So the message today comes from
Isaiah chapter 24, and I've given it the title Judgment Day. Judgment Day. Simple as that.
I remember when I was a kid, a small kid growing up, and if
you went to a big city, you would often see people wandering around
with sandwich boards on. I don't suppose you know what
sandwich boards are these days, but what they are basically is
two boards that were held together by straps over the shoulders,
one down the front and one down the back. And you'd see a man
wandering along and it would say on the front, the end of
the world is nigh, and then on the back, prepare to meet thy
God or something like that. And they were universally regarded
as complete crap pots. Completely, oh, look at that.
And many would say, well, look, here we are 60 years on from
those days and the world hasn't ended. And it wasn't nigh then.
So we were right to pour scorn on it. But then in 1999, there
was a movie. I don't know if you remember
it. It had the title that I've given today's message. The title
was Judgment Day. And just to briefly tell you
what the theme of the movie was, a giant meteor was discovered
that was going to hit the Earth. They reckon that there have been
such cataclysms in the past, though I actually think that
the evidence that they look at for that is actually much more
effectively explained by the flood of Noah's day, but never
mind. They reckon that this giant meteor was coming and it was
going to hit the earth and it would cause such a cataclysm
that the planet would be wiped out. They think it's the sort
of thing that wiped out the dinosaurs, again I say, I think it was the
flood that did that, but never mind. Rather than complete crackpot,
hey, it's the subject of a movie. Do you know, even now, serious
science acknowledges that there's a small but a distinct possibility
of cataclysm of that nature. You know, oh, we're safe, nothing's
ever going to... There's a possibility. There
are some big lumps of space rock out there flying through space.
Don't be so sure. It may be a small possibility
because the Earth is still a little dot in a giant universe. But
don't be so sure. It could happen. So maybe the
idea of an end is not quite so ridiculous as people used to
make it out to be. But it isn't that that should
persuade you to take a message about judgment seriously. No,
not that. It's not movies and fiction about
meteors going to hit the earth. It's not that that should make
you think about it. I'll tell you what should make
you think about it. This book. This book. This book is the Word
of God. This declares it. The Bible declares
it. And you say, well, why should
I believe that? Has it not proven true about everything else? You've
shown me something that the Bible has said that is not true. You
cannot do it. Honestly, you cannot do it. It's
been true about everything else. Why would it not be true about
this, about the fact of judgment? You see, throughout this book,
there is a declaration of the holiness of God, the absolute
perfection of the being we worship as God, the one who is the creator,
the one who is the sustainer, the one who rules over all, and
he is absolutely holy and pure. He is the very definition of
what righteousness is. How do you define righteousness?
There's no better definition than this. It's everything that
our God is. How do you define holiness? There's no better definition
than this. Holiness is everything that our
God is. And he tells us that he is on an altogether different
plane in terms of thinking and doing than we are, because we
are fallen. Do you know what sin is? Sin is the transgression of the
law. Sin is rebellion against God. Sin is what in the Garden
of Eden, When Satan, the serpent, came to Eve and said, has God
said? Do you really believe God? It
was, well, no, I don't suppose I do. That's it. Rebellion. Rebellion. God hasn't said. No,
I don't believe what this God, this world around us. Do you
want me to go out and accuse people rightly of their sin? I'll tell you what it is. You
do not believe the Word of God. You do not believe what God has
said. The God who has made you, who
has made everything. You have said, there is no God
for me. And do you know what the Bible
calls you if that's what you say? A fool. The fool has said
in his heart, no God for me. Throughout this book, it promises
judgment from sin. We read Matthew 24, or part of
it, before. The Son of God. The Son of God
who is God manifesting to flesh so that we can see Him. The Son
of God. No man has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son
who is in the bosom of the Father. He has declared Him. He has made
Him known. He has manifested Him. The Son
of God from heaven. The One who knows all things
that are from the Father. The One who was with God in the
beginning. In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was
in the beginning with God. Without Him was nothing made
that was made. This One, the Son of God from heaven, has declared,
judgment is coming. This world will end. Judgment
is coming. The apostles affirmed it. Those
specially ordained by God. Anointed by His Holy Spirit to
declare the truth of the gospel to the early church, and we have
it in our New Testaments, Paul to the Thessalonians wrote very
clearly about the end coming. This world is going to end. Peter, the apostle, wrote about
it. This world is going to end. He
said in 2 Peter 2 verse 9, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the
godly out of temptations, and to, listen, reserve the unjust. What's unjust? Those who don't
believe God. Those who say no to God. Reserve
the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. Jude speaks about
the judgment of the great day. The scriptures are clear from
end to end. I've dipped my toe in it three
places just to give you an idea. The scriptures are clear. Revelation
throughout gives clear teaching on the judgment that is to come,
the end of the world, the end comes, especially chapter 18.
