2003-07-18
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
I’m led to continue looking at the judgment of the saints in answer to the question: Will the Kingdom of Heaven be the same for all who enter it? The story of King David when he took the census against God’s will (outlined in 2 SAM 24: 1-18 and 1 CH 21: 1-27) begins to let us see God’s attitude toward those who are basically good and faithful. David knew he had done the wrong thing angering the Lord, and was given three choices for punishment. The punishment choices were: 1) three years of famine; 2) three months of running away from his enemies; 3) three days during which the Lord attacks you with His sword and sends and epidemic on your land, using His angel to bring death throughout Israel. David, who knew the Lord was merciful, decided on the third punishment, confessed to being responsible for this sin, and was given leniency by the Lord. This incident has a very significant ending. The Lord allowed 70, 000 people to die, but then, changed His mind. He told the angel originally sent to destroy Jerusalem to stop. The angel was standing at the threshing place of Araunah, a Jebusite. David saw the angel standing in midair, holding his sword in his hand, ready to destroy Jerusalem. Then David bowed low and said in 1 CH 21: 17, “O God, I am the one who did wrong. I am the one who ordered the census. What have these poor people done? Lord, my God, punish me and my family, and spare your people.” Why did David choose the third option? It was because the other two depended on men, but the third one depended on our ever-righteous, always-fair and just Lord. He knew he was better off placing himself in the hands of the Lord rather than men. This story has an interesting side light. The Lord, through Gad, instructed David to purchase Araunah’s threshing place. The temple was later built on that highest place in Jerusalem. Today, it is the rock over which the Moslem Dome of the Rock stands.
The metaphor of running the race found in PHIL 3: 12-14 really helps us to better understand what is happening. Christ sits on the bema seat (a place higher than the believers to be judged) which affords Him an excellent view of where each “runner” comes out in the race. “I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to Himself. Of course, my brothers, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.” These last two passages really point out several important points. 1) God’s attributes are consistent throughout the course of mankind’s history. He was fair, just, and compassionate in OT times when Israel was under the Covenant of the Law, just as He is now in the church age (NT times) under the Covenant of Grace. I trust that He will always be in the future, for that is the faith He gives me. 2) God responds to our genuine contrition for our sins and willingness to confess them. David’s story is a prime example of that. Our Lord is forgiving under these circumstances. 3) God responds favorably to people who are genuinely humble, people who recognize their poverty of spirit and utter dependence on Him. MT 5:3 tells us these people will inherit the Kingdom. We are called to lives of holiness in 1 PET 1: 16 (amongst many other places in both the OT and NT). Christ modeled a life of holiness, so that we might know what we need to be like and to do to fulfill this command. MT 5: 6 and all the issues brought up in the Sermon on the Mount tell us that those who live holy lives will inherit the Kingdom. 4) The crown of righteousness as described in 2 TIM 4: 8 is a reward worth all the suffering and challenges a believer enduring in his faith must live through. “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that Day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.”
What exactly is the “call through Christ Jesus to the life above” referred to in PHIL 3: 14? It is all the purposes God had in mind when He decided to save us. These are things like salvation (a gift of His grace through the work of the cross given to all who believe in Christ), conformity to Christ [RO 12: 2], joint-inheritance with Him [RO 8:17], a home in heaven with full citizenship [JN 14: 2-3; REV 21: 27], and many other spiritual blessings. MT 6: 19-21, which is Christ’s teaching on riches in heaven, makes His will crystal clear. This is supported amply by IS 26: 3, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You. Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the Eternal Rock.” So, Dear Ones, we are called to endure in our faith, follow the path Christ carved out for us in our lives, and not forget that our suffering for righteousness brings a reward that is definitely worth the effort. This is God’s will for each of us.
PRAYER: O Lord, Through the Scriptures from Genesis through Revelation, You have shared Your innermost hopes for Your creation. Additionally, You allow us to see Who You really are through Your omnipotence, righteousness, omniscience, goodness, omnipresence, compassion, patience, justice, and all of Your attributes. You show us what You will do for us, even to the point of the sacrifice of Your only begotten Son, so that we who come to faith in Him can be saved from second death [JN 3: 16]. You grant this salvation, reconciliation, and forgiveness to us through Your most excellent grace. These are things no human action can earn. By imputing Your righteousness to us at the time You deemed us acceptable to You [justification], You have given us the desire to do good deeds. These are the good deeds which You prepared for us to do [EPH 2: 10]. What an awesome God You are! Your understanding of our limitations is so profound that You gave us Your word and the gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell in us, so that we can learn from it. Through it’s authors whom You inspired, we can learn about what it takes to endure in faith and please You. Pleasing You is why we were created in the first place [EPH 1: 4-5; RO 11: 36]. You have told us what I’ve discussed in this message and the last one about the judgment of the saints, to give us impetus to have strong faith, strong enough to endure whatever challenges to it that come to us. It is out of Your deep love for us that Your main purpose is to see as many people as possible return to You through Christ [COL 1: 20]. We must not forget RO 5: 1-4, “Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God’s grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God’s glory! We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God’s approval, and His approval creates hope.” We are imperfect sinners who openly confess our sin to You, appealing for You to hear our prayer and forgive us. PS 116: 1 has told us, “I love the Lord, because He hears me: He listens to my prayers.” We offer You our heartfelt thanks and praise for Your kindness, worship and adoration, diligence and loyalty, trust and obedience, and glory and honor. In Christ’s name, amen.
There is still more to say about the question: Will it be the same for all in the Kingdom. So, I’m led to continue dealing with that question, our look at the judgment of the saints, in next week’s message. We will see that there is a difference in the reward given to believer’s who do only the basics to be saved and those who serve God with distinction here on earth. I am finding that there are crucial reasons for the intense motivation I feel to do the best I can at being a good believer who fits that latter category. How about you? We are blessed with a loving God Who is our most ardent Encourager.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn