew. At that time, English of any kind was unheard of. However, we can well imagine that when God spoke in man’s language it was not slangily unrefined. I do not know if my point is understood, but having grown up with the King James I have a sense of what sounds biblical and what does not. This is what the King James has done to me. It may seem strange, but I think the King James remained popular for four hundred and fifty of the past five hundred years because of its difference. We respect it as the Word of God not just for its content but also for its sweetness to the ears.

Have you noticed that since modern versions have become popular there is far less respect for the scriptures? We make more defenses of the Bible than ever before and the need seems to parallel the discarding of the King James translation. The argument goes that we need a more readable version so that we can understand better and be more interested. This is passing strange when our society has more college graduates than ever before. The understanding of science and the advancement of technology is bursting at the seams, and yet we are baffled by a few archaic words! The conclusion of the argument must be that our generation is dumber than the one before. And that point I will gladly concede.

The real problem is that if people want a Bible at all they want one that does not require deep thought or diligent study. No matter what version you read, if the translation has a modicum of truth, it will not be discovered without the Holy Spirit’s guidance. We do not believe every word of some of the modern translations is bad. The same archaic words of the King James are changed in the preaching and exposition of the text. The point is that respect for the scriptures is fostered by its difference from everyday speech. God’s Word is uncommon and the use of eloquent language in its own way adds to its mystique. “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.” Do you have a lovelier and more poetic way of saying this? Didn’t think so.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

Who Is Worst of All?

Berean Baptist on August 29, 2016

Psalm 55

Does it seem incredibly unlikely that the most beloved person in the history of mankind and the most hated person in history lived at the same time, knew each other, and were friends? With the billions that have lived on planet earth, how could such a thing be possible? As unlikely as it seems, it is true and none of us has any trouble guessing who these polar opposites are. The first is Jesus Christ. He was the exemplary human, perfect in every detail, kind, compassionate, filled with love, and as John said, “Full of grace and truth.” Nothing honestly disparaging could ever be written about Him.

On the other hand, there is Judas. He is described in Psalm 55 as an acquaintance who took sweet counsel with Christ. And yet, he is the universally despised, the universally hated, and the one who disgusts us all. So extreme is the hatred of Judas that his name is never given to any of our children. None of us wants to be identified with him in any way. He is the antithesis of the holiness and righteousness of Jesus Christ. As high as the exaltation of Christ can go, so is the measurement of how low the denunciation of Judas can go.

Is it really such a mystery that in all the annals of time the most despicable should be in contact with the most delightful? It should not seem strange because the worst crime committed must be against the one who least deserves it. The worst offense is against the one who least deserves to be offended.

The extreme disappointment in Judas is reflected in David’s words of Psalms 55:11-14: “Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.” David was thinking of Ahithophel, but the Holy Spirit had Judas in mind.

Judas walked in communion with Jesus. He was treated as a brother even though Jesus knew from the beginning what He would do. There was nothing in Jesus that could possibly draw out such hatred as Judas had for Him in the betrayal. We agonize over his treacherous actions because Judas did his worst against the best. He is the model none of us wants to emulate, and each of us sits in judgment thinking we would never do what he did.

Would you consider this scripture for just a moment? “Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” (Romans 2:1-3) In the following verse, Rom. 2:4, the restraint, the patience, and the goodness of God is still there despite the hatred of Him. “Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Who is the most despicable character of all? Who is the person that none should name his child after? Are you ready for a confession? The answer is ME. I have done the worst to the one who is the best. I hated Him; I betrayed Him; I drove nails into His hands and feet. I compete with Paul who said, “I am the chief of sinners.”

Is it a mystery the most beloved person of all time should live at the same time as the most hated? Not at all. Christ came in contact with humanity and that says it all.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

Jesus the Judge

Berean Baptist on July 18, 2016

 

In the study of Matthew, I often remarked how this gospel account presents a comprehensive view of the character of Jesus. In most churches, there in only one side presented and even this view is seriously misguided. Jesus is seen as a loving Saviour, as a kind benefactor, and as the most politically correct person you could ever meet. He never questions a motive nor does He ever rebuke an evil lifestyle. He will advise you to be kind and benevolent, to be peaceful and loving, and to be tolerant of everybody. The strong passages that speak of condemnation in hell and the utter destruction of the wicked are largely ignored.

I suppose the greatest tragedy of the understanding of Jesus is the divorcement of Him from the Old Testament scriptures. It is as if the God of the Old Testament is nothing but wrath and hatred while the Jesus of the New came to change the harshness of Israel’s God. This view fails to take into account this all important attribute of God—His immutability. God does not change, and if we understand who Jesus is in the real scriptural view, we will understand the Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New. If God does not change, then whatever God says in the Old Testament is the same as He says in the New Testament. The same actions of the Old Testament are the actions of the New.