The language of chapter 18 resonates so clearly with the language
of Isaiah 24. And has it happened in the past? You know, God says
he's going to judge the world and end it all. I tell you, the
flood, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah. God said he will judge sin. God
has said he always, he will judge sin. He will, that sin will not
go unpunished. And when God looked down on the
people of the day of Noah, he saw that the thoughts and intents
of their hearts were nothing other than evil continually.
And he brought a flood to teach us that God punishes sin. God will not tolerate sin to
go unpunished into eternity. God does what he says. And here
in Isaiah chapter 24, if you've got that open before you, here
in Isaiah 24, it is proclaimed clearly. Now, we don't like this
message naturally. Naturally, we recoil from it.
I tell you, preachers naturally recoil from it. I'd far rather
preach to you about positive gospel grace than warn you about
judgment to come. But that's my flesh, that's my
weak flesh. We naturally, in the flesh, recoil
from preaching. about judgment and discussing
judgment. But we can't be faithful to the
message that God has revealed in his word and still avoid it.
And why is it so important? Why does it matter to you and
me today? We need to be aware. Was that
not the tenor of what Christ was saying in Matthew 24? Be
ready. Don't be like the foolish man who makes no provision to
protect his house from the thief. He thinks about, if he knew what
hour the thief would come, he'd sit up and watch and wait and
be ready and be armed, ready to defend himself. He wouldn't
just let it happen. Awareness, expectation of it
happening, being prepared for it to come. You see, this is
the truth. I can say this to every one of
us, including myself. You will either die, and then
your next conscious experience will be that day, that judgment
day. Yeah? Or, God will end this creation
and he will take his saints to glory. That's it, that's it. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter
four with me and don't worry if you can't turn to it, I'll
read it. I'm gonna read verses 16 and 17. Verse 16 of 1 Thessalonians
chapter four. Paul says this, for the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. It hasn't happened
yet, but it's going to. With the voice of the archangel.
and with the trump of God. Everybody will know about it,
you'll all hear it. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Those
who have died as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ shall rise
from the dead first. Their dead bodies shall rise.
then we which are alive at that time and remain shall be caught
up together with them that have died in Christ, in the clouds,
in the glory of God basically, to meet the Lord in the air.
And so we believers, whether you've died or you're alive at
the time, we believers all, so shall we ever. be with the Lord. What a glorious prospect. Wherefore,
comfort one another with these words. There's a great and glorious
day coming for the people of God, definitely. But judgment
falls, just judgment, just punishment of sin, just Exaction of the
penalty due falls on everyone else, because as Revelation 20
tells us, the books will be opened. It's not as if God needs books.
They're just a metaphor for the memory of God, that everything
is written down. He knows. He knows everything.
The books are opened. The account of everything. and
strict justice will be applied, and legal satisfaction will be
exacted, exactly. God will be vindicated, and God
will be glorified. So, this book of Isaiah, this
66 chapters, which so much reflects the rest of Scripture, 66 chapters
of Isaiah just as there are 66 books of the Bible, So the gospel
according to Isaiah, because it's a book that is full of gospel,
this is its purpose, is to declare the saving grace of God in Christ. The gospel according to Isaiah
is not complete without a declaration of the certainty of final judgment. So that's what I want us to consider
this morning in the time that we have. The end of the world,
look at verse one. Isaiah 24, verse one, behold,
The Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth
it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
God has declared it. The world is going to end. Be absolutely in no doubt. God
will make the world once again to be without form and void. He will make it empty. He will
make it a waste. He will turneth it upside down.
