This afternoon’s Bible study will mark the beginning of a three-part series which will cover some aspects of the investigative judgment, now taking place in the courts above, and which will finally culminate in the exoneration of those who truly believe in Christ. But there are others whose names are now enrolled on church records, who will discover, all to late, that their relationship with Christ was not what it ought to have been.
These latter ones will have their names removed from the Lamb’s book of life, nevermore to be a part of God’s kingdom, and will be judged during the 1000 years between Christ’s second, and third coming. The millennium mentioned above is not an additional probationary period, as some believe, it is the time during which the eternally lost will be judged. Let’s read:
Revelation 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Therefore, we must begin with several important
points to be contemplated, as it pertains to our attitude, and our standing in the judgment.
[1] Every individual who has ever professed to be a Christian will be called by name in the courts above. We are not called by families, nor by churches, but individually. Let’s read:
2nd Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
[G.C pp 483] As the books of record are opened in the Judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated.
Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God's remembrance.
[2] Every work will be brought into judgment. We are saved by grace, but are judged by our works, for what we do, and how we live makes manifest our response to God’s gracious overtures to us through Christ. However, those sins that are confessed, and forsaken will be blotted out, and will not serve as a determining factor in the final verdict. Let’s read:
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Psalms 103:11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.
22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.
[3] When there's no wrong to hide, intense scrutiny isn't viewed as a threat. The investigative judgment will only terrify those who have unconfessed, and unforsaken sins, for with nothing wrong to hide, any investigation will be welcomed, since the person in question can confidently look forward to his or her final exoneration.
But where there is “Hidden” guilt, and where there are skeletons in the closet, that person will become nervous, agitated, perturbed, unsettled, disquieted, ill at ease, and “sweating bricks”. A clear conscience before God, and man is something every Christian should strive for, by God’s grace, because it brings a peace that no amount of money can buy, together with tranquility, assurance, and restful sleep. Let’s read:
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.
Isaiah 57:20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
Investigation will be welcome news to those who are walking uprightly, but if there are any concealed wrongs, investigation will be bad news. Thus, the true Christian will be looking forward with a calm confidence to the investigative judgment, while the person who is living a lie, will be cowering in fear. In addition, we should always remember that there is no such thing as a hidden skeleton with God, for He sees and knows all. Let’s read:
Numbers 32:23 Behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
Daniel 2: 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his.
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
1st Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.
Even though our confidence is never to be placed in our own righteousness, yet it is important that we have a clear conscience, void of offence before God and man. To put it in plain words, trusting in Christ’s righteousness, does not atone for deliberate guilt, for His robe of righteousness is not used as a cloak for any concealed, or intentional, known sin.
[G.C pp 486] Sin may be concealed, denied, covered up from father, mother, wife, children, and associates. No one but the guilty actors may cherish the least suspicion of the wrong; but it is laid bare before the intelligences of Heaven. The darkness of the darkest night, the secrecy of all deceptive arts, is not sufficient to veil one thought from the knowledge of the Eternal.
God has an exact record of every unjust account and every unfair dealing. He is not deceived by appearances of piety. He makes no mistakes in his estimation of character. Men may be deceived by those who are corrupt in heart, but God pierces all disguises, and reads the inner life.
[4] The “Secret Thing” mentioned in Ecclesiastes, has to do with the thoughts, purposes, and intents of the heart; those abstract, invisible aspects of sin and righteousness that may be hidden from human investigators. It also includes evils some may have planned to do but never got the opportunity to. Sin originates, and is reckoned primarily at the indulged thought, and consent levels, therefore, the overt actions aren’t necessary to incur guilt. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Psalms 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Thus, whatsoever we do, think, and say, we should do it as if in the very presence of The Eternal God. If we were to harbor a vivid sense of God’s continual presence, much of what we say and do will change dramatically. In addition, it will help us in living in sincerity and truth.
It is against such a backdrop that we will embark upon our study of an investigative judgment given in miniature form, from a human perspective. The prophet Daniel was called to be the president of Babylon, but as is so often the case with politics, some of his subordinates became jealous of his promotion to the second highest office in the land.
This jealousy spawned an intense investigation, in which they were bent on digging up dirt on Daniel. They searched his credit records to see if as one who professed to be a Christian, he was paying his bills on time, or was living beyond his means. Next, they searched his I-phone to see if there were any graphic, or inappropriate text messages between himself and some of the female interns who worked in his office.
Next, they went for Daniel’s computer, and his hard drive, to see what websites he visited at night. Yes, he might have been prudent enough not to search the internet on the job, but his personal computer, they thought, might be loaded with questionable searches of those websites that are forbidden in the seventh commandment.
Next, they went after Daniel’s bank records to see if any “Hush” money was paid to keep some unknown person silent. They also scrutinized his finances for bank fraud, and wire fraud, for embezzlement, or if for some reason he was misappropriating the funds of Babylon, which fell under his jurisdiction.
Finally, they thought they would certainly get him on tax evasion, so they subpoenaed the Babylonian IRS, [BRS] for all of Daniel’s tax records, dating back to years before he became president. But, through all of this intense investigation and scrutiny, Daniel remained calm, and self-possessed. He didn’t even have to hire any prominent Babylonian lawyer, for as far as Daniel was concerned, there was nothing wrong to hide. Let’s read:
Daniel 6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.
3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Therefore, having become utterly exasperated by their fruitless search, they resorted to the last, and only remaining item on the agenda, Daniel’s God, and Daniel’s religion. Not that there was anything wrong with Daniel’s religion, but it was just very different from the mainstream religions of his day. And thus, if we’re ever to suffer, let it not be as an evildoer, but because of our faith and practice. Let’s read:
Daniel 6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.
6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever.
7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
Here is where Jesus Christ went to work on Daniel’s behalf, to exonerate someone who believed in Him, but who also was very careful to maintain a clear conscience, void of offence before God and man. It would be very difficult for God to vindicate Daniel, if indeed the investigators had dug up “Dirt”, such as bank fraud, or Babylonian income tax evasion.
The mighty angels whom God sent to deliver Daniel would have been hard pressed to do so, if there was deliberate sin, or known guilt with Daniel. And thus, because he honored God by a clear conscience, the lions were bidden to wag their tails, not roar at him, and the reason is given in the scriptures. Let’s read:
Daniel 6:19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?
21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
As Christians who are living contemporaneously in the time of the investigative judgment, it is of very critical importance for us to walk circumspectly, in light of the much broader, and much more in-depth nature of God’s scrutiny, because He desires to be able to vindicate, and exonerate all those who are called by His name.
Therefore, now is a bad time to be playing church; instead, we should be seeking for grace, not merely for forgiveness of sins, but so that we may be living embodiments of the character of Christ. In harmony with this, we offer an urgent reminder, that the day of God’s grace is hastening to a close, and as such, it is imperative that we live soberly, righteously, and godly in this generation. Let’s read:
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
God Bless!