Revelation 22: 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
The investigative judgment now taking place in the heavenly courts examines both the good, as well as the wicked deeds that have been committed by the professed people of God. A clear, distinct record of all that persons have ever done and all that we have ever planned to do, and all that we didn’t do simply because there was no opportunity, are held in the books of heaven. These records include all the good deeds that have been done in sincerity and truth.
Some persons get nervous about the judgment as if it’s all bad news. It is not; in fact, it includes a whole lot of good news for those who have repented, those who have been forgiven, and who by their words and actions show what God’s grace in the heart does for individuals. Honesty, integrity, and truth are three brethren that are never afraid of inspection, because investigation of them leads to exoneration.
A whole lot of people nowadays, in high and low places seem to be scared stiff of investigation, and that is because they have “probably” have some things to hide. Whenever any person begins to get nervous at the very mention of investigation, when they break out in cold sweat, and become petrified at the prospect of disclosure, it is usually a sign that wrong has been done or has been covered up.
Therefore, we should understand that not one thought or action or intent can ever be hidden from the Eternal God. Darkness and light are alike unto Him, and He needs no computer Wiz to retrieve records that may have been scrubbed from servers. Christ needs to get no subpoenas in order to find out the truth about any person, for the books of record contain the accurate accounts of all that we have ever done.
Furthermore, the books of record are designed for use by created beings, because angels, as well as human beings do not have the mental capacity to remember everything with exactness as God does. And thus, it was for the purposes of verification by created beings, that the books of record were made necessary in the first place. Let’s read:
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.
1st Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever.
While the Christian, who has cultivated by the grace of God, the right blend of faith and works would not have anything to boast of, yet he or she would have nothing to hide. They would look forward to the investigative judgment, not with terror but with joy, knowing that the blood of Jesus has washed them from their sins. This is where their confidence lies, not in their good works, which were actually by-products of The Holy Ghost living within but in the righteousness of Jesus which was given to them as God’s free gift.
The Gift of God to humanity includes both the imputed, and imparted righteousness of Christ, so there’s no valid reason for any sincere-hearted, born-again persons to become nervous. The good deeds that are done by God’s people do not go unnoticed, and they will be rewarded by Him for doing so. The faithfulness in big and small things and the kindness shown to humanity, as well as our own brethren, will be taken into account, for God is not reviewing the bad only, He’s also looking for the good too. Let’s read:
Matthew 10:41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Luke 6:35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Psalms 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
However, the issue of disclosure in the investigative judgment must be addressed, because there might be some dark pages in our history that some might prefer not to have disclosed. This is alluded to in the book of revelation where John mentions the issue of shame. Let’s read:
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
The words “Naked” and “Shame” refer to one being exposed in the judgment, where the evils that have been done by persons, and swept under the rug in some cases, are revealed for all to see. Persons may use clever lawyers on this earth to have their record of evil hidden from public view. They may strive to keep their taxes private, and like David, they may make every effort to keep any illicit relationships from public view. In the process, they may bend and distort the wheels of justice so as to keep these wrongs from being inspected.
But in the heavenly courts, such persons will walk naked, and everything that was hidden will be laid bare, if they do not repent. For instance, when the name of David comes up, we believe that he would prefer that some of the stuff which he did be not mentioned, because, not only would it be a terrible embarrassment, it could cost him eternal life, if he had not repented, which he did. Yet, it would be preferable if those evils not be rehashed.
The same thing is true for me and you, because, personally speaking, I would also prefer that certain things about me, in my history, not be made public. There are those dark chapters in our lives where we would loathe for others to see in 3D, especially if we were Christians at the time such things occurred. Now, some may argue that such things must have occurred before baptism, for after accepting Christ as Lord and Savior, a great change in our habits and actions should be seen.
While this is true, we should remember that Peter had uttered some choice words after being baptized which we are certain he prefers that they not be revealed in the judgment. Therefore, we must of necessity observe from the Bible, how God is going to handle the delicate issue of disclosure, in people who have truly repented of their sins. For this we turn to Joshua the high priest who stood before God in filthy garments, and satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. Let’s read:
Zechariah 3:1 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.