Thus we come to Psalm 50 which is a representation of God as our judge. In this psalm, we are taught that God judges all. Not only is He the judge, He is also the prosecutor and His prosecution rests its case in the infallibility and absolute righteousness of His law. In this psalm, God accused Israel of false worship in which they disobeyed His statutes, but they brought their offerings as if they could make up for their wickedness by giving God a pacifier. The point the psalmist makes is that God needs nothing from us. Sacrifices are not acceptable payment for a heart that is cold in its obedience. There is also warning against those who pretend to know God and use Him as if He approves while having no relationship with Him.

The ultimate result of this is divine judgment. Judgment will fall because of the transgression of His holy law. Very simply, God is the judge. This is important to us as we piece together the responsibilities of Jesus revealed in the New Testament. He is nothing different from the God of the Old who will judge according to His righteous standard. We must carefully observe Jesus’ statements in John 5:22 and 5:27: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son…And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.” All judgment is committed to the Son who is one with the Father.

When the Old Testament was written, the final judgment was yet future just as it still is today. In other words, final judgment has not yet occurred, so whatever judgment was promised by God in the Old Testament will be fulfilled by Jesus who is appointed by the Father to be the judge. The inescapable conclusion is that Jesus in the New Testament will judge with all the wrathful enforcement promised in the Old. This is the real picture of this aspect of Jesus’ divine work.

This is a very foreboding prospect and should be rightfully considered such. However, there is a more hopeful prospect revealed in both the Old and New Testaments about prosecutorial conduct. The prosecutor who placed the charges against us is the same who is willing to set us free. He does not pardon us because we are not guilty but because He will take our punishment for us.

Do you need to fear Him as your judge? Not unless you are in unbelief. Otherwise you can welcome God’s judgment because you know the perfect righteousness of Christ has covered all your transgressions. What better way to meet the judge than with the perfect righteousness He provided? Consider who Jesus really is. Either fear His judgment or rejoice in it. Which way is He your judge?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

 

 

Faithful Friends

Berean Baptist on April 18, 2016

 

Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. (Psalms 41:9)

As I read the 41st Psalm, I am reminded of John’s words in 1 John 2:5-6: “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Psalm 41 is another psalm that gives a glimpse into events in the last week of Jesus’ life. Perhaps we can call it coincidence that we would read so many psalms like this that so closely parallel our Sunday morning series in Matthew.

The connection between 1 John 2 and Psalm 41 becomes apparent to me as we see the integrity of Christ despite the false actions of His friends. In verse 7, there are whispers and plots of harm. In verse 9, a trusted friend who sat at Jesus’ table turned against Him and betrayed Him. This is an obvious reference to Judas who received only goodness and love from the Lord. Judas brought Him down, or so he thought. However, as we saw in Psalm 40 last week, the resurrection was Christ’s triumph. In this Psalm He says, “Mine enemy doth not triumph over me” (v. 11).

Where do we find the 1 John connection? In verse 12, Jesus said: “And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face forever.” Those that truly love the Lord have this same kind of integrity. As John said, we desire to walk as He walked. If we do, charges of evil against us are always false charges just as they were false when hurled at Him. When betrayed by a friend, which sometimes happens, it is not because we deserve it. We have kept God’s word by loving our brother as we do ourselves.

In the last week of Jesus’ life, He was set upon by those who had no real cause against Him. The constant questions intended to entrap Him, the denial of His authority and earlier claims that the good deeds He did were actually works of Satan, were so outside the pale of reason that the most skeptical should have said, “Look for something else. We know this cannot be true.” Nevertheless, the charges stuck in their mind and when the betrayal of the trusted friend came there was no doubt as to the outcome of His trial.

His integrity didn’t really matter to them. No matter how justly He walked they were going to crucify Him. This would be a major concern if it was the accusers that were the final judge. They were not. Jesus stood justified before God because of His perfect obedience to His Father. God would cause Him to triumph in that integrity.

This is what I am saying to you today. When you walk the way Christ walked and you know you have been obedient to His commands, how people judge you does not really matter. God will vindicate you at the last day because you stand in the perfect righteousness of Christ.

As a pastor that must preach on unpopular topics, I think about things like this. I will be accused by some who do not like what I preach. If I do not compromise the truth, I have no fear because God will stand by me. I do not want to be overly cryptic, so let me just conclude by saying, I hope faithful friends remain faithful friends even when telling them the truth is unpopular.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

The Steps of a Good Man

Berean Baptist on February 15, 2016

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. (Psalms 37:23-24)

 On the last Lord’s Day, we read the first seventeen verses of Psalm 37. My remarks on this Psalm were about the hardships of the Christian life and how it seems we always fall behind the prosperity of the world. We are encouraged not to despair because this life is as good as it gets for the wicked. Though the evil man may appear to be prosperous, his prosperity is a mirage. He may clutch his title deed to the earth for a while, but soon all he has will be taken away. The earth belongs to God and is the inheritance of the people of God (v. 11).

