J Day

The nations were filled with wrath,
    but now the time of your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
    and reward your servants the prophets,
    as well as your holy people,
and all who fear your name,
    from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
    all who have caused destruction on the earth.”

I spoke, two days ago,  of  D-Day and VE-Day.  Today I want to bring to your attention 'J-Day'.

Scripture informs us that it is given for a man (or rather human)  to live once,  and then to face judgement.

We are told that we must give account for every word,  thought,  deed and every life we have taken.
These words,  this promise,  to destroy the destroyers, is electric.  It raises the hairs.  That justice is coming.  Oh yes.

Those who think that they will get away with whatever they want to do.  Those fools who have decieved themselves that there is no God to give account to. 
Those who claim,  as a slight to those who criticise their life choices,  that 'only God can judge me'.

That is not a comforting thought. As if God's standards were less exacting than humans.

Woe to us who do not fear God.

Woe indeed.

And as much as I look forward to seeing my Saviour honoured and my life vindicated,  and those that I easily view as truly evil being righteously cast out of heaven, these words do not only bring a thrill,  but a chill also.

Because of sin,  we are all on the wrong side of God's judgement.

And sin is not the sole preserve of dictators such as Hitler and Stalin. Evil is not only present in the violence of a rapist or a suicide bomber.

Sin is looking the other way. It is lying to enhance your image.  It is lusting after your friends girlfriend.  It is cheating your employer.  It is stealing office supplies.

These all have the same route.

We are all sinners.

We all fall foul of his judgement.

And how much worse for those who claim to know him and to still not have honoured him.

How to face judgement then?

And I would not want,  frankly,  to worship a God who turned a blind eye.

I want this exacting standard in my God.  I want a Holy God. Despite myself.  I do.

I know, in the same breath that I say I want to see the look on the scoffers faces when they finally see why I have followed Jesus all my life,  that I am no better than they.

But for one crucial difference.

I understand that, in the same way a loving God is also Holy, that a righteous God is also merciful and full of compassion.  He gives chance after chance for repentance,  and he provided forgiveness with his own blood.

And that blood is the difference.

I can face judgement with confidence,  not because of my deeds but because of one deed of one man. The man Christ Jesus and his death on the cross on a hillside on the outskirts of Jerusalem,  over 2000 years ago.

That one act was the antidote to the  sins of the whole world.

And he is coming.
His reward is with him.

From the least of us,  to the greatest.  He will reward those who fear him.

I think to live in the light of that is my greatest aspiration.

Lets live today,  knowing we will have to give account for all our actions and thoughts.

But not in the light of giving account to the fearsome judge of all who will cast into the pit the unrighteous.
No. Not that.

Let us live in light of giving account to our saviour,  who spilt his blood to redeem us.  He who knew no sin,  but became sin for us. How do we answer to that?
How do our deeds look in that light?

It is grace (love)  that taught our hearts to fear,  and grace our fears relieved.

How precious does that grace appear,
To those that now believe.

Amen.