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: and then shall every man have praise of God. 1 Corinthians 4:5.
During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection, the judgment of the wicked takes place. The apostle Paul points to this judgment as an event that follows the Second Advent. “Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come….” Daniel declares that when the Ancient of days came, “judgment was given to the saints of the most High.” Daniel 7:22.
At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: “I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.” Revelation 20:4…. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, “the saints shall judge the world.” 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death.
We shall not hear a charge against us on the ground of the outbreaking sins we have committed, but the charge will be made against us for the neglect of good and noble duties enjoined upon us by the God of love. The deficiencies of our characters will be held up to view. It will then be known that all who are so condemned had light and knowledge, were entrusted with their Lord’s goods, and were found unfaithful to their trust.
Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people. Says Paul, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” 1 Corinthians 6:3.
When the Judge of all the earth shall demand of Satan, “Why hast thou rebelled against Me, and robbed Me of the subjects of My kingdom?” the originator of evil can render no excuse. Every mouth will be stopped, and all the hosts of rebellion will be speechless.
The Faith I Live By p. 216
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for me as I go to the doctor today for my leg. R
—-I need prayer for my neighbor again this time, she got word that her brother Jerry. fell in the tub an d had to go by ambulance he has a very bad heart. he lives 4 hours away and she is not in any shape to drive to ____. also she ask for prayer for her as she is having trouble with her heart again she tried to get into her DR. but he is booked or out of the office again for a week. M
—-Thank you so much for your prayers for my sister Connie last week. She made it through a risky surgery and is doing well and is out of ICU. As soon as we got home Friday from being with my sister we found out that our great-granddaughter, Elena, had been admitted to the hospital. This morning she will be having surgery to remove a very large tumor in her abdomen. We don’t know yet whether or not it is cancer. Please pray for her. She’s only 12 years old. Pam
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Dear Friends,
For years, our department at the courthouse where I worked was on a level that was between the basement and the first floor. One day, as we was working, two maintenance men came into the office. They were looking very carefully at the walls and ceiling. Curious, I asked them what they were doing. They told me that they were looking for sewer pipes. Satisfied with their explanation, I went back to my typing and thought no more about them.
Before long, I began to hear water running swiftly. I thought that perhaps the maintenance men were doing something in the storage room where there was a sink. The water began to run faster and sound louder. In fact, it sounded like it was in the same room that I was. I walked around my desk and peeked around the file cabinets. To my horror, there was water pouring from the ceiling and running down the wall! Everything was getting soaked.
While on the phone with the maintenance department, a loud buzzing noise started. I was really afraid that water was getting into the light fixture and shorting it out. Doug, one of the court service officers in our department, saw the source of the noise, ran over to the electric stapler, quickly unplugged it, and removed it from the splashing water. Thankfully, he did not get an electric shock.
Finally, the maintenance men arrived and within a short time had the water flow stopped. They assured us that although the water was from sewer pipes, it was water from bathroom sinks only. That was somewhat of a relief. Then began the task of cleaning up the mess. The maintenance men sopped up as much water as they could, but it was obvious that the area was not going to dry out any time soon and the smell of wet plaster that hung heavily in the air was going to be around awhile to bother my allergies.
The next day, as I had figured it would, that heavy, wet smell was still there. I surveyed the damage. Two ceiling panels had been removed and I could look up and see the wetness above. The water that had splashed onto the stamp pad that was on the little table where we stamp envelopes, had splattered and stained the wall red. The carpeting was damp. It would be a long time before things were back to normal.
So it is in our life. All seems to be going along normally, when suddenly, the sewer water of sin breaks through and splatters and stains us just as surely as that wall became stained from the action of the water on the inkpad. How surely the consequences from the flood of our sins pile up in our life. The very atmosphere about us becomes polluted with a “smell” worse than wet plaster.
We suddenly find we are helpless to clean up the mess we have made of our life. We long for deliverance from the sins that bind us. We feel as did David when he exclaimed, “For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.” Ps 38:4-6 Isaiah also speaks of our condition, “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” Isa 1:5,6
How many times we try one thing and another to rid ourselves from the stain of sin, but soon find we are helpless to do so. Solomon speaks of this very thing. “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” Prov 5:22 Jeremiah adds, “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jer 13:23
Praise God! Our Great Creator has taken upon Himself our stain of sin. He has laid down His own life, that we might not only be cleansed from the sins that pollute us, but that we might live with Him eternally. Think of it! The Great King of the Universe, the One Whom all Heaven worships and adores loves us so much that He shed His precious blood, that “he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. What wondrous love!
With tears in His voice, Our Great Redeemer pleads, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die? “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” Eze 33:11; Isa 1:16-19
May we claim the promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 May we allow Him to remove the filthiness of our sin-stained garments and place upon us His spotless robe of righteousness. (Zech 3:1-4; Rev 3:14-21) May our heart continually overflow with love and gratitude to our Great Redeemer for His infinite grace and mercy is my prayer.
Rose
The Saints Shall Judge the World