I want to speak to you this morning
on the subject, and the books were opened. The books were opened. I'm reading from the Revelation,
chapter 20, and I begin reading with verse 11, which says, I
saw a great white throne, and him that 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, stand before God, and the books were opened. And another
book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books according
to their works. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them. And they were judged, every man
according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire." End of quote. Now the world scoffs at
this. all talk of judgment and hell
and books written with men's works and so forth written in
them. False religion is no better. It uses it, these things, to
scare people into religion. But the fact is, this is God's
Word. This is the Word of God, which
says, and the books were open. Now, Scripture speaks of at least
four books. Perhaps they're not literal books. But for our understanding, books,
as it were, are things written, wherein things are written and
recorded. Names, places, dates, events,
books. But the scripture speaks of at
least four books. The first being God's Word, the
Bible, the Book of the Law and the Gospel, the Book of the Prophets
and the Apostles. That's the Word of God which
I'm preaching to you this morning, which you may have a copy of.
Then there is the book of decrees, spoken of in chapter 5, of which
John wept, seeing no man was worthy to open the book. That
book had in it all the decrees of God, every day, every hour,
every second, every person, place, and thing, all of God's eternal
purpose and decrees written in the book of decrees, the book
of God's purpose and will and works known unto God, Acts 15,
18 says, known unto God are all his works from the beginning
of the world. And he's, David said this, he
spoke of this book in Psalm 139. He says, thine eyes did see my
substance being yet, yet being unperfect and in thy book, all
my members were written. The very hairs of heads are numbered
and written in God's book of decrees. Everything ordered,
predestined by the God who worketh all things after the counsel
of His own will and purpose, written in this book of decree.
Then there is the book of records, which we just read about in Revelation
20. The book of works. The book of
words. The book of all humanity, everything,
every thought, every word that has been spoken, every deed that
has been done, everything that has not been done, which is required
of men. The Lord Jesus Christ spoke of
this book, the book of decree. He said in Matthew 12, He said,
I say unto you every idle word that men shall speak. They shall
give account thereof in the day of judgment. By thy words thou
shalt be justified, and by thy words condemned." Now, people
scoff at this. They say, this is ridiculous.
This is impossible. It's impossible for all of these
things to be recorded. Well, with men, yes. However,
men give more glory to and more ability and wisdom to man than
they do God. In this computer age, this age
of computer technology, vast stores of knowledge are recorded
in computers. Well, who made the mind of man
who made the computer? God did, the great creator. And
this is what he said, the book, the book of life, the book of
works, all of it recorded by God Almighty, books. They're
called books in chapter 12. The books were open because there
are many, because there are many persons. Many people have lived
over the years. Many words, many works, many
deeds, many thoughts, many events, many things have taken place.
Every single person is recorded. Every single person. In Hebrews
2, verse 2, it says, every transgression and disobedience receives a just
recompense, justice, judgment. I just read to you, our Lord
said, even the thoughts of man, the thoughts of man, his idle
words, he will be held accountable for. Scripture says the thought
of foolishness is sin. Genesis six, verse five, the
Lord before the flood, before he destroyed the world, says
he looked and saw the thoughts of man, his heart were only evil. continually and scripture says
in Hebrews 4 verse 12 that all things are naked before the eyes
that's the word of God of him with whom we have to do says
everything is open under his eyes before the eyes of him whom
we must stand before now this is the God of the Bible omniscient
that means all-knowing all-seeing he's holy he's righteous he said
of himself I will by no means clear the guilty." Now, Scripture
said, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Scripture
says, whatever the law saith, it saith to them that are under
the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
become guilty before God. Romans 3, 19. And the books were
open. The books were open. Now, everyone,
every human being, accuses or excuses or claims this or that. He said, she said, I did this,
I didn't do this. But the books are going to be
open. The books. And Romans 2.16 says, In that
day, every thought, the secrets of man, will be judged, will