He will scatter abroad the inhabitants thereof. Just as it says in Genesis
1 verse 2, before God created all things, it says, in the beginning
God created the heaven and earth, and the earth was without form
and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And God
says, I'm going to do that again. I'm going to make it like that,
as it was before God completed creation. He has announced that
He will bring it to an end. Unbelieving people? Pour scorn
on the idea, as Peter said they would. Listen to this. This is
the Apostle Peter speaking. 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 3. Now listen while I read you these
words. Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last
days scoffers, those who make fun, walking after their own
lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming? You've
said the Lord is coming again. Where is it? I don't see it.
It's not happening, is it? For since the fathers fell asleep,
since the ancients died, all things continue as they were
from the beginning of creation. It's all just going on as it
always will go on. Is this not what unbelievers
say? For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the
word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was,
being overflowed with water, perished. What's he reminding
them of? Just as it was in the days of
Noah, in the days of the flood. But the heavens and the earth
which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto
fire against the day of judgment, and perdition, lostness, of ungodly
men. But, beloved, when's it going
to happen? It just carries on the same as ever. Be not ignorant
of this one thing. that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is
not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness,
but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any by which
he means any of his elect should perish, but that all of his elect
should come to repentance. That's why, as Stephen prayed
in his prayer, that's why we're still here. We're still here
and this world is still turning on its axis because there are
still the elect of God to be called out under the sound of
the preaching of the gospel of grace, for by the foolishness
of preaching it pleased God to save those who believe. Now,
will you pay attention to what God has said he will do? Will
you seek to be ready for that day when it comes. Maybe you
think it won't affect you, but that it only really affects bad
people. You know, you're not a bad person,
really. It only affects bad people. It's not really of relevance
to you. Look at verse two. And it shall be, as with the
people, so with the priest. Oh, so it's not as if it's for
the people, but the priests get off. No, no. As with the servant,
so with his master. Oh, so The better classes don't
avoid judgment any more than the lower classes do. No. As
with the maid, so with the mistress. No. It's without distinction
of class or status or anything else. As with the buyer, so with
the seller. As with the lender, so with the
borrower. As with the taker of usury, that's borrowing with
interest, so with the giver of usury to him. Everybody's in
it together. None will escape. God will punish
sin, all sin, without any let off from it. And when God
speaks about it, verse three, the land shall be utterly emptied
and utterly spoiled for the Lord has spoken his word. When God
speaks it, it's as good as done. And look at the result. The earth
mourneth, verse four, and fadeth away. The world languisheth and
fadeth away. The haughty people of the earth
do languish. It's a scene of utter loss, of
utter despair for those who are most confident in the things
of this world, the things they have, the careers, the lives
that they've built. Yes, go out, get the best education
you can, build a career that's fulfilling, and all of those
things, but don't think that that is your ticket to eternity,
because it isn't. It isn't. It will just go like
a vapour, disappears. It will just disappear. It will
just disappear in a moment. Why will God do this? Why will
God bring such desolation? He said, I'm going to end this
earth. It's going to be emptied. It's going to be a desolate place.
It's going to be without form and void. Why will he do this?
Verse five. This is the reason. The earth
also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof. God hates sin. God hates every aspect of sin. Sin is rebellion against the
character and being of the God who has made all things. God
hates it. It's rebellion. It's opposition
to his rightful rule. He cannot tolerate one little,
tiny grain of rebellion against him. No. It's It's the iniquity of the
inhabitants thereof have defiled this creation because they have,
look what they've done. They have transgressed the laws. They have changed the ordinance.
They have broken the everlasting covenant. What does that mean?
They have transgressed the laws. They've broken God's law. Simply,
God has a law. It's written in the hearts of
man, in conscience of man. They've broken it. He's written
his law, if they didn't know it, clearly on tablets of stone,
and they've broken it. He's written it in his word,
and they've broken it. They've violated God's righteous
standards. They've violated it every day,
and we think, well, I'm not so bad as others, but every day
you do that, which violates the justice and the being of God. rebelled against his rule. Jeremiah
says this about all of us. Jeremiah 17 verse nine, the heart
of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. I quoted it just before, but
Genesis six verse five, God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually. And you say, well, yeah, that's
true of some people. There's some very evil people
around. Yeah, there really are. But listen to this. You say,
I'm not so bad. I know I'm not very good, but
I'm nowhere near as bad as those. James 2, verse 10. Whosoever
shall keep the whole law, oh, I'm doing all right, and yet
offend in one point, he is guilty of all. That's it, guilty of
all. When judgment day comes, you,
All of us, all, will confess the justice of God in condemning
you for your transgression of His law. That's the truth. That's
what this book says. That will be the case. Secondly,
they've transgressed laws, they've changed the ordinance. What is
it to change the ordinance? They've corrupted God's declared
truth concerning His righteousness. You see, They build up systems
of false religion. They even call it Christianity
in all sorts of forms. But they have corrupted God's
declared truth concerning His righteousness. They've produced
a man-centred salvation, not a God-centred salvation. They've
produced a system of works-based improvement. All religion, you
look at it, all of it has a system of works-based improvement in
the flesh. All of it does. Whether it be
to be judged right by God as in Islamic faith, or whether
in the most strict orthodox Reformed Baptist doctrine, works-based
improvement. Believe as rule of life, as your
rule for sanctification, to get you ready to go to heaven. A
lie. It's not what's taught in this
book. Not at all. They've changed the ordinance.
