Would you turn back to 1 John
chapter 4 and think of this concept, boldness, cheerful courage, not worried on the day of judgment. All men know intuitively and
instinctively that God made the world and that God is the great
judge and that he will reward the righteous and punish the
wicked. Men know that intuitively. They're born with that knowledge.
Now somebody says, I don't believe that. Well, there was a time
you did. You may have hardened your heart or you can convince
yourself that you don't believe that, but there was a time when
you did. Men are born with this light. And I feel no need to
prove it because you know it so. Hebrews chapter 9 verse 27
says, and it's appointed unto men once to die. Now this is an appointment that
you and I will keep. It's appointed to men once to
die. And after that, the judgment. Many have no idea that on judgment
day, it will be bad for them. Matthew 7, 22 says, many will
say unto me in that day, speaking of the day of judgment, Lord,
Lord, have we not preached in your name? In your name, have
we not cast out demons? And in your name, have we not
done many wonderful works? And then shall I say to them,
I never knew you. Depart from me ye that work iniquity. I don't know of a scripture that
scares me more than that one. I do not want to hear those words. Now on Judgment Day it will be
worse for some than others. The Lord looked at a group of
people who had rejected the gospel. And he said, it will be more
tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than it
will be for you. Now, I want to say this. I think I need to say this. What
is Sodom and Gomorrah? They are men who wanted to have
homosexual relations with angels. Now that sounds about as perverted
as it can be. And yet the Lord says they're
going to have it better on judgment day. That's a sobering, sobering
thought. In Hebrews chapter 10, you might
want to turn with me to this scripture. Verse 26, 4, if we sin willfully, after that
we've received the knowledge of the truth, There remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins. Now before I go on, do you sin
willfully? Every time you sin, every time
I sin, we sin willfully. The will is always involved in
sin. What he's talking about is after hearing the knowledge,
after gaining the knowledge of the truth of how God saves sinners,
you willfully turn your back on that. That's what he's talking
about. After hearing the truth and willfully turning your back
on that, there remains no more sacrifice for sins but a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall
devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses of how much more severe
punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath
trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood
of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing."
And that word is the word that's generally translated a common
thing. that which is general to all,
as opposed to that which is peculiar to the few, and hath done despite
unto the Spirit of grace. For we know him that saith, Vengeance
belongeth unto me. I will reconvence, saith the
Lord." You know, the Lord said in Matthew chapter 12, this is
a telling scripture. He said in Matthew chapter 12,
verse 36, by your words, by the things that come out of your
mouth, you'll be justified and by your words you'll be condemned. And I say unto you that every
idle word men will give an account on the day of judgment. Now is
that talking about all the idle words that we speak like talking
about ballgames and sports and stuff that doesn't even matter. And we talk about that's not
what the Lord's talking about. He's talking about your words
are going to tell on you. You boast in your works, your
free will, all the things that you've done, it'll be brought
up on judgment day and you'll be judged accordingly. And if
in your speech, which is the index of your heart, you look
to Christ only, it'll be seen on judgment day. Turn with me
to Let me be turning to Matthew 25 and let me quote Acts chapter
17 verse 31. He hath appointed a day in which
he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained
wherever he hath given assurance unto all men, and that he raised
him from the dead." Now what that says is, here's the standard
of judgment. I'm going to be put right by
that man, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if I'm not exactly like him,
I'll be condemned. I love the majesty of this passage
in Matthew chapter 25. Verse 31, when the son of man
shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall
be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from
another as a shepherd divided his sheep from the goats. And
he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on
the left, verse 46 of the same chapter. And these goats shall
go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous, the sheep
into life eternal. Revelation chapter 20, John says, beginning in verse
11, And I saw a great white throne
and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the head had
been fled away. And there was found no place
for them. Now, can you imagine having boldness at this time?
Let's go on reading. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God, and the books were opened. And another
book was opened, just one book, 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. God is absolutely just,
and he's gonna give everybody exactly what they deserve. Verse 13, 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. Now, let me make this comment. God will deal with you on the
ground you come. If you come in your works, he'll
deal with you just like that. If you come pleading nothing
but Christ, He will deal with you just like that. Verse 14,
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. Now there
will be a day of judgment. There will be a day of How will
it be for me on that great day? How will it be for you on that
great day? I love the epitaph that George
Whitefield had put on his tombstone. A preacher from the 1700s, some
say one of the greatest preachers to ever live, George Whitefield.