4 And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.
Joshua, like David, couldn’t really dispute the many accusations that were being hurled against him, for they were based on the factual history of his life, for the most part albeit that they were presented in the most exaggerated light so as to trigger hopelessness in the one under consideration. We observe in this exchange that God makes no mention of what Joshua did or didn’t do, for God does not participate in the spirit of accusation like so many do.
Nor does God excuse Joshua for all the wrongs pointed out by satan. God points out sin during our probationary time not to condemn, but so that the sinner may come to a realization of his or her dire need of Christ. In our day the work of God in pointing out sin through His word and through His servants via The Holy Ghost is often viewed as being judgmental, which is the way devils try to spin it, so as to cause individuals to put up resistance to the pricking of conscience.
When Christ asked the woman at the well to go get her husband, He was not being judgmental, nor was He trying to cause her embarrassment. All Jesus was doing was trying to get her to see her dire need of His grace, forgiveness and mercy, while she still had opportunity to repent.
Devils also point out sin, but they use it to weaken, discourage, and drive persons to desperation with the thought that they can never be forgiven. There is therefore a stark difference between the work of God, and the work of devils, and we should all know the difference, for in our day the two are very often confused. Let’s read:
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.
Thus, we see in the way that God handled the issues of disclosure in Joshua, that the garment of Christ’s righteousness was given to cover the deficiencies or shortcomings of His servant. No mention is made of His past, and his slate is wiped clean because of the mercies of Christ. This is essentially what Christ is now doing in the heavenly sanctuary in behalf of all who have truly repented of sin.
Every person who has appropriated God’s free gift, and has shown by their newness of life that they have chosen to serve and obey Christ will have the record of their evil deeds wiped clean, and no mention of their sinful history will be made. Let’s read:
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.
Psalms 103:8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 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 pities his children, so the Lord pities them that fear him.
1st John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.
The blood of Christ not only cleanses, but it covers all sin in those who have become partakers of God’s mercies, and who have shown by their choices, and actions that they are willing to obey God. In other words, even though there may be troubling records of some of the things we have done, God is not going to expose them in the courts, because the blood of Christ also wipes away our history of sinful actions. The work of atonement is not haphazard in nature, but it is well thought out and is executed in such a manner so that the repentant sinner is permanently set free from sin and his sinful histories. Let’s read:
Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
That is not to say that we are then free to trample on His laws, for God is not finished with the issue of Joshua yet, in that He cautions the high priest, from here onward, he is to walk worthy of those mercies manifested towards him. Joshua must not conclude that God’s grace sets him free to sin as he has done previously. Let’s read:
Zechariah 3: 6 And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, 7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.
There are great lessons for us in our day, as we view how God deals with the issue of disclosure. In our interactions with others there are times when some may sin against us, sometimes inadvertently, and at other times deliberately. Like God, we should avoid rehashing old wounds, and regurgitating wrongs, so as to remind others of what they did or didn’t do. The followers of Christ must start to think like Christ if His character is to be reflected radiantly in and through us.
Forgiveness of others is something that we should put on the table to offer to others, even if they do not ask for it. When Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, they never asked to be forgiven up front. It was The Lord in His mercy who put the offer on the table. Similarly, those who profess to follow Christ’s lead should be the first to offer forgiveness, even when it is not requested, for in many cases, it is the offer that triggers that favorable response in those who have trespassed against us. Let’s read:
James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.
The tendency, and the temptation to mention sins that are past is not good, for it can prevent us from forgiving others, and wiping their slate clean, just as God does in the investigative judgment. Let us then follow God’s lead by burying the hatchet and letting sleeping dogs lie. In fact, the clearance of our names in the heavenly courts will be a reflection of how we have forgiven those who trespassed against us on earth.
Thus, as we consider the issue of disclosure, and how God seeks to hide a multitude of sins, let us also do the same, for the essence of salvation is founded on grace and mercy to those who do not deserve it. We will end with two passages of scripture which remind us of the work taking place in the heavenly courts, and the mediation of Christ in behalf of all who have accepted Him as Lord and Savior of their lives; for although the judgment is solemn, yet it will bring to light the extent of God’s grace towards the human family. Let’s read:
1st Timothy 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
2nd Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
God Bless