AKR MINISTRIES

How Believers Will Be Judged

I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. (Revelation 20:12)

What about the last judgment? Will our sins be remembered? Will they be revealed? Anthony Hoekema puts it wisely like this: “The failures and shortcomings of . . . believers . . . will enter into the picture on the Day of Judgment. But — and this is the important point — the sins and shortcomings of believers will be revealed in the judgment as forgiven sins, whose guilt has been totally covered by the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Picture it like this. God has a file on every person (the “books” of Revelation 20:12). All you’ve ever done or said (Matthew 12:36) is recorded there with a grade (from “A” to “F”). When you stand before “the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10) to be judged “for what [you have] done in the body, whether good or evil,” God will open the file and lay out the tests with their grades. He will pull out all the “F’s” and put them in a pile. Then he will take all the “D’s” and “C’s” and pull the good parts of the test out and place them with the “A’s”, then put the bad with the “F’s.” Then he will take all the “B’s” and “A’s” and pull the bad parts out of them and put them in the “F” pile, and put all the good parts in the “A” pile.

Then he will open another file (“the book of life”) and find your name, because you are in Christ through faith. Behind your name will be a wood-stick match made from the cross of Jesus. He will take the match, light it, and set the “F” pile, with all your failures and deficiencies, on fire and burn them up. They will not condemn you, and they will not reward you.

Then he will take from your “book of life” file a sealed envelope marked “free and gracious bonus: life!” and put it on the “A” pile (see Mark 4:24 and Luke 6:38). Then he will hold up the entire pile and declare, “By this your life bears witness to the grace of my Father, the worth of my blood, and the fruit of my Spirit. These bear witness that your life is eternal. And according to these you will have your rewards. Enter into the everlasting joy of your Master.”

A Covenant He Remembers

He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. (Psalm 111:5)

Those who fear God need not fear want. Through all these long years the Lord has always found meat for His own children, whether they have been in the wilderness, or by the brook Cherith, or in captivity, or in the midst of famine. Hitherto the Lord has given us day by day our daily bread, and we doubt not that He will continue to feed us till we want no more.

As to the higher and greater blessings of the covenant of grace, He will never cease to supply them as our case demands. He is mindful that He made the covenant and never acts as if He regretted it. He is mindful of it when we provoke Him to destroy us. He is mindful to love us, keep us, and comfort us, even as He engaged to do. He is mindful of every jot and tittle of His engagements, never suffering one of His words to fall to the ground.

We are sadly unmindful of our God, but He is graciously mindful of us. He cannot forget His Son who is the surety of the covenant, nor His Holy Spirit who actively carries out the covenant, nor His own honor, which is bound up with the covenant. Hence the foundation of God standeth sure, and no believer shall lose his divine inheritance, which is his by a covenant of salt.

Needs to Open Our Mouths

Sep 30

Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10)

What an encouragement to pray! Our human notions would lead us to ask small things because our deservings are so small; but the Lord would have us request great blessings. Prayer should be as simple a matter as the opening of the mouth; it should be a natural, unconstrained utterance. When a man is earnest he opens his mouth wide, and our text urges us to be fervent in our supplications.

Yet it also means that we may make bold with God and ask many and large blessings at His hands, Read the whole verse, and see the argument: "I am Jehovah, thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Because the Lord has given us so much He invites us to ask for more, yea, to expect more.

See how the little birds in their nests seem to be all mouth when the mother comes to feed them. Let it be the same with us. Let us take in grace at every door. Let us drink it in as a sponge sucks up the water in which it lies. God is ready to fill us if we are only ready to be filled. Let our needs make us open our mouths; let our faintness cause us to open our mouths and pant; yea, let our alarm make us open our mouths with a child's cry. The opened mouth shall be filled by the Lord Himself. So be it unto us, O Lord, this day.

To Glorify Christ Jesus

Sep 29

He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:14)

The Holy Ghost Himself cannot better glorify the Lord Jesus than by showing to us Christ's own things. Jesus is His own best commendation. There is no adorning Him except with his own gold.

The Comforter shows us that which He has received of our Lord Jesus. We never see anything aright till He reveals it. He has a way of opening our minds and of opening the Scriptures, and by this double process He sets forth our Lord to us. There is much art in setting forth a matter, and that art belongs in the highest degree to the Spirit of truth. He shows us the things themselves. This is a great privilege, as those know who have enjoyed the hallowed vision.

Let us seek the illumination of the Spirit; not to gratify our curiosity, nor even to bring us personal comfort, so much as to glorify the Lord Jesus. Oh, to have worthy ideas of Him! Groveling notions dishonor our precious Lord. Oh, to have such vivid impressions of His person, and work, and glory that we may with heart and soul cry out to His praise! Where there is a heart enriched by the Holy Ghost's teaching there will be a Savior glorified beyond expression. Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly light, and show us Jesus our Lord!

Work is Done; Rest in Him

Sep 28

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. (Hebrews 4:9)

God has provided a Sabbath, and some must enter into it. Those to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief; therefore, that Sabbath remains for the people of God. David sang of it; but he had to touch the minor key, for Israel refused the rest of God. Joshua could not give it, nor Canaan yield it: it remains for believers.

