God is cleansing His people from what? 1) the lies about Him which keep us from trusting Him and 2) when we are won back to trust, He cleanses us from sin. God writes His law of love into our hearts. He restores His character of righteousness in us. This is what is happening during the investigative judgment. How does this happen? By our investigating the truth about God as revealed in Christ, rejecting the lies, and clinging to the truth and trusting God! Many have a very difficult time with this truth, because certain Bible passages are misunderstood, such as: As I judged your fathers in the desert of the land of Egypt, so I will judge you, declares the Sovereign Lord. Ezekiel 20:36 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. Romans 14:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Cor 5:10 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 1Peter 1:17 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. Revelation 20:12 Traditionally, these texts are interpreted to mean that God’s judgment determines our destiny, either saved or lost, in the form of an arbitrary decision on His part. But this is not the case. God’s judgment is merely the accurate diagnosis of our condition, either healed and restored to Christlikeness or incurable. An example of God’s judgment is found in Hosea 4:17: Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone! What is God’s judgment in this case? Ephraim cannot be separated from his idols, so leave him the way he is. What determines our eternal destiny is not God’s judgment upon us, but our judgment of God, which in turn makes us either fit or unfit for living in God’s system of other-centered love. If we judge God trustworthy, then we open our heart and His Spirit heals us from sin. If, instead, we accept Satan’s lies and judge God as untrustworthy, then we keep our heart closed and eventually move ourselves beyond His healing reach. One day all will stand in God’s presence and their true condition will be revealed – this is God’s judgment. Jesus describes this reality: “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:33-37 It is our very condition that determines our eternal destiny. We cannot make ourselves good. We can only be made good by the power of God working in us. And what determines whether God’s power is experienced within our hearts and minds? Whether we trust God and open our heart to Him or not. This reality is stated beautifully in the book The Great Controversy: Like the waters of the Flood the fires of the great day declares the verdict that the wicked are incurable. They have no disposition to submit to divine authority. Their will has been exercised in revolt; and when life is ended, it is too late to turn the current of their thoughts in the opposite direction, too late to turn from transgression to obedience, from hatred to love. GC 543.1 Does God’s verdict make the wicked incurable or does God’s verdict merely pronounce the reality that already exists in the hearts and minds of the lost – that they are incurable? We do not need to fear God who is trying to save and heal us; we need to fear sin, which if unremedied, destroys us!
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 22:35:53 +0000
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