be revealed by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. That's exactly
what the scripture says. 2 Corinthians 5 says, You'll
stand before the judgment seat to receive those things done
in their body, whether good or bad. Now here's a sad fact. Here's what most religious people
think. Most believe that their good
deeds will outweigh their bad. Most believe their good works,
good intentions, overrule the bad, overrule their sins. And whatever sins they may have
committed or thought, they couldn't help it, they tried to do better
or did do better, quit this, quit that, surely I'm going to
be all right. But God says, the soul that sinneth,
it shall surely die. The thought of foolishness is
sin. The books were open. Now here's
a key word here in chapter 20 of Revelation. It says, the dead. The dead. both small and great,
stood before God. The books were open. The books
were open. It goes on down to say the sea
gave up the dead which were in it. Death and hell delivered
up the dead. The dead. The dead. Who's dead? All men have sinned. All men
died in Adam. In Adam all died. They were dead
and trespassed in sin. It says the dead were judged
according to their works. But now listen to me, listen
to the scripture. God's elect people, God's people
are never called the dead except in Christ. The dead in Christ
shall live, shall rise. They are called living saints,
living stones. The Lord answered the Pharisees
one day and said, God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. God's people have been quickened,
Ephesians 2, 1, and you He speaks of God's people, His elect. He
says, You hath He quickened who were dead. You once were dead,
but now made alive by the Spirit of God, by the gospel of God,
by Christ, who is our life. Paul said, I live, but yet not
I, but Christ that liveth in me. He said, I was crucified
with Christ, yet now I live. The life I now live, I live by
the faith of the Son of God who loved men, died for me. The dead,
the dead, these are those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who aren't in Christ, found in Him, covered with His righteousness. Those for whom Christ did not
die, that's the dead. They're going to be judged by
their works. Everyone that's not in Jesus Christ, everyone
that's not found in Christ, having His righteousness to cover them.
They are outside of Christ, and they are going to be judged by
every thought they ever thought, every idle word they ever spoke,
every deed, not done or done, going to stand before God, judged
according to their works. And their works are not good
enough, because by works no man is saved. It doesn't matter.
You who listen to me, listen to me, oh self-righteous man
or self-righteous woman, your works aren't good enough. Just
because you quit this or quit that or don't do this or don't
do that, it doesn't matter. It's not good enough. You must
be perfect, absolutely as holy as God Himself to enter His holy
heaven. And none, there's none that doeth
good. There's none righteous. No, not
one in themselves. Now there's another book, another
book which you must be found in. It's called the Book of Life.
It's called the Lamb's Book of Life. And in verse 12 it says,
another book was open, which is the book of life, one book. And God's people, their names
were written in that book of life. Seven, including Daniel
12, seven times it speaks of the book of life, the Lamb's
book of life, which was written before the foundation of the
world. The foundation of God standeth
sure, Paul wrote, having this seal The Lord knoweth them that
are His." Why? Because He chose them. He put
them in this book. He wrote their names in this
book before the foundation of the world. It's called the Lamb's
Book. He's the author and finisher
of it. If you wrote a book, that means you're the author of it,
and you're the one who decided what goes in it. So it is with
the Lamb's Book of Life. He's the author. He's the finisher.
He wrote it. He began it. He put all the events
and names and peoples in it. And He sealed it. It's the Lamb's
book of life. All are in that book are in Him. It's the Lamb's book. They're
found in Him. The names of His people, they're
chosen in Him, Ephesians 1 verse 4 says. chosen in Him. In Him
they're holy, without blame, unreprovable in God's sight,
because they're found in Christ. They're covered by His righteousness. Their sins have been paid for
by His shed blood. Yes, there is therefore now no
condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. None. No judgment
in Christ, because Christ was judged for them on Calvary's
tree. Those who were in Christ died
in Christ. under the law, found guilty,
and were punished by a holy God for their sins in Christ. Nevertheless,
they're quickened by the Spirit of God, given life, and they're
found before God someday, not in heaven because of their own
righteousness, their own works, but by the works of the precious
Lamb of God. His blood to cover their sins,
His righteousness is their robe. Which book are you in? May you
be found in the Lamb's Book of Life. Amen.