So, I'll give you an example. They've changed the ordinance
of communion. You know what communion is? Remembrance. This do in remembrance of me. Remembrance. For as often as
you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's
death till he come. You remember him, you discern
the body of the Lord, you discern that it's on the basis of what
he did that your salvation, that your justification rests. And they've turned that, this
false religion, they've turned it into a sacrament that itself
bestows divine blessing. Oh, I must go to communion because
thereby I'll be made a bit more righteous and acceptable to God.
That's false doctrine. They've changed the ordinance
and every other manifestation of false religion. They've distorted
and changed God's word to suit man's preference and man's reasoning.
And three, they've broken the everlasting covenant. In a sense,
they can't break it, because the everlasting covenant, the
covenant of grace, was made between the persons of the Godhead, and
it cannot be broken. But they've broken it in this
respect, that they've disregarded it. They've thrown it overboard.
This covenant of sovereign grace, of particular redemption, and
out of it, this false religion has made a gospel that suits
fallen man's preferences. No, look at it, verse 6. Therefore,
because of the sin hath the curse devoured the earth. The curse
has devoured the earth. God has cursed it for the sake
of sin. He cursed it in the Garden of
Eden when Adam and Eve fell. He cursed the ground. Thorns
and briars will it bring forth for you. He cursed the ground
for their sake. But there's a curse that is quoted, it's in Deuteronomy
and it's quoted in Galatians. Cursed is everyone who continues
not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.
If you are going to live by works, you must keep it perfectly, every
day, without a moment of lapse, every day, all things written
in the book of the law to do them. God has cursed it because
of sin and rebellion, and the curse has devoured the earth
in judgment. Look at verses 7 to 12. The new wine mourneth, the vine
languisheth, all the merry-hearted do sigh. See, there's no more
joy anymore. The mirth of Tabret's instrument
ceases. The noise of them that rejoice
ends. The joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with
a song. Strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
The city of confusion, this is false religion, this is Babylon,
is broken down. Every house is shut up that no
man may come in. There is a crying for wine in
the streets. All joy is darkened. The mirth
of the land is gone. There's anguish because of it.
In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with
destruction. Those are very, very clear words. Those are very clear words about
what God will do because of sin and because of rebellion. We
have a scene of economic and social desolation. It's just
like Revelation. Read Revelation with me, Revelation
18. And verse 11, listen to this,
Revelation 18, verse 11. The merchants of the earth shall
weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise
any more. The merchandise of gold and silver
and precious stones, and of pearls and fine linen and purple and
silk and scarlet, and all thine wood and all manner vessels of
ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood and of
brass and iron and marble and cinnamon and odors and ointments
and frankincense and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat,
and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and
souls of men, and the fruits that thy soul lusted after are
departed from thee. and all things which were dainty
and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them
no more at all. The merchants of these things,
which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas,
alas, that great city, this world with its false religion, that
was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and decked
with gold and precious stones and pearls, How quickly will
it happen? Verse 17, for in one hour, so
great riches is come to naught. and every shipmaster and all
the company in ships and sailors and as many as trade by sea stood
afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning,
saying, What city is like unto this great city? And they cast
dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing, saying,
Alas, alas, the great city wherein we are all made rich that had
ships in the sea by reason of her costliness, for in one hour
she is made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven
and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you upon
her. You see, judgment is coming. Judgment is most definitely coming. Be clear, God has said he will
end this world in judgment for sin, for violation of his declared
truth. And if you're taking notice,
look at verse 16. I'm just gonna skip 13 to 15,
I'll come back to that. But verse 16. where it says,
from the uttermost part of the earth we have heard songs, even
glory to the righteous. But I said, my leanness, my leanness. Woe unto me, the treacherous
dealers have dealt treacherously. Yea, the treacherous dealers
have dealt very treacherously. There's a contrast highlighted
there. You see, the voice of gospel grace has gone out into
all lands. That's what Psalm 19 says. Their
voice has gone out into all the world. The voice of gospel grace
has gone where Christ said it would go. The voice of gospel
grace of people who believe the gospel of grace, who've proclaimed
it, even though it's scorned by the vast majority. The voice
of gospel grace has gone out into all lands. The voice of
songs. of songs declaring heaven's glory
for the people made righteous by grace. There we are, from
the uttermost part of the earth we have heard songs, even glory
to the righteous. The voice of songs declaring
heaven's glory for the people made righteous by grace. That
message has gone out into all the world. But there is widespread
spiritual poverty. Oh, my leanness. My leanness. There's widespread spiritual
poverty. Why is there widespread Spiritual
poverty because of the treacherous dealers. The treacherous dealers
who've dealt treacherously. They've dealt very treacherously.
