The Day Is Coming
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Day is coming.
It is delayed for a time by mercy, only for the sake of love. The will of God
is that all should come to repentance. It is delayed, but it is coming. While
scoffers count the passage of time as proof that He is not coming, we
who live by faith know that every passing moment only increases the tension and
makes His coming more imminent.
The difference
between the goats and the sheep is a matter of the heart that only the Lord can
discern. The goats protest their fate. They appeal to their works. “When, Lord,
did we fail to do these things? How can You say that we have fallen short? We
were good. We were sincere. We tried hard. We built children’s hospitals. We
fought for social justice. We paid our bills and kept our lawns neat and
clean.” But it doesn’t matter. No matter how good their good works were, they
were not good enough. Their hearts were never perfectly pure. Everything humans
do is tainted by selfish desires and ambitions. The goats are judged by their
own standard; they can never do enough.
What the goats reveal
is their faith. Their faith is not in Christ but in themselves. They seek to
justify themselves. They call Jesus “Lord,” but they will not submit to Him.
They have sought to make their own way, to find their own rest, to secure their
own future. They demand to be judged by their works…and they are.
There is only one
Name under heaven by which men are saved, and it is not your own. All other
names bring damnation. Repent. Throw yourself upon the mercy of the only One
who can save you. Turn from your lust and greed, from your covetousness, from
striving to make your own happiness and find your own peace. Turn from your
reliance on your good works. They do not impress God. Be emptied of yourself.
Forget yourself. Repent. Prepare, for the Day is surely coming. Throw yourself
upon the Man of sorrows, the Friend of sinners, the Strength of the weak, the
Hope of the desolate, the Light of the world, the Conqueror of death, the King
of saints, the Lord of Hosts. Be filled with Christ and His works.
Your God hung on
the cross. This is His glory, for from the cross He draws all men unto Himself.
He hung on the cross to pay for sins He did not commit. He died there. Then He
rose. And now He lives at the right hand of the Father, ruling the Universe called
into being through Him. Soon He shall return and bring the good work He has
begun in you to completion.
In that coming Day,
the elect, the sheep, will also be surprised. They will be credited with
Christ’s own good works and righteousness. This righteousness will not feel
comfortable on them. They will argue: “Lord, we did not do these things. We are
not good. We were hypocrites. Often, we did say and do the right thing, but
inside we didn’t believe it. We had tainted motives, selfish ambitions, evil
desires. There is nothing good in us. We are no better than the goats.” And He
will reply, “Yes, I know. But I did these things. I fed the hungry, gave drink
to the thirsty. I welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, visited the sick and
imprisoned. I kept the Law. And I did it for you. I am your Substitute. My
works count as your works. I took your sin and crucified it. I give you My
righteousness, My innocence, and My blessedness.” This is a free gift of
immeasurable grace. He suffered and died that you would live. For a time you will
suffer, too, and perhaps you will even die. But death could not hold our Lord,
and it will not hold you. Your life is patterned after Christ, who died and
rose again. And He is coming back to claim His own. So “come, O blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of world.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (+)
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all
understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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