Page Suggestions: Bible Facts, Judgment Day
What does the BIBLE say about Judging or Judgment
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Holiness is no longer a popular thing to teach. Many feel that the grace of God covers everything, no matter what we do. The way God's grace covers everything is by our first repenting of the sin.
Repentance means to turn from the sin, not to keep doing it. (Read What does the word "repent" mean?)
In error, many have been taught we can keep on sinning and sinning and sinning, and God will keep on forgiving and forgiving and forgiving. God is merciful and forgiving but there is a point that if we've refused to turn away from our sin, the sin will overtake us and drag us right into Satan's territory. That's because being sorry is not true repentance, thus God can't forgive it. We must turn from sin. True repentance is turning from sin, not just saying we're sorry for doing it. Many are sorry they've been caught, but they're not sorry from their heart; they're not truly repentant for the sin. Judas was sorry for his betrayal of Christ, but he was not truly repentant.
Ezekiel 9 deals with holiness. The mark of God is going to be put on those seeking holiness. Do we think this is going to be a literal mark? Are we going to have G-O-D written on our foreheads? Of course not. We recognize that mark is a spiritual one. To be marked with God's mark on our forehead is to be marked with the mind of Christ. What we're to have is the mind of Christ, God's thinking, His Word indelibly written into our mind that we might think His thoughts and speak His words from our hearts. That's what it means to have His mark set upon us. In the natural, if we spend enough time with someone we become marked by that exposure. If we're around Jesus long enough, we're going to act like Him, we're going to look like Him, we're going to speak the words He speaks. But if we stay around the devil's crowd long enough, we're going to act like them, think like them, and speak the way they speak. So we're going to either be marked by the Word of God or marked by the enemy, the beast system, the world system. If our minds are not marked by the way of the Lord, they're going to be marked by Satan's ways. Revelation 14:1 describes this marking also.
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
We need to understand this concerning the mark of God. In Ezekiel, His mark went upon those crying over the abominations. Remember Lot, his soul was vexed day and night while he was in corrupt Sodom. We should be vexed over what's taking place in the church today when we confront it or hear of her sin. Continually I'm grieved over things I hear, such as the condoning of homosexuality to the point of allowing homosexual church leadership. Too many pastors are not holding up the holy standard of God's Word. Instead they're yielding to the beast system; they're being marked with that system rather than with the mark of God and the mind of Christ.
Judgment Falls
Ezekiel 9:5 says,
And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity.
This speaks of the hour of judgment coming. When Jesus came to the earth the first time, He came as a Lamb. When He comes the second time, it will be as a lion, that is, with judgment to deal boldly with sin.
So many Christians have no understanding of this. They think Jesus is coming again to deliver them out of all this earthly mess. In reality, He's coming to judge them of the self-pity and apathy in their lives, sin, etc. Too many Christians are crying out for God to deliver them out of their situations, when God wants them to be a minister of deliverance to those around them in those situations. They're to be on fire for God, doing warfare for Him, taking territory for His kingdom. They shouldn't be crying to get out of this earth when God has placed them here to be His useful instruments.
In this judgment that's coming upon the church, He says, "Spare not" (Ezekiel 7:9
And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations [that] are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD that smiteth.Ezekiel 7 verse 9).
A time is coming in which God says, "This is the end of the grace period." It's payday. Every man is now going to be paid for his deeds, whether they be good done unto God or evil done unto the devil. That's what judgment is--it's payday. We get paid for what we've done. It's a day of justice, equity, and fairness. This does not mean we're saved by works; we're saved by grace. But we are to do good works. Our good works show that we have been saved. If we're truly Christians, we're going to be doing good works. If we're not doing good works, we need to examine our Christianity. Good works show that we have a relationship with Jesus. They don't get us to heaven; Jesus does that. But Jesus says those who love Him will keep His commandments (John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.John 14 verse 21). We'll not keep on sinning if we love Him, and God will empower us to overcome that sin.
Judgment for evil is hanging over this nation and others as well. The only way it can be lessened or averted is for the church to repent, be cleansed and begin to pray and obey the will of God. My prayer is that each of us will do our part so that our own nations can fulfill their destinies for good in the earth. May the judgment coming to the U.S.A. be unto repentance and not unto destruction of our nation.