Who are these treacherous dealers? Can I suggest to you that they're
false preachers? We've got an abundance of false
preachers in this world. An abundance of them. Again,
I know I mention it often, but it's on on Sunday mornings on
the radio while we're getting breakfast together. the Radio
4 service from Edinburgh this morning, full of treacherous
dealers. The message was the message of
treacherous dealers. It was a refuge of lies. The prayers were refuges of lies. There was no truth, there was
no scripture, there was no Bible in any of it. There was nothing
other than human effort to make this world a better place. False
preachers, peddlers of spiritual lies, false gospels, good news,
but they're no gospels at all. They're not. They're lies. They
let you down. Perhaps you doubt the truth of
God is for you, even though it is clearly a blessing to many.
Because you know of people who believe this message. Beware
of leanness. I'm saying this, not obviously
just to us gathered here, but to any that might hear it later.
Amos 8, verse 11. God says, I will send a famine
in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord. Is there not in this land
of ours a famine of hearing the words of the Lord? You think
those you come across every day, nobody has heard the truth of
God faithfully preached according to the scriptures. It would seem
you walk the streets, you see thousands and thousands of people.
How many? tiny number would appear to have
heard the truth and heeded the truth. If you don't heed the
warnings of God's Word, the truth faithfully preached, there is
only the certainty of fearful judgment. Look at verses 17 to
22. Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant
of the earth. And it shall come to pass that
he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the
pit. And he that comes up out of the midst of the pit shall
be taken in the snare. For the windows from on high
are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. The earth
is utterly broken down." It's echoing what happened geologically
in the days of the flood, when the fountains of the great deep
were opened up. It's saying judgment is coming,
the earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved,
the earth is moved exceedingly, the earth shall reel to and fro
like a drunkard and shall be removed like a cottage and the
transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it and it shall fall
and not rise again. The wise man built his house
upon a rock The foolish man built his house upon the sand, the
cottage that shall fall and not rise again. And it shall come
to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the host of
the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon
the earth. And they shall be gathered together as prisoners
are gathered in the pit, and they shall be shut up in the
prison, and after many days shall they be visited with the certainty
of judgment, fear, and the pit, no escape, just punishment. There
is no escape except one only. And with this we must finish.
How shall we escape? You see, judgment is coming.
God is going to end this world. And there is going to be terrible,
fearful judgment. That everyone who is in that
judgment will have to confess that God is righteous and just
in it. But how shall we escape? Do you
remember that verse, Hebrews 2.3? How shall we escape if we
neglect so great salvation? You see, there is a way of escape. It is possible for God to justly
punish all sin and yet graciously justify sinners. Listen to the
words of the Son of God. our Lord Jesus Christ. John 5,
verse 24. Verily, verily, truly, truly,
I say unto you. If God from heaven comes and
says verily, verily to you, you better take notice. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him
that sent me, listen, has everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death to life. Do you hear that?
