How Can I Change?/Living for That Final Day

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|reviewed=Not Reviewed
|reviewed=Not Reviewed
|newtitle=Living for That Final Day
|newtitle=Living for That Final Day
-
}}When was the last time you heard a sermon about hell?  
+
}}When was the last time you heard a sermon about hell? Heaven is a much more popular subject, but even that is often ignored these days. The trend in contemporary preaching is to focus not on our eternal future, but on our current “felt needs.” And while such messages may succeed at drawing crowds, they fail to develop maturity and build the Church. Listen to this excellent observation by Darius Salter from his book ''What Really Matters in Ministry: ''  
-
Heaven is a much more popular subject, but even that  
+
-
is often ignored these days. The trend in contemporary  
+
-
preaching is to focus not on our eternal future, but on our  
+
-
current “felt needs.” And while such messages may succeed  
+
-
at drawing crowds, they fail to develop maturity and build  
+
-
the Church. Listen to this excellent observation by Darius  
+
-
Salter from his book ''What Really Matters in Ministry: ''
+
-
+
-
{{LeftInsert|"A startling thing has happened among Western Christians. Many of us habitually think and act as if there is no eternity—or as if what we do in this present life has no bearing on eternity...Being oblivious to eternity leaves us experts in the trivial, and novices in the significant. We can name that tune, name that starting line-up, name that actor’s movie debut, name that country’s leading export, and detail the differences between computer models or types of four-wheel drives. None of this is wrong, of course, but it is certainly revealing when we consider that most Christians, let alone the general public, do not even have an accurate picture of what the Bible says will happen to us after we die. We major in the momentary and minor in the momentous.<ref>Randy Alcorn, ''Money, Possessions and Eternity ''(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989), pp. 138, 139.</ref><br>'''— Randy Alcorn'''}}Lack of rootage in the eternal may be the greatest
+
-
shortcoming in the evangelical preaching that
+
-
attracts large numbers
+
-
of people...The ultimate aim of preaching
+
-
should not be accruing benefits in this life
+
-
for parishioners but
+
-
preparing individuals
+
-
to stand in the presence of Christ. There
+
-
is no greater goal or
+
-
motivation than the
+
-
knowledge that all of
+
-
us are headed for eter-
+
-
nity, and that shortly.<ref>Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990), pp. 123, 124.</ref>
+
-
If anyone was rooted in  
+
{{LeftInsert|"A startling thing has happened among Western Christians. Many of us habitually think and act as if there is no eternity—or as if what we do in this present life has no bearing on eternity...Being oblivious to eternity leaves us experts in the trivial, and novices in the significant. We can name that tune, name that starting line-up, name that actor’s movie debut, name that country’s leading export, and detail the differences between computer models or types of four-wheel drives. None of this is wrong, of course, but it is certainly revealing when we consider that most Christians, let alone the general public, do not even have an accurate picture of what the Bible says will happen to us after we die. We major in the momentary and minor in the momentous.<ref>Randy Alcorn, ''Money, Possessions and Eternity ''(Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1989), pp. 138, 139.</ref><br>'''— Randy Alcorn'''}}Lack of rootage in the eternal may be the greatest shortcoming in the evangelical preaching that attracts large numbers of people...The ultimate aim of preaching should not be accruing benefits in this life for parishioners but preparing individuals to stand in the presence of Christ. There is no greater goal or motivation than the knowledge that all of us are headed for eter- nity, and that shortly.<ref>Darius Salter, What Really Matters in Ministry(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1990), pp. 123, 124.</ref>
-
and motivated by the eter-  
+
-
nal, it was Paul. Without
+
-
disregarding the practical
+
-
needs of those he served, he
+
-
constantly drew their atten-  
+
-
tion to the life that was to  
+
-
come. And he tells us why
+
-
in his second letter to the Corinthians: “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” (2Co 5:10).  
+
-
This verse reveals one of Scripture’s most compelling
+
If anyone was rooted in and motivated by the eter- nal, it was Paul. Without disregarding the practical needs of those he served, he constantly drew their atten- tion to the life that was to come. And he tells us why in his second letter to the Corinthians: “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” (2Co 5:10).  
-
—and most frequently overlooked—incentives for sancti-  
+
-
fication. It speaks of a day when we will be judged for the  
+
-
way we have lived in response to God’s grace. On the basis
+
-
of that assessment, Christ will give each believer “what is  
+
-
due him.” One need not meditate for long on the implica-
+
-
tions of that verse to develop an appetite for godly living.
+
-
We have one short life in which to determine our eternal
+
-
rewards...or eternal loss. It’s this urgency Paul sought to
+
-
impart to the churches he served.  
+
-
=== Living by a Two-Day Calendar ===
+
This verse reveals one of Scripture’s most compelling —and most frequently overlooked—incentives for sancti- fication. It speaks of a day when we will be judged for the way we have lived in response to God’s grace. On the basis of that assessment, Christ will give each believer “what is due him.” One need not meditate for long on the implica- tions of that verse to develop an appetite for godly living. We have one short life in which to determine our eternal rewards...or eternal loss. It’s this urgency Paul sought to impart to the churches he served.
-
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a
+
=== Living by a Two-Day Calendar  ===
-
life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph 4:1)
+
-
{{RightInsert|'''For Further Study: '''Read Ephesians 2:6-7. What does Paul say is the purpose of God’s call on our lives?}}Every genuine Christian has received a calling from
+
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph 4:1)  
-
God. This call was conceived in eternity past. Before creat-
+
-
ing the world, God had already chosen us for himself (Eph  
+
-
1:4). At the moment of our regeneration we experience
+
-
the effect of that choice. This isn’t a result of human
+
-
effort, nor is it a reward for good works—it is entirely a
+
-
work of grace. And yet in response to God’s call we are
+
-
responsible to live a certain way.
+
-
This is an often misunderstood point, so please follow  
+
{{RightInsert|'''For Further Study: '''Read Ephesians 2:6-7. What does Paul say is the purpose of God’s call on our lives?}}Every genuine Christian has received a calling from God. This call was conceived in eternity past. Before creat- ing the world, God had already chosen us for himself (Eph 1:4). At the moment of our regeneration we experience the effect of that choice. This isn’t a result of human effort, nor is it a reward for good works—it is entirely a work of grace. And yet in response to God’s call we are responsible to live a certain way.
-
carefully: We never were and never will be worthy of this  
+
 
