The Eternal Verdict

Today we learned that one of the notorious leaders of the Enron scandal, convicted felon Ken Lay, died of a heart attack at age 64. He was to be sentenced to prison in about 2 weeks, but also had an appeal request in to the court for the purpose of trying to overturn his conviction. Many news websites, such as this one at Fox News will have articles about this man. We will read about his life, his involvement in the scandal, the fact that after conviction he still maintained his innocence, and now, the fact of his physical death.

I found it ironic that this morning's Turning Point message email discussed courtroom verdicts and their affects upon people. But even more important than temporal courtroom verdicts, is the future verdict that we will each have to face in eternity.

The decision will be made by the Judge of the entire universe as to whether or not each of us will face the future Great White Throne Judgment in eternity, or, whether or not each of us will escape it because we have repented of our sins and no longer have any condemnation through acceptance of what Christ did for us at the cross.

Here's the Turning Point message:

Wednesday, July 5

Standing in the Dock

How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Hebrews 2:3

Recommended Reading
Revelation 20:11 -15*

Every day in courtrooms around the world, the tension is palpable as impartial juries deliver their verdicts. Lives hang in the balance, and justice is meted out swiftly and objectively. Recently in a South Carolina murder trial, the defendant, hearing the guilty verdict, collapsed in the courtroom and had to be carried out by deputies. In a recent Missouri case, the defendant was declared innocent; and family members of the victim, feeling justice was denied them, screamed aloud and fell into each other's arms like toppling dominos. Can you imagine the soul-crushing strain of standing before the Judge of the entire universe, awaiting the condemnation that will banish you swiftly and inexorably to hell? That will never be the Christian's experience, for the blood of Christ saves us from standing before the Great White Throne of God. Jesus bore our penalty, accepted our death, and issued His abundant pardon for sins on Calvary's Cross. Today, praise God that His "so great a salvation" is for you and me, and that there is no condemnation to those who are in Him!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah for the cross!
Horatius Bonar

Read-Thru-the-Bible
Proverbs 12:1 - 14:35


*Revelation 20:11-15 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.



The Great White Throne Judgment

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,[a] and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.[b] 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Footnotes:

a. Revelation 20:12 NU-Text and M-Text read the throne.
b. Revelation 20:14 NU-Text and M-Text add the lake of fire.