There is a way of escape. How shall we escape if we neglect
so great salvation? Here it is, the Son of God who
procured it declares it. He that hears my words and believes
on him that sent me has everlasting life. Because the promised Messiah,
The Christ, promised in all Scripture, has been made the sin of a multitude,
the multitude that the Father gave to Him before the beginning
of time, and He's borne the penalty of that sin to the full, as if
He had committed it though He committed no sin. Divine justice,
therefore, for that sin which cannot ever excuse the guilty. Divine justice is satisfied,
for the price has been paid, the penalty's been paid, and
there's no more penalty to require of that multitude. Who are they? Who is the multitude for whom
there is no penalty to be required? Who is the multitude who will
not come into condemnation? Answer? those who believe the
truth of God, those who trust the satisfaction made by the
Christ of God, when He bore their sins in His own body on the tree
of Calvary, and there shed His precious blood, and the law of
God, the offended law of God, was satisfied. And so He was
lifted up for those sins, and He was raised from the dead because
God said that's enough. That's done. It's finished. I'm
happy. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus, those believing in him, those
who believe the truth of God, those who trust the satisfaction
made by the Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2.13, Paul says
to them, this group of Greek Gentiles in his day, not Jews,
Greek Gentiles, he said, we are bound to give thanks always to
God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has
from the beginning chosen you to salvation. How do you know,
Paul? How do you know he's chosen these Greek Gentiles to salvation? Through sanctification of the
spirit. because the Holy Spirit has clearly come and set you
apart and given you a heart to hear the gospel preached. And
not only that, belief of the truth, because he's given you
faith to believe it. You look and you see, that's
where my sin was dealt with. And that being the case, your
sin is dealt with. It's not your belief that makes
it the case. It's your belief that apprehends
that it is the case. This is the work of God. Do you
remember? They asked Jesus, what must we do that we do the work
of God? He said, this is the work of God. And it is the work
of God, because only God the Holy Spirit can do this work,
that you believe on Him whom He has sent. And bring every
one of that multitude to believe that Christ has by His death
and shed blood satisfied the justice of God for their sin.
So that, I've already said it, there is therefore, Romans 8.1,
there is therefore now no condemnation. Judgment day is coming, but there
is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
No condemnation. Verse 13. Look, verse 13. When thus it shall be in the
midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking
of an olive tree. And as the gleaning grapes, when
the vintage is done, they shall lift up their voice, they shall
sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the
sea, wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name
of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea. That's
speaking of a gathering of the elect multitude from out of the
peoples of this world. the people who are, as Ephesians
1, 6 says, the people who are to the praise of the glory of
his grace. Verse 23, then the moon shall
be confounded and the sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts, that's
Christ, shall reign in Mount Zion, that's amongst his people,
in his kingdom, in Jerusalem, not the city, not the literal
city, the new Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously. God's ancients, who are they?
The ones who were chosen in Christ. When were they chosen? before
the foundation of the world. Christ reigning amongst his people,
called out of this world, the people of the Lord of hosts,
citizens of Zion, citizens of the new Jerusalem that comes
down from heaven on that judgment day in glory for the marriage
supper of the Lamb. Look at finally Revelation chapter
20. Let me just read verse 11 to
15 to you. This is John looking at that
final day, that day of judgement. He 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, the books were opened, the book of the
records. 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, in proportion to, in direct, just, strict, just proportion. 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, as they were written in the books,
and death and hell, that means those that had died in those,
those that were in those places, were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death. They'd already died the first
death in their bodies. And listen, and whosoever, without
exception, was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. That's hell. The book of life
is the Lamb's book of life. The Lamb's Book of Salvation.
And so I would say what Paul said, O that I might be found
in him on that day. on that day of judgment, oh,
that I might be found in him, with my name written in that
book of life, not having my own righteousness, which is according
to the law, but that which is by faith of Jesus Christ on what
he has done for me, with my name in his book of life, not coming
into condemnation, confident that Satan can bring no accusation. Who shall bring any charge against
God's elect? Christ has died in their place,
possessing eternal life. Think of coming judgment and
be very afraid if you must give account in your own strength.
Be very afraid. But if you're in the Lord Jesus
Christ, now then, listen, Psalm 4 verse 8, I will both lay me
down in peace and sleep. For thou, Lord, only, makest
me dwell in safety. Now, that's the experience of
the people of God, and in that day of judgment, that's the experience
of the people of God. Amen.