Come, then, let us labor to enter into this rest. Let us quit the weary toil of sin and self. Let us cease from all confidence, even in those works of which it might be said, "They are very good." Have we any such? Still, let us cease from our own works, as God did from His. Now let us find solace in the finished work of our Lord Jesus. Everything is fully done: justice demands no more. Great peace is our portion in Christ Jesus.

As to providential matters, the work of grace in the soul and the work of the Lord in the souls of others, let us cast these burdens upon the Lord and rest in Him. When the Lord gives us a yoke to bear, He does so that by taking it up we may find rest. By faith we labor to enter into the rest of God, and we renounce all rest in self-satisfaction or indolence. Jesus Himself is perfect rest, and we are filled to the brim in Him.

Jewish Tradition vs Christ the Redeemer (Hebrews Chapter 1)

     Oh Jews. Don't think you have a better religion, daily sacrifices, regular cleansing, a great temple, etc.,.

Christ Is Better Than Angels

(Heb. 1:1-2:18)

I. He has a more excellent name than the angels (1:1-5).

     A. He is God’s Son.

          1. The Hebrew writer establishes that Jesus is the Son of God by quoting the Old Testament (Psa. 2:7; 2 Sam. 7:14).

          2. The more excellent name of “Son” denotes the deity of Christ.

     B. He is God’s final revelation.

          1. The Old Testament delivered by the prophets was for those of the past.

          2. The New Testament given by Christ and His apostles is for us in this final age of history.

     C. He is heir of all things.

          1. Of course, God’s Son would inherit all things because all things are God’s.

          2. In fact, all things were made for Him (Col. 1:16).

     D. He is the One through whom God made the worlds.

          1. The creation was the cooperative work of the Father and the Son (Col. 1:16; John 1:2-3).

     E. He is just like God.

          1. He radiates God’s glory fully (John 1:14).

          2. He mirrors God’s person exactly (John 14:9).

     F. He upholds all things.

          1. He is so powerful that everything depends on what He says (Col. 1:17).

          2. His word is the power that sustains our universe.

     G. He Himself purged our sins.

          1. The only sacrifice sufficient to provide the forgiveness of our sins was the one that Jesus made.

          2. It was the sacrifice of Himself on the cross.

     H. He sits at God’s right hand.

           1. Jesus fully assumed the position of ultimate power and authority.

           2. No one can occupy a higher office than He has taken.

II. He is worshiped and served by the angels (1:6-7).

     A. The Hebrew writer establishes this by quoting from the Old Testament (Deu. 32:43 footnote; Psa. 104:4).

     B. Their worship and service of Christ indicates that they recognized Him as deity (Mat. 4:10).

III. He is God enthroned by God (1:8-9).

     A. The Hebrew writer establishes this by quoting from the Old Testament (Psa. 45:6-7).

     B. In this passage the Father addresses the Son as “God” indicating His deity (John 1:1; Phi. 2:6; Tit. 2:13; Rev. 1:8).

     C. His rule is everlasting and righteous. He was chosen for this position because He is righteous.

IV. He is Lord of the heavens and the earth (1:10-12).

     A. The Hebrew writer establishes this by quoting from the Old Testament (Psa. 102:25-27).

     B. In this passage the Son is called “LORD”. The Hebrew text in Psalm 102 from which this quotation is taken reads YHWH, which is translated Yahweh or Jehovah. This is the name of God (Deu. 6:4) and indicates the Son’s deity.

     C. He is the eternal unchanging Creator, not part of the ever changing and transitory creation (Heb. 13:8). 

V. He sits at God’s right hand while the angels are sent to minister to the saved (1:13-14).

     A. The Hebrew writer establishes this by quoting from the Old Testament (Psa. 110:1; 103:20-21).

     B. God installed Jesus in the most powerful position of all and grants Him victory over those who refuse to submit to His rule (1 Pet. 3:22; 1Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16).

     C. The angels are servants of the citizens of Christ’s kingdom.
     
     He had also given believers a promise. Those who believe on Him are already purified and are heirs of His Kingdom. The promise given to Jews thru Abraham will be fulfilled for only those who are in CHRIST. (Rom 11:23)

Solus Christos!

The Divine Light in Darkness

Sep 27

For thou wilt light my candle. (Psalm 18:28)

It may be that my soul sits in darkness; and if this be of a spiritual kind, no human power can bring me light. Blessed be God! He can enlighten my darkness and at once light my candle. Even though I may be surrounded by a "darkness which might be felt," yet He can break the gloom and immediately make it bright around me.

The mercy is that if He lights the candle none can blow it out, neither will it go out for lack of substance, nor burn out of itself through the lapse of hours. The lights which the Lord kindled in the beginning are shining still. The Lord's lamps may need trimming, but He does not put them out.

Let me, then, like the nightingale sing in the dark. Expectation shall furnish me with music, and hope shall pitch the tune. Soon I shall rejoice in a candle of God's lighting. I am dull and dreary just now. Perhaps it is the weather, or bodily weakness, or the surprise of a sudden trouble; but whatever has made the darkness, it is God alone who will bring the light. My eyes are unto Him alone. I shall soon have the candles of the Lord shining about me; and, further on in His own good time, I shall be where they need no candle, neither light of the sun. Hallelujah!