-
call. Paul is not exhorting us somehow to qualify for our  
+
This is an often misunderstood point, so please follow carefully: We never were and never will be worthy of this call. Paul is not exhorting us somehow to qualify for our calling. That would be impossible and a denial of grace. He describes it to the Ephesians as a calling “you have ''received”''—not something they had ''achieved. ''The “riches of God’s grace that he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7-8) by way of election, adoption, redemption, and regeneration are unconditionally and freely given.
-
calling. That would be impossible and a denial of grace.  
+
 
-
He describes it to the Ephesians as a calling “you have  
+
{{LeftInsert|'''Meditate on 2 Thessalonians 1:11. '''It brings great assurance to know that God’s expectations of a worthy life are met because he empowers us to live up to that call.}}Every Christian needs to cultivate an assurance of and
-
''received”''—not something they had ''achieved. ''The “riches  
+
security in this calling. Yet it’s our privilege and responsibility to build on that foundation through the process of
-
of God’s grace that he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7-8) by  
+
sanctification. As Paul said of himself, “By the grace of
-
way of election, adoption, redemption, and regeneration  
+
God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without
-
are unconditionally and freely given.
+
effect” (1Co 15:10). Having received a calling of which we
 +
were not worthy, we are now responsible to live worthy of
 +
that calling.
 +
 
 +
Paul lived with an intense awareness that each of us
 +
will one day stand before Christ to account for the way we have responded to his call. But to
 +
some this may seem like a contradiction. If Christ has forgiven us and
 +
accepts us, what’s this about judgment?
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|<big>1</big> Read the second half of the verse mentioned above (1 Corinthians 15:10). How does Paul describe the effect grace had on him?
 +
 
 +
❏Made him feel better about himself
 +
 
 +
❏Helped him relax rather than feel pressured
 +
 
 +
❏Assured him of God’s acceptance
 +
 
 +
❏Kept him from striving
 +
 
 +
❏Motivated him to work hard for the kingdom}}As Christians, we will not be judged
 +
for our sins on the day of judgment.
 +
Jesus Christ has already been judged
 +
in our place. Because of his substitu-
 +
tionary sacrifice on our behalf we have
 +
been saved from the wrath of God.
 +
“Since we have now been justified by
 +
[Christ’s] blood, how much more shall
 +
we be saved from God’s wrath through
 +
him!” (Ro 5:9; see also Ro 8:1).
 +
 
 +
But will we be judged for the works we have done—or
 +
left undone—since conversion? Definitely. Every one of us
 +
will give an account to God and have our lives evaluated.
 +
Paul presents this in vivid terms:
 +
 