Here is what is written on his tombstone. Here lies George Whitefield. what manner of man he was, that
great day will tell. And that's so. I said, Lynn,
you know what I want on my tombstone? Here lies Todd Nyberg. Nothing else. Nothing else. I know what I am, that great
day will tell. But judgment day will tell all,
won't it? Judge nothing before the time,
Paul said, till the Lord come who will bring to light the hidden
things of darkness, and then shall every man have praise of
God. Now, notice this phrase in our
text back in 1 John 4, verse 17, boldness in the day of judgment. Now first he says in verse 17,
herein is our love. Let's talk about our love. Herein is our love made perfect. We didn't make it perfect. It
was made perfect. That verb is in the passive tense. It's something that was done
by the Lord to us wherein he made our love perfect. Now what's
he talking about? Look in verse 18. There is no fear in love. That's talking about a slavish
fear. It's not talking about that fear
of God that's the beginning of wisdom, that fear that is afraid
to look anywhere but Christ. That's talking about a slavish
fear of punishment. That's the fear of mistrust.
There's no love in that kind of fear. It's the fear of mistrust.
God's going to get me. God's going to punish me. God's
going to do this to me. He's going to get me back. There's
no love in that. There's no fear in true love,
but perfect love casteth out fear. His perfect
love to me casts out my fear. You see, he has a love to me,
and oh, would to God I could get hold of this the way I want
to. He's got a love to me that took away all my sins, and there's
nothing for me to fear. That's the love that casts out
fear. This is that Abba Father. I can come into His presence
and be accepted for Christ's sake and know that His perfect
love to me that took away all my sin, that however lovely the
Lord Jesus Christ is, that's how I am to the Father. And this
perfect love is what casts out fear. Fear has torment. And that word torment is actually
punishment. If you have this slavish fear,
oh, you have this fear of punishment, do I ever have that? Of course
I do. Of course I do. If I said, well, I never fear
punishment, I'd be lying because there's not a day that goes by
when I don't fear it somehow. I think I'm going to get punished
for this. I'm going to get corrected for that. I'm going to get maybe
out of all the different things that go through your mind. But
that kind of fear has torment, doesn't it? It's not a blessed
thing. He that feareth is not made perfect
in love. Now, let's go back to verse 17
once again. Here's what perfect love does.
It gives us boldness. He says, herein is our love made
perfect, seeing that we don't have any punishment because of
Christ. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness,
cheerful confidence, No fear in the day of judgment. Not shrinking back in fear and
in dread, not cringing, but boldness of fearless confidence on judgment
day. That judgment that was described
in Revelation 20 where all the earth fled from His face. I can
stand before Him on judgment day before a thrice holy God
and this is the Privilege of every believer. This is not just
for a select few. This is not just for the apostles.
The we and the us and the our, John is talking about, is every
believer. Every believer can stand before
this judgment seat on judgment day with boldness. Now this is not arrogance. It's
not cockiness, but it's a boldness clothed in humility. Because
we understand that the ground of this boldness has nothing
to do with us. Don't you know that? You're sure
of that. It has wholly to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. So
this is not an arrogant, cockiness, self-confidence. You know, I've
been hearing self-confidence. I guess it's because I've watched
American Idol a couple of times in the last week, and everybody's
talking about having self-confidence. I think, what's that about? What's
that about? I got confidence in Christ. I
don't have any confidence in myself. No confidence in the
flesh, but we need to have something. Well, I don't know why I said
that. Probably shouldn't have used that example, but I did. But I remember
watching that and it's just irritating me. Everybody talking about it. That's free. Wasn't in my notes. Boldness. Herein is our love
made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment
because. Because I've made my peace with God. I remember when I accepted Christ
as my personal savior and I was baptized and I made my peace
with God. I was sincere. One saved, always
saved. I'm good to go. I've made my
peace with God. I see sufficient evidence in
my life and my works that lets me know I must be saved. There are sins that I've stopped
committing. I don't commit those sins anymore. I'm living a tolerably good life.
I can certainly see many men of whom I'd say my life is better
than theirs. I have a boldness because I know
the doctrines of grace. I'm no Arminian. I believe the
five points. Surely I'm saved. I have a boldness
because I have by grace progressively become more holy. and less sinful. Surely if any man will stand
in judgment, it'll be me. I'm as good as many, better than a lot, a whole lot better than
some. Surely it'll be okay with me. I have preached in his name.
