HE IS Lord and Judge of All
God is the ruler and judge over all mankind whether we believe it or not! God is the living truth and whether man, in his destructive pride, accepts Him as his Lord, He is Lord of all things and all of creation! God’s will and truth will stand supreme in God’s plans for all earthly things! Apart from God we do not possess the answers to life and how to live it. Our rejection of Christ and His truth is literal suicide and pronounces a death sentence upon us. Wake up, oh man, and taste and see that the Lord is good and almighty.
We will all be judged by God whether we acquiesce or not. Many today believe there is no judgment or hell. The word of God declares God to be our creator and our judge. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven.” (Hebrews 12:22-25).
God’s unerring truth declares that we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ or the great white throne of judgment. The righteous will be judged and rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. “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” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
The second judgment is for those who do not believe and do not accept Christ as their Savior! “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 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. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
The Spirit of God is dwelling within each believer and testifies and bears witness of His Lordship! Christ sets His seal upon us through the Holy Spirit. We know God’s voice and He goes before us, brings us under His shadow, and we dwell under His divine protection. He walks with us, talks with us, and bears witness that we are His own. We who are His children know He is true, and His words are infallible and accomplish his will. We have proof within us that He is real, and He is who He says He is because His Spirit works within us! If we are fully dedicated to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are our constant companions. We can hear the voice of His Spirit, and we see His words and promises come to pass. The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ bear witness to the truth of the sovereignty of God!
Whether man has chosen Him as their God or not, the word declares God to be Lord of all. God is the creator of man, and He and His son Jesus Christ will be our judge whether a person believes in God’s truth or not! Any lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of God’s truths is only on the part of man and does not invalidate any of God’s decrees. “So that men will say, ‘Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is God who judges in the earth’” (Psalm 58:11).
I grieve over the knowledge that many choose not to heed God’s words and ignore their need of a Savior. All of God’s words to us are provable! If we come with an inquiring and seeking heart and ask God to reveal His truth to us, He does– He makes Himself known to us. “If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17). “Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me’” (John 10:25). “And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (1 John 5:8).
We must choose to live our lives abiding in Christ and never allow the works of the flesh to take us over. Not only do we have Christ within, but we have the Father and the Holy Spirit also. We give ourselves to Christ by choice and through an act of our will. We give our whole being to live a life that will glorify and please God. We begin to pray for the Lord to remove our besetting sins and every other known sin, attitude, or negative thinking that blocks God’s fulness from abiding in us. We must watch and listen for His still small voice within us saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it!” “You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it” (Psalms 139:5-6).
When we feel the prick of the Spirit in our conscience, convicting us of sin, we must obey and confess our sins and turn from them. David was sinful in his old nature, as we all are, yet he was a man after God’s own heart because he desired to love and serve God before all else. God gave him such beauty of spirit and he felt such anguish and grief because of his sins against God. We must all be aware of the weakness in our flesh and surrender ourselves fully to God. Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life”. No man goes unto the father, but through Christ. We choose to live for God through the indwelling of Christ, and we must never have any other God before him. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You” (Psalms 139:17-18).
Let us pray: Take me, my Lord, and cleanse and polish me to reflect Your image. Your radiance shines from the perfection of Your being. No one can glimpse You and not see the glory emanating from You and Your love that penetrates the body, soul, and spirit of those who invite You to indwell them. Most of the world has focused on their own desires, not realizing You are Lord of all—and You are our Savior and our Judge! Amen.
~A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon.
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving-kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight — that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit. AMEN” (Psalm 51:1-12).