 +
{{RightInsert|'''Meditate on Job 34:11-12. '''How do rewards—both good and bad—reveal the justice of God?}}If any man builds on this foundation [Jesus Christ]
 +
using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
 +
his work will be shown for what it is, because the
 +
Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with
 +
fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s
 +
work...If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he him-
 +
self will be saved, but only as one escaping through
 +
the flames. (1Co 3:12-13,15)
 +
 
 +
It’s critical that we grasp this distinction. Though our
 +
''reconciliation ''to God has been secured, our ''rewards ''(or
 +
loss thereof) will be determined by the extent to which
 +
we’ve pursued godliness in response to his call. Not that
 +
God is obligated to reward us—this, too, is an act of sheer
 +
grace, as Jerry Bridges describes so well:
 +
 
 +
This is the amazing story of God’s grace. God saves
 +
us by his grace and transforms us more and more
 +
into the likeness of his Son by his grace. In all our
 +
trials and afflictions, he sustains and strengthens us
 +
by his grace. He calls us by grace to perform our
 +
own unique function within the Body of Christ.
 +
Then, again by grace, he gives to each of us the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill our calling. As we serve
 +
him, he makes that service acceptable to himself by
 +
grace,and then rewards us a hundredfold by grace.<ref>Jerry Bridges, ''Transforming Grace ''(Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress,1991), pp. 169-170.}}But I think it’s safe to say that most Christians have the
 +
attitude, ''If I can just get past the box office I’ll be set for eternity. ''They assume everybody will wind up in “General
 +
Seating.” But that’s just not biblical. Scripture clearly
 +
teaches that rewards will vary. To overlook this truth is to
 +
neglect one of the main incentives for sanctification.
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|"There will be great rewards, lesser rewards, and—for some—no reward. Hence there will be much diversity, even though all will share in the blessedness of the world to come. Such is the grace and justice of the good Lord."<ref>J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology, Volume 3: The Church, the Kingdom, and Last Things(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), p. 457.</ref><br>'''J. Rodman William'''}}Martin Luther said there were only two days on his
 +
calendar: “today” and “''that ''Day.”<ref>Randy Alcorn, ''Money, Possessions and Eternity, ''p. 151.</ref> Each day brings us
 +
closer to ''that ''Day. It will be a day of unparalleled rejoicing as we see our Lord face
 +
to face. But it will also be a
 +
day of intense scrutiny and
 +
examination. And as Randy
 +
Alcorn explains, “It is we, by
 +
virtue of our hourly and
 +
daily choices, who will
 +
determine what transpires
 +
on that day.”<ref>Ibid.</ref>
 +
 
 +
God will ask, “In light of
 +
the call you received, in
 +
light of the grace I extended despite your unworthiness,
 +
where did you invest your life? What were your priorities
 +
and values? Did you serve me or use me? Did you live a
 +
life worthy of your calling?” Again, our answers to those
 +
questions won’t determine our reconciliation to God, but
 +
they will have everything to do with whether or not we
 +
receive the rewards God so eagerly desires to give us.
 +
 
 +
Randy Alcorn writes about this rarely considered subject
 +
in his excellent book ''Money, Possessions and Eternity. ''I
 +
find his perspective extremely helpful and motivating:
 +
 
 +
{{LeftInsert|'''Meditate on Ephesians 5:16. '''What critical “study habit” does this verse encourage?}}Heaven will be a wonderful place. But what we seldom
 +
consider is that at the entry point to heaven
 +
Scripture plainly tells us there is a judgment of
 +
believers that will determine for all eternity our
 +
place or status in heaven...Scripture simply does
 +
not teach what most of us seem to assume—that
 +
heaven will transform each of us into equal beings
 +
with equal possessions and equal responsibilities
 +
and equal capacities. It does not say our previous
 +
lives will be of no eternal significance. It says exactly
 +
the opposite...
 +
 
 +
We have been given fair warning that there lies
 +
ahead for each of us, at the end of the term, a final
 +
examination. It will be administered by the fairest
 +
yet strictest Headmaster in the universe. How seri-
 +
ously we take this clear teaching of Scripture is
 +
demonstrated by how seriously we are preparing for
 +
that day.

Revision as of 20:00, 3 June 2008

 

Notice: This template is no longer in use. Please use {{Info}} instead.

