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What Line Are You Standing In?
Richard WaialealeRevelation 20:11-12 (NLT)
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.
12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
When you read the Bible, the most important question for me is Why? Why is Jesus coming again, which is answered throughout the book of Revelation. It’s to bring His people back to Himself and to judge those who haven’t followed Him. Yikes!
The Bible teaches that everyone is resurrected at the end of time. There’s a resurrection to life and a resurrection to judgment. Some to heaven and some to hell.
In verse 12, “The dead are judged according to their deeds.” As a believer in Christ, I’m not going to be there for this judgment, because I’m not the dead, I’m alive! God has made me alive in Jesus Christ. When the Bible talks about the dead it’s talking about those who don’t know Him.
I’m not going to be in that line because I am with the alive group. I’ve already passed from death into life. And the truth is that’s not only true of those who are believers, it’s true for anyone in our lives that we can help to find Christ. That is the power for me behind sharing the gospel, the good news of Christ. I don’t want anybody I know to be in that other line. I don’t want anybody I know to worry about their salvation. I want them to know that their name is already in the book of life, they don’t have to face this judgment at the end of time.
My application is that I depend instead on what He has done, I'm truly and eternally alive and my name is in the book of life because of God’s grace. It’s not something to be proud of, glory in, in myself. It’s something to praise Him for, it’s something to invite other people to. We have passed from death into life.
It’s not based on my performance, it’s based on Christ performance and His victory.
Salvation is not based on our choice, it’s based on God’s choice. The only choice is dependent on is you saying “Yes” to Christ.
Jesus, You are the Lord of lords and the King of kings. And Jesus, one day everything will be made right. That is the last word. Help us to live our lives today knowing the end of the story. We live in the tension between those two times. Help us to live as Your people. Help us to live with that truth. Not the truth the world around us tells us but the truth You tell us. Jesus, I thank You that one day we know that we will live with You forever. We live because You live. In Your name we pray. Amen.
