Judgment Day — Andrew Forrest

BIBLE STUDY TONIGHT (3/22) | 6:30 PM | SANCTUARY LIVESTREAM: asburytulsa.online.church

REVELATION 20:11-15

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Note that what matters when Judgment Day arrives is having one’s name written in the book of life. How does that happen? You asked for it!

As Revelation has shown over and over—and as the whole Bible teaches—God desires that all people would come to know him and be part of his family. However, God won’t force anyone to accept his love and mercy, and ultimately God will give us over to our desires, which is what happens when the Judgment arrives in John’s vision—those who won’t repent are given what they want, which is NOT God. And because God is life and love and joy, eternal punishment is the opposite of those things—life without God is Hell.

But, no one need perish. All that it takes to receive life is to ask for it! “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!” And he will.

If you have never asked to be saved, let today be that day. That’s what a Christian is: a person who has acknowledged that Jesus is who he says he is and someone who has asked Jesus to save him or her.

This is how the Apostle Paul explains salvation in his Letter to the Romans:

“ 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’” (Roman 10: 9-11)