Download The Utter Desolation of Pretense in

God’s Judgments and His Glory in His People, Part Two:
The Utter Desolation of Pretense in
The Day of Judgment
By George Hudgins, Denton, Texas
Copyright Notices
Contents
Author/Editor
Acknowledgments
God’s Judgments and His Glory in His People, Part Two:
The Utter Desolation of Pretense in
The Day of Judgment
Copyright  2005 by George Hudgins. All rights reserved, with the following provisions: this book, in its present
form, or any parts or quotations thereof, may be freely copied and circulated, but only if: 1) No part or parts thereof
are altered, rearranged or otherwise changed; 2) Neither this book nor any parts thereof are sold for profit, (as the
promulgation of the contents is intended to be a not-for-monetary-profit endeavor); 3) This and following copyright
notices are included in any copy of this book or part thereof.
Scripture quotations are numerically noted in the text of this book and identified in the reference notes pages, using
shorthand initials as follows: AMP, KJV, NASB, NCV, NIV, NLT. These are defined below, along with the
copyright notices, as they pertain to each translation:
AMP = THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Copyright  1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
KJV = The King James Version. (Not under copyright.)
NASB = Scriptures quoted from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright  1960, 1962, 1963,
1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION. A Corporation Not for Profit.
LA HABRA, CA. All rights reserved. Used by permission
NCV = Scriptures quoted from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright  1987, 1988, 1991 by Word
Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.
NIV = The Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright  1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NLT = Scriptures quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright  1996. Used by permission of
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Contents
Chapter One: All will be Revealed with Justice…………………………………………………………….page 3
Chapter Two: the Gospel (Good News), the Only Way…………………………………………………….page 7
Chapter Three: Gateway to Glory…………………………………………………………………………..page 11
About the author/editor: George Hudgins is a janitor, operating, with his wife, Roberta, their small janitorial
service in North Central Texas, USA. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 940-382-4960. Web site:
www.beholdthelambofgod.net. Grateful thanks for input to Warren Lunt & others.
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God’s Judgments and His Glory in His People, Part Two:
The Utter Desolation of Pretense in
The Day of Judgment
Chapter one: All will be Revealed with Justice
Global desolations and judgments from God are coming! They are a part of the
events leading up to the Second Coming of Jesus, His Kingdom on earth and the great Day
of Judgment. The times associated with the Second Coming will actually contain a number of
“judgment days.” Finally there will be a “great white throne.” Heaven and earth flee away
from the face of the One seated on that throne.1
Each of us will come face to face with Him. The great shroud of spiritual lies now
covering the earth will be gone. Everything will be starkly clear. All thoughts will be revealed.
The comfortable fog of double-mindedness, self-deception and self-justification, so easily
available today, will be gone.
We will each be judged by the perfect record of what we have said and done in our
lifetimes, with everything being carefully taken into account. These things expose what we
really are. What we really are is found first in the center of our being---in the depths of our
hearts and souls. That is the reality we ultimately express by how we live, as a tree eventually
bears its fruit. Jesus said that we, like trees, are known by our “fruit”.2 That reality cannot be
covered up by religious words or works or observance or by a philosophy.
How is it in the center of your being? In the Bible, King David said to God, “Behold,
You desire truth in the innermost being. And in the hidden part You will make me know
wisdom.”3 David was responding to God about his own sin. The first crucial issue is
acknowledging---and even loving---truth. And that without its slightest corruption from
consideration of our own ego or self-esteem. The alternative is terrible: “The wrath of God is
being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the
truth by their wickedness.”4 For many, as the conclusion of history draws near: “They perish
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”5
Further, what are the “fruits” originating from the “tree” of your “innermost being?”