I have cast out demons in his name and I have done notice the
quantity and the quality of the works. I have done many wonderful
works. If you feel a boldness in anything
that has anything to do with you, you have deceived yourself. The boldness that every believer
has the right to has absolutely, listen to me, absolutely nothing
to do with their personal obedience. I'm all for obedience, but if
I gain assurance of my salvation because of my obedience, all
that is is disobedience to the gospel. Nothing more. I don't have any boldness because
I am this way or I'm doing this or I'm not doing that. Anything
to do with me does not enter into the equation of boldness
on the day of judgment. You feel that way? I know that's so. Now, I want
us to consider this thing of boldness. Before we get to the
last scripture on the day of judgment, I'm going to tell you
some things that we have some boldness in. First turn to Acts chapter
2, verse 29. Men and brethren, Acts chapter
2 verse 29, this is Peter preaching on Pentecost. Men and brethren,
let me freely, and that word freely is boldly, the same word. Let me boldly speak unto you
of the patriarch David, that he's both dead and buried, and
his sepulcher is with us unto this day, therefore being a prophet,
and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that as
the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise
up Christ to sit on his throne, he seeing this before, spake
of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in
hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. Now you can read
that Psalm and What's David talking about? I can say boldly, I know
the meaning of scripture. Christ Jesus is the meaning. And I can say that with all boldness,
with all confidence. He is the meaning of every scripture,
the salvation that's in him. All scriptures point to him.
We got some boldness in that, don't we? I've got some boldness
in the gospel, I believe. I know I preach the gospel. I
know that Christ Jesus is the sum and substance of the word
of God. And I have boldness in that. And what about there in Acts
chapter 4 where it says, when they saw the boldness of Peter
and John, it's in verse 13. They saw the boldness of Peter
and John, how they spoke so clearly and so forcefully, there wasn't
any mistaking what they were saying. When they saw the boldness
of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they took knowledge of them, that they had been with
Jesus. Now here's the point. With Jesus,
we have a boldness before men. With Jesus, we could care less
what men think about what we're saying. All we care is about
what he thinks. There's a boldness, and we can
laugh at the frown of men being with him. We're not affected
by it. as we're with Him. Now, when
you're not conscious of Him and you're thinking of other things,
you won't have this holy boldness. But when, by the grace of God,
I see my standing is with Him, and this is His Word, oh, we
have a boldness. Turn to 2 Corinthians 3. Verse
12. Seeing that we have such hope, we use great plainness. And that word plainness, if you
look in the margin, is the same word boldness. Seeing that we
have such hope, and this is the hope every believer has, we use
great boldness of speech. Now, Look back in verse 9. For if the ministration of condemnation,
that's the law, and that's all it is. Don't ever forget that.
It's the ministration of condemnation. All it does is condemn you. Somebody
says, I try to keep the law. You haven't kept it. Don't even
say you try to keep it. No, you haven't. Not really.
People say, I try to keep the law. I don't believe you. You
do not. Well, I think the law ought to be our rule of life.
Well, I love God's holy law, but all it does is condemn. All
it does is condemn. It's the ministration of condemnation. Nothing more. If the ministration
of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministration of
righteousness exceed in glory. Now, the law doesn't do anything
but condemn, and the gospel doesn't do anything but make God's people
righteous. really righteous. Not legally
righteous, really righteous. Having the very righteousness
of God. Verse 10, for even that which
was made glorious had no glory. No glory. in this respect by
reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away
was glorious, that's what God's done with the law, he's done
away with it. He's done away with it. If that which is done away was
glorious, much more that which remaineth. how God makes a sinful
man absolutely righteous before Him. That's what remains. Oh,
it's rather glorious. Now seeing we have such hope,
such hope that God, without any contribution from me, that God
took my sin and made them to be Christ's sin, and He took
Christ's righteousness and makes it to be mine. Seeing we have
such hope, We use great plainness of speech, boldness of speech. You know, we don't try to check
our words. We don't try to make sure we're not saying these things
too strongly or overstatement. No, we use great boldness of
speech. You are looking at the righteousness of God in Christ. Turn to Ephesians chapter 3. Verse 12. In whom? In the Lord Jesus Christ. We
have boldness and access, freedom of entrance and confidence by
the faith of him. Now in whom? we have boldness. It doesn't just say we have boldness.
It's not just some bold, it's not talking about that. In whom
we have boldness. And in this one we have boldness,
we have access. And what's that mean? Freedom
of entrance. And you know, when I come into
the presence of the Father, when Christ comes into the presence
of the Father. And I'm in Him. When He comes
into the presence of the Father, I come into the presence of the
Father. And you know He's in the presence of the Father all
the time, isn't He? All the time, accepted altogether, lovely to
the Father. That's who we have confidence
in, in whom we have boldness, Bold shall I stand in that great
day, for who ought to my charge to lay, fully absolved from these
I am from sins, tremendous curse and shame. Boldness in Him, not
in myself. In myself I'm scared to death,
but in Him, if all God sees is Christ, I have boldness. If I
really am in Christ, united to Him so that who He is, I am in
Him. I have boldness, in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. I love being
saved by the faith of Him. You know, my faith's not good
enough. I like being saved by His faith, don't you? By the
faith of Him. Turn to Hebrews chapter 3. Verse six, but Christ, Hebrews
36, but Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are
we if we hold fast the confidence. Now that word confidence is the
same word translated boldness. Exact same word. Whose house
are we if we hold fast the boldness and the rejoicing of the hope
firm to the end? Now this is the boldness that
we must persevere in and hold steadfast to, firm to the end.
