Choices For Today

We have discovered an amazing truth. We are living in judgment hour. The Bible refers to the judgment more than 1,000 times. In 1844 God's prophetic time clock struck the hour. Revelation's angelic messenger announced, "The hour of His [God's] judgment has come" (Revelation 14:7, NKJV).
In the judgment Christ is revealed as fully just and loving in His handling of the sin problem. Each case is decided for life or death. The entire universe recognizes that God has done everything possible to save every single person. In the judgment God's heart of infinite love asks, "Is there anything more I could have done?" There is nothing more. Love has done all it could.

All of heaven pauses to consider the choices each individual has made in the light of God's incredible desire to save them. Today's lesson unfolds the importance of our choices in the twenty-first century.

01. How does the Bible describe the awesome scene of God's judgment in the heavenly courts?
Daniel 7:9–10
09. “I watched till thrones were put in place, And the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire;
10. A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.
Note
All heaven is interested in this judgment. The destiny of the entire human race will be settled forever. The honor of God's throne is at stake.

02. How universal is God's Judgment?
2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Romans 14:12
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

03. What records are kept that will provide an accurate description of our lives in the judgment?
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.
Note
Billions of pieces of information can be stored in the memory of sophisticated computers. And computers are a human invention. God can easily preserve in detail our character decisions.

04. Who's names are in the book of life?
Philippians 4:3
And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
Revelation 3:5
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Note
When we accept Jesus, we pass from spiritual death to spiritual life. Without Christ we are dead in sin. Since the "wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), we have no possibility of living eternally without Christ. When we come to Jesus, we receive the gift of eternal life from Him, and our names are written in the book of life.

05. What does God record in His "book of remembrance"?
Malachi 3:16
Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.
Note
God clearly records a faithful record of our characters. His record books reveal what we actually are. There is no pretense or make-believe with God.

06. Are our sins actually recorded before God?
Jeremiah 2:22
For though you wash yourself with lye, and use much soap, Yet your iniquity is marked before Me,” says the Lord GOD.

07. How detailed is the judgment? How deeply does it probe into individual lives?
Matthew 12:36–37
36. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14
13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
14. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

08. Will anything remain hidden from God?
1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

09. Does God consider the circumstances of our lives in the Judgment?
Psalm 87:5–6
05. And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
06. The LORD will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.”
John 9:41
41. Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains".
Note
The judgment reveals not only our actions but also our attitudes. It delves into our motives. It considers our opportunities and the privileges God has given us.

10. Who will preside over these proceedings?
John 5:22
For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,

11. Who will be our defense lawyer?
1 John 2:1
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Note
Jesus is both our lawyer and our judge. He stands in our behalf in the judgment. Jesus longs for us to be saved. In the judgment He is for us, not against us. He created us. He redeemed us, and now He lives for us.

12. When Satan condemns us in the judgment, what does Jesus say to him?
Zechariah 3:1–2
01. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
02. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”

13. What kind of clothing is Joshua wearing and what new clothing does our Lord give to him?
Zechariah 3:3–4
03. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
04. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.”
Note
As we commit our lives to Christ, Satan condemns us. He accuses us of all the sins we have ever committed. Jesus stands in our behalf rebuking Satan. Our Savior takes away our filthy garments of sin and clothes us with the garments of His own righteousness.

14. What is God's standard in the Judgment? What are we to be judged by?
James 2:12
So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law [nomos] of liberty.
Note
The Greek word nomos can also be interpreted as "law of God" referring to the Ten Commandments. But we need to remember even though we are judged by God's law we are not saved by God's law. We are saved by God's grace. In the judgment God does not weigh our good deeds against our bad deeds. We are accepted on the basis of Christ's righteousness, not ours. When Christ accepts us, He leads us to obedience. What is obedience? Obedience is the evidence of a changed life. Obedience is the evidence that our faith is genuine.
Jesus and His law are inseparable. To willfully disobey it is to wound Him.

Concluding Question
Do you want to say in your heart today, "Lord, I love You. Cover my sins with Your righteousness. Forgive me of my rebellion. 'take away my desire to disobey. I want to choose now to be Your obedient child."?

FOR FURTHER STUDY
Read the following Bible passages:
Psalm 7:8;
Psalm 9:8;
Psalm 43:1;
Psalm 72:2;
Isaiah 3:13;
Matthew 10:15;
Romans 2:16;
1 Corinthians 6:2;
1 Peter 4:5;
Revelation 11:18;
Revelation 19:2;
Revelation 20:12, 13.