What about love? Genuine, godly love, maturing and ripening, will begin revealing itself as
patient, kind, humble and unfailing.6 This love is not just in words, “but with actions and in
truth.”7 What about joy? Ripening, everlasting joy somehow endures everything because of its
delight in God and His will.8 What about peace? Maturing, heavenly peace rests in harmony
with God and resists any selfish striving.9 This peace brings peace: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God!”10
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What can stand in the Day of Judgment? Together with truth, love, joy and peace,
there is “patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such
things there is no law.”11 They will stand in the Day of Judgment. If this is what you essentially
are from your innermost being, it is the result---the fruit---of God’s own Spirit living within
you12 and also, correspondingly, it is the result of your name being “found written in the Book of
Life.”13 You also, then, would stand—at least survive—in the Day of Judgment and perhaps
inherit still higher rewards. And this is true even though now you often see yourself as far from
being all that you should be! You truly repent and call on God when you realize you’ve left His
way. Even when you find yourself most miserably “down,” you still have access to His heavenly
joy and peace because your soul is fixed on the “Living Hope!”14 You just keep turning to
Him and in His presence you pour out your heart and soul to Him.15 Somehow there, in the
stillness of humility and simple faith and love from His Spirit, as you feed on His “words of
life”, you are cleansed and renewed and comforted from deep within. You find your real
pleasures in the great depths of His truth, love, joy and peace. You find your zeal for His life
and righteousness and godliness. You find His light dispelling the darkness!
These everlasting qualities are what heaven and the kingdom of heaven are made of.
The kingdom of love, joy and peace is populated with loving, joyous and peaceful people living
in the presence of their King. The kingdom of righteousness is populated with righteous
people, who have God’s laws “written on their hearts.”16 For example, “If you love your
neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law. For the commandments against
adultery and murder and stealing and coveting—and any other commandment—are all summed
up in this one commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. Love does no wrong to anyone,
so love satisfies all of God’s requirements.”17
Is it not clear that heaven must first enter us before we can enter heaven? Do we think
that when we die we will suddenly enter into heaven, while all our lives we had little use for the
true qualities of heaven, but found them boring and irrelevant? Do we think we will suddenly
enter into eternal love, joy and peace if we have not truly found them here, implanted in our
hearts, with the result that we have begun living in them?
Okay, so what happens if you do arrive at the Day of Judgment without already
being inwardly “clothed” in true righteousness—having this love, joy, peace, etc., as
progressively attested by your words and actions on earth? Are you hoping that because of
God’s love, mercy and forgiveness He will just ignore the truth about you and take you in
anyway? Will He do that for the “fairly good?” The “not-so-bad?” How about the mediocre?
Hitler? Stalin? Pol Pot? Will He use a sliding scale? Exactly where is the cut-off point? How
far will God go in disregarding truth in order to show His love and mercy? Just far enough for
the average person to get by---hopefully?
The judgments of the all-sovereign God express His character, which is perfect. Our
convenient opinions of His judgment standards are actually part of the darkness. He is the only
true Light, “who gives light to everyone…”18 Not only is He love,19 He is “holy, holy, holy.”20
He is total love and total truth, and that equals a “consuming fire.”21
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God’s disregard of truth is, in fact, exactly zero. His love and mercy toward those
made righteous do not in the slightest way violate His truth and justice or His wrath
toward the unrighteous, who have rejected the truth: “For there is going to come a day of
judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they
have done. He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the
glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on
those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds…For God
does not show favoritism…The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge
everyone’s secret life.”22
Because of this, sin is extremely serious. Accordingly, if we will not use any other
escape from sin, the most drastic measures are needed: Jesus said, “If your hand or your foot
causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or
crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye
causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye
than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”23
God’s kingdom of heaven is perfectly right, just and pure. “Nothing impure will ever
enter it.”24 “Surely you know that the people who do wrong will not inherit God’s kingdom.