This Psalm is filled with hope for the troubled Christian, but none is better than the words of verses 23 and 24. Think carefully on this phrase: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD…” These are the most hopeful words you will ever read. They speak of two great doctrines of the faith—God’s divine providence and His sovereign predestination. There is not a step you will ever take that God did not know you would take. He knows because He is the one that puts one foot in front of the other.

When God formed the world by His spoken word, He knew it would be inhabited by a race that He had chosen for His name. The beginning of man was in the predestination of God and we dare not think that after man was created God abruptly relinquished His divine providence. The fall in the Garden was not a surprise to Him and neither was the means by which He would restore all that was lost in that devastating event. If God should have relinquished control at that awful hour, there is not one soul that would ever have hope of redemption. Through the fall, we became completely corrupted. Every faculty of man was radically altered so that we are consumed with sin through and through. This radical corruption is what we call total depravity, and it left man in such a state that we are wholly incapable of looking up to God and helping ourselves in any way. We will not look because we care not to look. The scriptures say we became the enemies of God and of His righteousness. If God should leave us alone in our depravity, we are hopeless because we do not have the power or will to escape it.

The scriptures do not present a God who has abandoned us. We are enabled to come back to Him for one reason—His marvelous grace. In regeneration, He changes our disposition from hostility against His grace to openness to receive His grace. He orders the steps of repentance and faith. If you trust Christ as Saviour, you owe your trust to a sovereign act of the Holy Spirit. You did not change your mind; He changed your mind. Our statement of faith says accurately: “[He] secure[s] our voluntary obedience to the gospel” (Article 7). God’s method leaves Him alone responsible in all ways for our salvation.

With the tremendous costliness of salvation requiring the death of Christ for sin, how can we imagine that God who purchased our redemption with blood should ever let us go? When we fall, God does not cast us off. In the bleakest hour of our deepest despair, God still has His eye on us. He fully intends to raise us again and put us back upon the solid rock. The timing of His lifting is also His alone. We know it cannot be too long because the time of life is nothing compared to eternity. Our long time is God’s short time.

The promise is providentially intact. He sees with His eye but goes much further—He holds with His hands. We know we can never sink too low to be beneath His tender embrace. We often say, “Keep the faith!” We shall because we are kept by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5).

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Judgment Is Coming

Berean Baptist on March 2, 2015

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works… [15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15) 

 We are now approaching the end of our congregational readings in the book of Revelation. This is the end of the Bible, the last of the sixty-six books that were written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The last themes of Revelation are the final states of the righteous and the wicked. After thousands of years of man’s existence, there will come a time when his eternal future will be unalterably fixed. The 20th chapter concerns the final state of the wicked and since this is our reading for today we will focus our attention on the scene described in verses 11-15. This is known as the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is for people that have never trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and received His perfect righteousness for their justification with God.

This judgment takes place in God’s courtroom, but the operations of God’s court are somewhat different from ours. In our courts, the outcome is at first undetermined because the accused is presumed innocent until he can be proven guilty. At this judgment bar, every person is guilty. There is no presumption of innocence; there is no evidence presented for acquittal because none exists. God’s judgment is based on perfect righteousness. However, when the books are opened there are no records of righteousness. This is beyond argument because God’s word has already declared, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2-3).

Wouldn’t it be to your great advantage if you could see the books ahead of time and learn what they contain? The entries are your sins, which are transgressions of God’s law. There are many things in the books that you might not be aware of, but there are plenty that you do know if you will just think about them and be honest with yourself. Actually, honesty is one of your greatest problems. The Bible says that all people are liars. You know there are multiple instances of lies on your account. Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word or were you in any way irreverent with the use of His name? No doubt that list is quite long as well. Did you ever miss a day at church because your priorities were higher than God’s? There are a lot of Sundays in your life. How many of those did you use for self instead of Him? The list of occasions of idolatry are too numerous to count. What about lust? Jesus said if a man only looks at a woman to lust after her, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart (the reverse is also true for women). God has a record of all those times. Do we need to go on and cover all the commandments to show you are guilty of breaking them all and breaking them multiple times? Now you know what God will check when He pulls up your account.

Since I don’t have much space and this is a huge topic, let me just mention the gravest sin of all. Did you notice in both Revelation 20:12 and 20:15 the mention of the book of life? Every person judged at the Great White Throne is missing from the book of life. The book of life is a book of righteousness. It is a book that contains the names of all that have been given the righteousness God requires. This is the righteousness of faith which is transferred directly to you from the merits of the perfect life of Christ. This is given to those that repent of their sins and trust Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Those that do not are guilty of the gravest sin of all—the rejection of the perfect sacrifice for sin. The gravest sin of all is to trample the precious blood of Christ under your feet and despise the grace of God.

Are you in the book of life? I have some good news for you—you can know this ahead of time. Have you repented of your sins and do you trust Jesus Christ and only Him as your perfect righteousness? If so, your name is there. You do not need to fear the Great White Throne Judgment because you will not be there. All others—beware!

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith