The Lord Lives
When several of us witnessed at the gay pride parade a couple of weeks ago, besides being told “Judge Not” the other phrase that kept being quoted to us was “Love thy neighbor.” In fact, one guy who wasn’t gay told me that the gays chanting love thy neighbor was more appealing to him than our call to “Repent and believe the Gospel.”
Love Thy Neighbor
This didn’t surprise my friends and I. People chanting love thy neighbor insinuating that Jesus is all loving and wouldn’t judge anyone does sound appealing to sinners’ neck deep in sin. I used to worship this same false Jesus all the years that I was a false convert. Worshiping a god who turns a blind eye to your sins is appealing. When you live this way, you think you are getting the “best of both worlds.” Living for the devil and partying it up in this world, while still holding onto your get out of Hell free card.
This kind of thinking is just wishful thinking and it sure isn’t biblical. Living for the devil is not the best of this world. Satan is a thief and a liar and he certainly is not your friend. Living contrary to God is not the best of this world. You need to live for Jesus and instead of insinuating Jesus is all loving, listen to what Jeremiah 4:1-2 states: If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove (or be removed). And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
God had warned the Israelites to turn away from their false gods and worship the one true God. But they wouldn’t listen, they wouldn’t heed the warning. The Lord warned them to put away their abominations. If they did so, then He would not allow the invading countries to be successful in carrying away the Israelites into captivity. But they wouldn’t turn away from their abominations.
What Were Their Abominations?
What were their abominations? They worshiped two golden calves instead of the Almighty God. The Israelites practiced homosexuality. They sacrificed their children by burning them in the fire to Molech. They worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth. These were false gods of weather and sexuality. The Israelites would go to shrine prostitutes and have sex in order to worship the false god of fertility. They were committing the same abominable acts that the pagan countries around them committed.
So what about “Love thy neighbor?” God didn’t say in Jeremiah 4:1-2, well since I’m all loving, I will forgive your sins and iniquities. Just keep worshiping the false gods, keep killing your own children and have all the prostitute sex that you want to because after all, I’m all loving.
No, of course not. God warned the Israelites that they were going to be killed by the sword, by wild beasts, by pestilence and some would be carried away into captivity. Don’t you see that by saying God is all loving, implying God accepts all sin being thrown in His face goes against the very nature of God? Instead of laughing off the Israelites sinful ways, God pleaded with them to turn from their sins. To repent! To show true repentance by giving up their abominable ways.
God Said Repent
Instead of “love thy neighbor,” God said if they repent, then they would say “The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness.” The Lord lives. God’s not dead. The Lord lives. Not only has He always been, He is now and will forever be. The Lord God Almighty lives. He Lives! Not only does He live, but He lives in truth, in judgment and righteousness.
Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6). And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (John 1:14). And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life (1 John 5:20). Jesus is the truth. He is the Son of the living God. Jesus is alive.
The Lord lives and He is truth. Do you join King David tonight in saying; Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day (Psalm 25:4-5). Do you cry out for God to lead you in His truth?
Jesus Said Sanctify Them Through Thy Truth
Jesus also said: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17). God’s word is truth. It is Holy, God breathed; it is trustworthy. You can trust the living God and His word that never fails. Jesus asked God to sanctify the believers in His truth. Oh, you cannot be a Christian tonight and not believe the Bible. You can’t agree with part of it and ignore the rest. You can’t say “the Bible was written by men, thousands of years ago.” No, you can’t believe God and believe that His truth changes with the times, with the culture. This is a lie from the pit of Hell.
God never changes. What God called abominations thousands of years ago He calls abominations today and will call abominations for all of eternity. What God called sin in the past is still sin today and will be sin for all eternity. Oh, how I wish you could talk to sinners that burning in Hell tonight. I wish you could hear them warning you to flee from the wrath to come. They KNOW Jesus is real. They KNOW God punishes unrepentant sinners forever and they KNOW the truth, now, but it’s too late.
No Second Chances In Hell
There are no second chances in Hell. There is no parole in Hell; no early release program. People burning in Hell for their rebellion against God, for their rejection of God’s truth – His only begotten Son, they will suffer eternal damnation. God’s truth never changes and His hatred toward unrepentant sinners never changes. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity (Psalm 5:5).
The Lord lives in judgment. There is judgment to come. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:16). In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8).
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (Jude 1:6-7). All unrepentant sinners will suffer God’s wrath forever. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1 John 5:12).
Why Is There Judgment To Come?
Why is there judgment to come? Because God is Holy, righteous and just. God is righteous. The Lord lives in righteousness. Without being “right” you cannot stand in the presence of God in His Holiness. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments (Psalm 119:137). Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth (Psalm 119:142).
The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory (Psalm 97:6). You can look around at creation and know that there is a Creator, that God is real. You can see the glory of God in His handiwork. The heavens declare God’s righteousness. But without righteousness, no man shall see the Lord in His majesty and glory.
So what are we to do? For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). None of us are righteous. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not (Ecclessiastes 7:20). Jesus told the rich young ruler: there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17).
None of us are good because we have all broken God’s Law – the Ten Commandments. We’ve all lied, most of us have stolen, we’ve lusted, coveted, blasphemed God’s name, created idols and worshipped false gods. James said if you break one commandment you have broken them all (James 2:10). We are guilty, guilty, guilty! Every single one of us.
No Better Than You
My friends and I are no better than you. But we have repented and put our trust in Jesus Christ. Have you? We all need a Savior because we are all guilty criminals. You can’t undo your sins. You can say you are sorry, you can wish that you never committed the sin and you can promise to never do it again; but none of these things wipe out your sin. You and I cannot wipe out a single white-lie; let alone all of our sins.
But Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, did perfectly keep the Ten Commandments. He never sinned one time. Not in His thoughts, words or actions. Jesus never broke a single commandment. Never told a white-lie. Jesus did what you and I could not and cannot do; He lived a perfect, sinless life. Where you and I have missed God’s mark, His requirement of total perfection; Jesus never missed the mark. He always did the will of God the Father.
Then Jesus willingly laid down His life as a ransom for many. Jesus died in the place of guilty sinners like you and me. He endured ridicule, torture and a horribly painful, slow death. The whole time carrying the sins of guilty sinners while He endured God’s righteous wrath over sin. He died on the cruel cross, was buried, and rose victoriously from the grave three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan.
The Lord Lives!
The Lord lives! If you repent and surrender your life to the risen Lord, you can be saved. You can receive everlasting life. Your sins can be forgiven. But you must submit your life to The Lord that lives, to Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Lord and it is a free, but costly gift. It is free to you, but you must receive it. You can’t buy it or steal it, you must receive it.
Even though it is freely offered, it costs you everything. Anything in this life that you try to hold onto, any sin that you are unwilling to give up, will keep you from receiving the most wonderful gift of all time. You must surrender your life to the Lord that lives. You must surrender all to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Are You Willing to Admit That You Are A Sinner?
Are you willing to do this tonight? Oh, are you willing to admit that you are a sinner and that you have come short of the glory of God? Will you cry out like the tax collector “God be merciful to me a sinner?” Will you confess and forsake your sins? Are you ready to have your sins cast as far as the East is from the West? Are you ready to repent and trust Jesus?
Today is the day of salvation. You are not guaranteed your next breath, let alone tomorrow. This may be your last day on this earth. God may require your very life before you wake up tomorrow. Are you ready to meet your Maker? What will you do with your sins on Judgment Day? Oh folks, there is judgment to come. Do not be deceived. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Repent and believe the Gospel. Do this tonight. Don’t put it off. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved because the Lord lives. Turn from your sins and turn to the risen Lord.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on June 30, 2017)