Do not be fooled. Those who sin sexually, worship idols, take part in adultery, those who are
male prostitutes, or men who have sexual relations with other men, those who steal, are greedy,
get drunk, lie about others, or rob—these people will not inherit God’s kingdom.”25 Happily for
those to whom this Scripture was originally addressed, the next verse goes on to say: “In the past
some of you were like that, but you were washed clean. You were made holy, and you were
made right with God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”26 “But
the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice
magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This
is the second death.”27 “For I tell you,” Jesus said, “that unless your righteousness surpasses
that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of
heaven.”28
Are you going to arrive at the day of judgment already inwardly “clothed” in true
righteousness? Will you say that you had been good, were religious, that you went to church or
the synagogue or the mosque or the temple? It will all be fully revealed. You will be revealed.
Will you say that you also used to be bad, but that at a certain point you trusted in God’s
forgiveness to blot out your sins from all remembrance and received Christ and became “born
again?” That will certainly be true of those with real faith. But that too will be revealed:
whether you actually came to be changed in your innermost being to begin bearing the “fruit” of
a righteous person through genuine, simple faith in Him.
While it is true that only Jesus Himself was perfect on earth, it is also true regarding
the essence of one’s life that “Those who are God’s children do not continue sinning, because
the new life from God remains in them. They are not able to go on sinning, because they have
become children of God.”29 To put it another way, “…the person who does not have the Spirit
of Christ does not belong to Christ.”30
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Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and
heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small,
standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the
book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books,
according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades
gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to
their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death,
the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.31
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Chapter Two: The Gospel (Good News), The Only Way
How then does one actually become “born of God” and “have His Spirit,” so as to
be “changed in one’s innermost being” to become “clothed with true righteousness” and be
assured that one’s name is “found written in the Book of Life?”
It will not help to just try to act like you’re “born of God,” “changed,” etc. That is
basically the same as seeking to clothe yourself with outwardly “good” and “religious” works.
Most of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time did that. He said they were like cups that were beautiful on
the outside, but on the inside they were filled with selfishness, deceit and hypocrisy. On the
inside there was not the sweet smell of real love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. They did not really love truth. Jesus even said that
“many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never
knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”32
Jesus said to one of the Pharisee rulers, “unless a person is born again (anew, from
above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of
God.”33 Jesus said this because He was the Messiah (Christ)-Prophet-Priest-King-Son of GodSon of Man-whom the Scriptures, which the Pharisees themselves possessed, had foretold would
come and bring forth the Kingdom of God in the power of God’s Holy Spirit. (See note # 34 for
these amazing references found in the Jewish Bible [“The Old Testament” portion of the
Christian Bible].) Jesus was the Mediator of the New Covenant, foretold in Jeremiah 31:31-34,
in that same Bible, which He sealed with the blood of the sacrifice of Himself, “lifted up” on the
cross.35 He alone, in obedience to God the Father, was the One to provide eternal salvation
through that Sacrifice for all who had truly trusted in God in the past and for all since who will
turn to Him in faith and become “born again” of His Spirit!
The Old Covenant was based on the Laws given by God through Moses to Israel, which
Laws included the Ten Commandments, the animal sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood
and many other regulations for the people of Israel. (See Exodus; Leviticus; Numbers; Deuteronomy) This Covenant, with the Laws, was given through Moses, the Man of God, with the help
of angels and awesome demonstrations of God’s Presence and Power. Despite all that, no one
then was, or now is, able to make himself or herself righteous before God by his or her own
efforts to keep the Law. (See note # 36 for references in both portions of the Bible on this issue.)
This is why the New Covenant was needed. And, the Old Covenant itself embodies many
prophetic pictures and “types” of the New Covenant.37
Under the New Covenant, God’s law (expressing His holy will) comes to be “written on
the hearts” of His people; they would all have total, permanent forgiveness and cleansing from
their sins; they would be given a “new heart” and “spirit” and have God’s own Spirit within them
to guide them. In other words, they would be “born again” of God’s Spirit and be “filled with”
and “led by” the Spirit. The inquiring Pharasee ruler, Nicodemus, to whom Jesus was talking,
had ample access to the Scriptures of the ancient Jewish prophets about this. (See note # 38 for
Scripture references in both portions of the Bible.) This is why Jesus also said to him, “Are you
the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?”39
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Further, the awesome blessings of the New Covenant given to Israel and the Jews was to
be extended to all other peoples (the Gentiles). (See note # 40 for these Scriptures.) The Apostle
Paul, himself a Jew and former Pharisee, said that the good news (gospel) of the New Covenant
is “the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the
Gentile.”41
In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus went on to say, “Flesh gives birth to flesh,
but the spirit gives birth to spirit…No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came
from heaven---the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of
Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son [Or his only begotten Son], that whoever
believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”42
The only way for your innermost being to be “changed” and “clothed” with true
righteousness is for the Righteous One, Jesus, to reign there as the risen, saving Lord.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will
come in…”43 He freely gives His own righteousness and eternal life---as a GIFT received by
simple faith! This gift of the total Love of God, truly received in the heart, brings forth
appropriate, complete surrender to Him, the Saving Lord of Life! His salvation and forgiveness of our sins is not through any of our own works. It is only “by grace through faith.”44
And, because God’s exceedingly gracious salvation can be received only by simple, real,
childlike faith, it must be received now,45 as He speaks to our conscience in this earthly life.
Afterward, in the Judgment, there is no more opportunity for faith, because there all is starkly
clear. Faith at that point is meaningless. Expecting to be able to suddenly exercise saving faith
then is most foolish. In that Day, for the soul who has not already been transformed by God’s
grace through faith---exercised while there was opportunity---all that can come out of that soul is
just more of that one’s own independent self-centeredness. These have “died in their sins.”46
Those in that state can only wail in inexpressible horror.47
It is now, in this life, and only by God’s grace in Jesus, His Son, through His Holy
Spirit, that believers actually become sprouting “seeds” of God’s own righteousness. The
Holy Spirit does this in order that we may “grow up” into all of Jesus’ life and character.48 This
is the real “new birth.”49 Believers begin as new, sprouting, living “trees” planted by “living
waters” to bear heavenly “fruit,” because the Scripture says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness…” etc.50
So what is required of you---and all of us? This: your real turning (repentance) from
your sins and real trust (faith) in Jesus. You must “hear His voice and open the door.” This
means your decisive response to His ever-present Holy Spirit as you hear the truth of God’s
gospel. (You may have already come to that place, or you may be coming to it now.)
God’s gospel is this: All of your sins---all that separates you from His holy presence—
has been borne by Jesus, the Sacrificed Lamb of God! All of your salvation was purchased for
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you when Jesus was “lifted up” on the cross on a desolate hilltop outside the city! 51 He became
“obedient unto death”52 as God’s only and final human Sacrifice for us all! He was buried and
then arose from the dead to be forever exalted, “…able to save completely those who come to
God through him…!”53
The eternal Son and Word of God had become “flesh and blood”54 in order to be slain as
the ultimate Sacrificial Lamb, so that His own eternal life could be given freely to all who will
receive---in exchange for all of our own sins and impurities, which He took upon Himself!!
Thus He empowered all who believe and receive Him to become “new creations”55 and actual
sons and daughters of God!!56 “And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs
of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His
sufferings if we are to share His glory. [Buy what of that?] For I consider that the sufferings of
this present time (this present life) are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to
be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred on us!” For [even the whole] creation (all
nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the
revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]”57
All that remains is for each one of us to simply “see” and believe and receive!! And,
it is important to understand the enormity of this which we are “seeing and believing and
receiving!” This “gospel of God’s grace”58 is powerfully destined to swallow up ALL of our
own hidden self-seeking, self-serving, self-striving subtle self-centeredness, which is the essence
of all sin. The basic impulse of sin is self-assertion subtly set in independence from God,
seeking sedition against Him.59 ALL of that, in God’s pure, holy, glorious presence, is
HIDEOUS. It is the HISSSSSS of the “serpent”60. It includes not only blatant sin, which tends
to go from bad to worse, but also all subtly self-reliant striving to be “good” or “righteous” or
“religious,” as opposed to SIMPLY RESTING like a baby in HIS GRACE---HIS FINISHED
REDEMPTION of you! This REDEEMING GRACE, actually seen, believed and received, is a
living, spiritual FIRE! It makes you COMPLETELY NEW, beginning in your innermost being!
HE ALONE, enthroned within, is now ALL of your life and destiny---forever!
Do you, right now, open the “door” of your heart and soul---your “innermost being”--and
receive Him, asking Him to forgive and cleanse you of all sins, as you then gratefully forgive all
who have sinned against you, and for Him and His grace to reign within you forever?
His death on the cross, His burial and His resurrection not only swallowed up ALL your
SINS, but ALL of YOU, in your own, self-enthroned life that has been alienated from God! He
gave up His all to God the Father for you, becoming dead and buried, having swallowed up our
death, only to be raised up forever by the Father’s glory! And we who “see and believe and
receive”--- He has taken us with Him!! “…Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even
when we were dead in transgressions---it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us
up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the
coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us
in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God---not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”61
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All of these things make up the declaration that is made by baptism in water:
“…For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been
united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were
crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with
Christ, we know we will also share his new life. We are sure of this because Christ rose from the
dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. He died once to
defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin
and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.”62 “Therefore do not let sin reign in
your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as
instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought
from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For
sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” 63
This is why Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take
up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for me will save it…”64 and, “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his
life in this world will keep it for life eternal.”65 The heavenly, everlasting grace of God does
not come to us through our independent self-will. It is poured out freely to us through
Jesus, crucified on the cross. On that CROSS, then, we see our own selfish will crucified! That
CROSS, accepted in our own hearts---also as God’s free gift---is the gateway through which that
GRACE floods our own hearts and souls and progressively transforms our lives and splashes
forth to others!66
Your “seeing and believing and receiving” is “faith” which is “credited as righteousness.” It must be directly in Jesus Himself, personally, and in His final declaration before His
death on the cross. What declaration? “IT IS FINISHED!!!”68 What is finished? His perfect
purchase of YOUR total redemption and salvation!!! It is yours to initially express, or give
voice to, this faith by calling to Jesus in prayer, acknowledging that He is Lord, that apart
from Him you are hopelessly, spiritually “dead in sin,” unable to save yourself, and that you
NOW open the “door” of your heart and soul to Him.69 Your baptism also seals, as a public
declaration through faith in Him---that you are NOW dead, buried and made alive with Him!70
67
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Chapter Three: Gateway to Glory
Now, salvation from God’s righteous wrath is certainly not all that He intends---and
intensely desires---for believers in Jesus, His Son!!! As quoted above, “…God raised us up with
Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming
ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in
Christ Jesus.”71
But it is not just for the future! God’s destiny for us through His Holy Spirit working in
us is crucially important RIGHT NOW! “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by
faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not
only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given
us…”72 “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received
the Spirit of sonship [or, “adoption”]. And by him we cry ‘Abba, Father.’”73 “Because you are
sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts…”74 “…Having believed, you were marked
in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until
the redemption of those who are God’s possession ---to the praise of his glory.”75
In fact, our baptism (“submersion,” “identifying with,” “washing”) is to be not only in
water, but also in the Holy Spirit and in the fire of God’s love and dealings in our lives.76 Our
experience of the Holy Spirit may at times be ecstatic or dramatically miraculous or quiet but
deep or hardly perceived at all. All genuine believers in Jesus are “born of the Spirit” and the
Spirit lives in them. Indeed, it is only through the Spirit’s work that we are enabled to turn
(repent) from the darkness of sin to the gospel and surrender to believe in the risen Jesus in the
first place! But God does not want us to stop short of all the fullness of His Spirit! He jealously
desires that we not be “high,” in a manner of speaking, with anything but His own Holy Spirit!77
And He wants us to be eager to receive His miraculous empowering and gifts through His Spirit
to serve others as He leads us in His way!78 Above all, He commands us to be full of His Love.79
God’s generosity in building His own glorious character in His beloved children and
perfecting them to inherit all things knows no bounds! The Scriptures continue:
“…The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the
Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the
hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the
will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who are
called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become
conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and
these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and
these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for
us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how
will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s
elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died,
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yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who
will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT
TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to
separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”80 “When Christ, who is
our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” 81
Even more than all of this, is the glory appointed for our corporate life! As a glorious
part of the exaltation and glory of Christ, “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him
to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills
everything in every way.”82 Today’s understanding of “church,” as a building of certain styles
of architecture which, on one or more days of the week, houses a mostly humanly devised and
maintained organization for religious activities, would have been very alien to those who actually
experienced “church life” in the First Century. (See Acts and the Epistles.) The body of Christ
is a living, organic being, not an organization---even one run like an efficient corporation! A real
human body, with head fully attached, is perfectly unified, free and marvelous. So also, all true
believers in Jesus, coming into ever closer union with Him and recognizing His immediate
headship and reign of grace, shall begin to move in marvelous, joyous unity and holy, beautiful
and glorious freedom! This is the real “body of Christ,” even though now it appears as broken
and scattered inside of, and outside of, many different organizations, denominations,
nationalities, ethnic groupings and cultures.
On that very night, just before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He prayed to His Father
in heaven for His disciples. Then He continued: “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for
those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father,
are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent
Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We
are one; I in them and You in Me; that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may
know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they
also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which
You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”83 It is our precious
privilege to believe that His prayer shall be answered!!
Perfect unity in Christ’s body, the church, is not of the earthly or political realm. It
is from heaven. It is “in Christ” and “in the Father.” It comes to those among whom “love is
made complete.”84 “…If we love each other, God lives in us and his love is made complete in
us.”85 “Love never fails.”86 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another is love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit---just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and
in all…Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”87
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These who allow their hearts to be prepared by the Spirit of Christ will be able to
properly discern and receive God’s gifts to them as Christ’s body. These gifts are true servants
of Christ and his body and not lords trying to build their own kingdoms. “He is the one who
gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and
teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church,
the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we
will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.”88
So what does all of this have to do with the Day of Judgment? Everything. The Day
of Judgment will simply set forth with final, divine precision the realities and conclusions that
will already have been established---as it has been put, the “final definition of all things.”
Scripture declares that “the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” has come “with all
wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his
good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have
reached their fulfillment---to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one
head, even Christ.”89
The Apostle penning these words of revelation explains further: “…the mystery made
known to me by revelation…the mystery of Christ which was not made known to men in other
generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This
mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together
of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus...Although I am less than the
least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages
past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the
church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in
the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ
Jesus our Lord.”90 (As to God’s intent for the spiritual rebirth of Israel and His faithfulness to
His promises about the future of Israel, recorded by the ancient Jewish prophets in Scripture, see
Romans 11; As to His prophetic declaration of future harmony between Israel and Arab nations,
see Isaiah 19:19-25) His present intent is to reveal His “manifold wisdom” through His real
church, the body of Christ, composed of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles,
wherever they may be!
The cosmic showdown is at hand. The actual Kingdom of God became visible in the
countryside of one small nation in about 30 A.D. It appeared surrounding Jesus and His
disciples. Then “the Shepherd” was smitten and “the sheep” were “scattered”91 when Jesus was
crucified. But that was only for a very brief time. God raised Him from the dead, completing
the Genesis of the Second Cosmic Event. “And Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has
come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the earth and dies, it remains alone; But if it dies, it bears much fruit.’”92 “He who was
seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’”93 This Second Cosmic Event is
greater than the First Cosmic Event (the creation of the cosmos in the “Big Bang” or whatever
physics or mode God used in creating all things in our universe).
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Then the Kingdom of Light again became visible in the small company of His
believing ones, chronicled for us in Acts 1-7. For about five years, the Kingdom of God’s
Light From Above became visible in its heavenly glory in one city on earth---in His body,
the church! Then the powers of the darkness of this world closed in on it, only to begin it’s
dispersion throughout the whole earth---spearheaded by the conversion to Jesus of the prime
enforcer of those powers of darkness, Saul of Tarsus! (See Acts 8-28) Since that time the dark
powers have repeatedly sought to snuff it out forever, from without and from within. Yet, time
after time, over two thousand years, it has risen again and again in one place and then
another.
The time now draws near for this church to be transformed into a “Perfect Man”94
and the “Bride of Christ”95 and the holy, heavenly “Temple” of the Lord!!!96 This pathway
leads “through much tribulation”97, but “the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all
mankind together will see it.”!!!98
The insufferably sharp contrasts between the darkness of devilish lies and the grace
and truth of Christ will become unbearably brilliant. “Who of us can dwell with everlasting
burning?”99 Christ’s holy ones have within themselves the holy fire of His truth and grace
through the cross, ignited by the Holy Spirit, consuming their dross and refining their inner
beings as gold and precious gems! Not so the wicked, “who are self-seeking and who reject the
truth and follow evil…”!100 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at
the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his
kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like
the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”101
“Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance [of you from
God]; behold, now is the day of salvation! [Isa.49:8]” 102
(Reference Notes listed on the following two pages.)
14
1
See Revelation 20:11
See St. Luke 6:43-45
3
Psalm 51:6 NASB
4
Romans 1:18 NIV
5
II Thessalonians 2:10 NIV
6
See I Corinthians 13
7
I John 3:18 NIV
8
See Nehemiah 9:10; Hebrews 12;2
9
See Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 4:7
10
St. Matthew 5:9 KJV
11
Galatians 5:22,23 NIV
12
See St. John 3:6; Galatians 5:22; Romans 5:5; 8:5,6
13
See Exodus 32:32,33; Psalm 69:28; Daniel 12:1; Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27
14
See I Peter 1:1-9
15
See Psalm 51; James 4:6-10; I John 5:1-10
16
See Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 2:15
17
Romans 13:8-10 NLT
18
St. John 1:9 NLT
19
See I John 4:8,16
20
See Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8
21
See Hebrews 12:22-28
22
Romans 2:5-8,11,16 NLT
23
St. Matthew 18:8,9 NIV
24
Revelation 21:27 NIV
25
I Corinthians 6:9-10 NCV
26
I Corinthians 6:11 NCV
27
Revelation 21:8 NIV
28
St. Matthew 5:20 NIV
29
I John 3:9 NCV
30
Romans 8:9 NCV
31
Revelation 20:11-15 NASB
32
St. Matthew 7:22,23 NIV
33
St. John 3:3 AMP
34
Genesis 49:10 with Ezekiel 21:25-27; Deuteronomy 18:18,19; Psalms 2; 110 with Zechariah 6:13; Isaiah 9:1-7;
11:1-12; 35:1-10; 42:1-7; 49:1-9; 52:13-55:13; 61:1-3; Jeremiah 23:5,6; 33:15,16; Ezekiel 36:24-27; Daniel 7:13,14;
9:25,26; Joel 2:28-32; Zechariah 12:10,11; Malachi 3:1
35
See St. Luke 22:20; St. John 3:14,15; Heb. 8:1-10:25
36