You know what that means? That means I'll never graduate
past this. It means there is no higher ground.
This is the highest ground there is. Simply to be holding fast
to the boldness that I have in Christ that where I can actually
have boldness in the day of judgment because of him. This is the apex. It is the beginning and it's
the end. This is all my hope in the beginning and this is
all my hope in the end. will hold the boldness of this
confidence steadfast all the way to the end. Look in Hebrews chapter 4 verse
16. Let us therefore come boldly
under the throne of what? Grace. Now here's where boldness
is. Yes, I'm coming to a throne and
we do so with fear and reverence, but we come boldly because it's
a throne of grace. Grace. If by grace, is it? Yes. If by grace, it's no more works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, it's no more grace. Otherwise, work is
no more work. Now, here's what this means.
Salvation really is all of grace. And that's where all boldness
comes from. It has nothing to do with anything that I've done. It's the free, unmerited, and
I think maybe a better word is demerited, favor of God. Salvation really is at all times
all of grace. Therefore, we can come boldly
to the throne of grace. And our boldness is because it's
grace. I don't come boldly because I think, well, I've read the
Bible more, and it seems like I've put down temptation more,
and I've prayed more, and I've been more spiritual. Therefore,
I can come boldly. No, no. You come boldly for this
one reason. It's the throne of grace. Turn to Hebrews 10. Verse 19, having therefore brethren
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Now, you
know the Old Testament time. The Holy of Holies, it had a
veil separating it. There was one person that came
behind that veil, the great high priest. If me or you tried to
come, we'd be killed instantly. Only one man could enter the
Holy of Holies. But what happened after the Lord
said, it is finished? The scripture says that veil
was rent from the top to the bottom, and the way into the
holiest was made me, you, and everybody that Christ died for. We have boldness to enter into
the holiest. How? By the blood of Jesus. And look what he calls it in
verse 20, by anew. And that word new means freshly
slaughtered. That's the actual meaning of
the word. It's not new as in new in time, but freshly slaughtered. You know what that means? That
means the blood of Christ is always poignant and fresh and
powerful to the Father and to us. It's our only way. It's not
old. It's freshly slaughtered and
it's living as opposed to some dead sacrifice. It's the living. We don't bring our dead works.
It's the living sacrifice of Christ. Yes, blood, that's his
death, but his life too by a living way. which he hath consecrated
for us through the veil, that is to say his flesh, and having
a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with
a true heart and full assurance of faith. Now turn to 1 John
4. Herein, verse 17, is our love
made perfect God made it this way in showing us that our herein
is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Now, when I see
that, I've got this love that doesn't fear because there's
nothing to fear. My sin is put away. It's gone. I have no reason
to fear judgment. But look what He says. This is
so amazing. Herein is our love made perfect that we, not just
John, me and you, we may have boldness. on the day of judgment,
standing before thrice holy God and possessing a fearless courage,
a well-grounded confidence before His face, whom the scripture
says, the heavens flee away, not cringing, not covering our
face like the seraphims do, but like David said, I will behold
thy face in righteousness, seeing him as he is. Now, as he is, now this is where
this boldness is. as he is. Well, I know this. He's without
sin. He can't get any better than
he is. He can't become more holy than
he is. He can't become more accepted
by God than he is. He can't be any more beautiful
to God than he is. He can't be more secure than
he is. He can't be more accepted by
God than he is. Now as he is, So not will we
be, but as he is, so we are right
now in this world. Because of that, we can have
boldness. on the Day of Judgment, standing
before a thrice holy God, boldness, because as He is. You know, as
He is, I love that passage of Scripture in 1 John chapter 3.
Let's turn back there. Verse 2, Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be. You know, when I talk about being just like Christ, can anybody
even fathom that? Can you fathom being sinless?
Can you fathom having no unbelief, no doubt, no dismay, no problems? No, you can't. John couldn't
either when he was speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit.
He was being inspired by the Spirit of God, and yet he says,
I have no idea what I'm talking about. don't have a clue as to what
it's going to be like to be just like Him. But we know that when He shall
appear we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is. This is such a I don't know what
to call it. But seeing him as he is will
cause me to be exactly like him. And I don't see it right now. Don't see it right now. But still,
as he is. So are we right now in this world. Hence boldness. cheerful confidence
in the day of judgment. Let's pray.