Deuteronomy 31:14-29; II Chronicles 6:36; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 64:6; St. Luke 18:9-17; Acts 13:38,39;
Romans 2:17-3:20; 10:1-11; Galatians 2:15-3:29
37
See Hebrews 8:1-10:18
38
Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:24-27; see also Acts 1-2; Romans 5-8; Galatians 3-5
39
St. John 3:10 NIV
40
Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 11:10; 42:6; 45:22; 49:1-6; 52:15; St. Matthew 28:18-20; St. Luke 24:46,47; St. John 10:16;
Acts 10-11
41
Romans 1:16 NIV
42
St. John 3:6,13-17 NIV (Bracketed reading from NIV footnote)
43
Revelation 3:20 NASB
44
See Ephesians 2:8,9
45
See II Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 4:7
46
See St. John 8:21-24
47
See St. Matthew 13:49,50; St. Mark 9:48,49; St. Luke 13:22-28; St. John 8:24; Revelation 20:11-15
48
See I Peter 2:2; Ephesians 4:15
49
See St. John 3:3; I Peter 1:3,23
50
Galatians 5:22,23 NASB (Italics mine); see also: Psalm 1; 92:12-15
51
See Hebrews 13:12-14
2
15
52
Philippians 2:8 KJV
Hebrews 7:25 NIV
54
See St. John 1:1,14;
55
See II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10
56
See St. John 1:12,13
57
Romans 8:17-19 AMP; See also Isaiah 53; St. Matthew 20:28; Romans 1-8, esp. 3:24-26; 5:6-10;
II Corinthians 5:14-21; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 1-2; Philippians 2:6-11; Hebrews 8-10; I Peter 2:24
58
Acts 20:24 KJV
59
See Genesis 3; Isaiah 14:12-15
60
See Revelation 12:9
61
Ephesians 2:3-10 NIV
62
Romans 6:4-11 NLT
63
Romans 6:12-14 NIV
64
St. Luke 9:23 NIV
65
St. John 12:25 NASB
66
See St. Matthew 20:25-28; II Corinthians1:8,9; 4:1-16
67
See Romans 4:1-5, 22-25
68
See St. John 19:30
69
See Romans 1; 10:9,10,13; Revelation 3:20
70
See St. Matthew 28:20; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-14
71
Ephesians 2:6,7 NIV
72
Romans 5:1-5 NIV
73
Romans 8:15 NIV (Bracketed reading from NIV footnote)
74
Galatians 4:6 NIV
75
Ephesians 1:13,14 NIV
76
See I Samuel 16:13; Isaiah 11:2; 32:15; 42:1-4; 61:1-3; Ezekiel 36:26; Joel 2:28,29; St. Matthew 3:11; St. Mark
1:8; St. Luke 11:13; St. John 7:37-39; 14:16,17,26; 16:7-15; 20:22; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4,14-21,38; 4:8,31; 6:3; 7:55;
8:14-17; 9:17; 10:44-46; 13:9,52; 19:1-7; I Corinthians 2:10-15; 6:19; 12:1-13; II Corinthians 3:17,18; Galatians
3:2,3,26,27; 4:8,28-31; 5:16,25; Ephesians 4:31; 5:18; I Thessalonians 5:19; Titus 3:5,6; Jude 20
77
See Ephesians 5:18
78
See I Corinthians 12:31-14:1
79
See I John 3:23
80
Romans 8:26-39 NASB
81
Colossians 3:4 NASB
82
Ephesians 1:22,23 NIV (Bold print mine)
83
St. John 17:20-24 NASB
84
I John 4:17 NIV
85
I John 4:12 NIV
86
I Corinthians 13:8 NIV; See also verses 1-7,9-13
87
Ephesians 4:2-6; 5:1 NIV
88
Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT
89
Ephesians 1:7-10 NIV (Bold print mine)
90
Ephesians 3:8-11 NIV (Bold print mine)
91
See Zechariah 13:7; Also Daniel 9:26; Isaiah 53
92
St. John 12:23,24 NASB
93
Revelation 21:5 NIV; See also Isaiah 65:17;Romans 8:20,21; Colossians 1:15-20; II Peter 3:10-13; Revel. 21:1-4
94
Ephesians 4:13 KJV
95
See Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7,8; 21:2,9-11
96
See Ephesians 2:19-22; I Peter 2:4-6; Revelation 21:3
97
Acts 14:22 KJV (Bold print mine)
98
Isaiah 40:5 NIV (Bold print mine)
99
Isaiah 33:14 NIV
100
Romans 2:8 NIV
101
St. Matthew 13:40-43 NIV
102
II Corinthians 6:2 AMP
53
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