When was the last time you heard a sermon about hell? Heaven is a much more popular subject, but even that is often ignored these days. The trend in contemporary preaching is to focus not on our eternal future, but on our current “felt needs.” And while such messages may succeed at drawing crowds, they fail to develop maturity and build the Church. Listen to this excellent observation by Darius Salter from his book What Really Matters in Ministry:
"A startling thing has happened among Western Christians. Many of us habitually think and act as if there is no eternity—or as if what we do in this present life has no bearing on eternity...Being oblivious to eternity leaves us experts in the trivial, and novices in the significant. We can name that tune, name that starting line-up, name that actor’s movie debut, name that country’s leading export, and detail the differences between computer models or types of four-wheel drives. None of this is wrong, of course, but it is certainly revealing when we consider that most Christians, let alone the general public, do not even have an accurate picture of what the Bible says will happen to us after we die. We major in the momentary and minor in the momentous.[1]
— Randy Alcorn

Lack of rootage in the eternal may be the greatest shortcoming in the evangelical preaching that attracts large numbers of people...The ultimate aim of preaching should not be accruing benefits in this life for parishioners but preparing individuals to stand in the presence of Christ. There is no greater goal or motivation than the knowledge that all of us are headed for eter- nity, and that shortly.[2]

If anyone was rooted in and motivated by the eter- nal, it was Paul. Without disregarding the practical needs of those he served, he constantly drew their atten- tion to the life that was to come. And he tells us why in his second letter to the Corinthians: “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” (2Co 5:10).

This verse reveals one of Scripture’s most compelling —and most frequently overlooked—incentives for sancti- fication. It speaks of a day when we will be judged for the way we have lived in response to God’s grace. On the basis of that assessment, Christ will give each believer “what is due him.” One need not meditate for long on the implica- tions of that verse to develop an appetite for godly living. We have one short life in which to determine our eternal rewards...or eternal loss. It’s this urgency Paul sought to impart to the churches he served.

Living by a Two-Day Calendar

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Eph 4:1)

For Further Study: Read Ephesians 2:6-7. What does Paul say is the purpose of God’s call on our lives?

Every genuine Christian has received a calling from God. This call was conceived in eternity past. Before creat- ing the world, God had already chosen us for himself (Eph 1:4). At the moment of our regeneration we experience the effect of that choice. This isn’t a result of human effort, nor is it a reward for good works—it is entirely a work of grace. And yet in response to God’s call we are responsible to live a certain way.

This is an often misunderstood point, so please follow carefully: We never were and never will be worthy of this call. Paul is not exhorting us somehow to qualify for our calling. That would be impossible and a denial of grace. He describes it to the Ephesians as a calling “you have received”—not something they had achieved. The “riches of God’s grace that he lavished upon us” (Eph 1:7-8) by way of election, adoption, redemption, and regeneration are unconditionally and freely given.

Meditate on 2 Thessalonians 1:11. It brings great assurance to know that God’s expectations of a worthy life are met because he empowers us to live up to that call.

Every Christian needs to cultivate an assurance of and security in this calling. Yet it’s our privilege and responsibility to build on that foundation through the process of sanctification. As Paul said of himself, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect” (1Co 15:10). Having received a calling of which we were not worthy, we are now responsible to live worthy of that calling.

Paul lived with an intense awareness that each of us will one day stand before Christ to account for the way we have responded to his call. But to some this may seem like a contradiction. If Christ has forgiven us and accepts us, what’s this about judgment?

1 Read the second half of the verse mentioned above (1 Corinthians 15:10). How does Paul describe the effect grace had on him?

❏Made him feel better about himself

❏Helped him relax rather than feel pressured

❏Assured him of God’s acceptance

❏Kept him from striving

❏Motivated him to work hard for the kingdom

As Christians, we will not be judged for our sins on the day of judgment. Jesus Christ has already been judged in our place. Because of his substitu- tionary sacrifice on our behalf we have been saved from the wrath of God. “Since we have now been justified by [Christ’s] blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Ro 5:9; see also Ro 8:1).

But will we be judged for the works we have done—or left undone—since conversion? Definitely. Every one of us will give an account to God and have our lives evaluated. Paul presents this in vivid terms:

Meditate on Job 34:11-12. How do rewards—both good and bad—reveal the justice of God?

If any man builds on this foundation [Jesus Christ] using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work...If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he him- self will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (1Co 3:12-13,15)

It’s critical that we grasp this distinction. Though our reconciliation to God has been secured, our rewards (or loss thereof) will be determined by the extent to which we’ve pursued godliness in response to his call. Not that God is obligated to reward us—this, too, is an act of sheer grace, as Jerry Bridges describes so well:

This is the amazing story of God’s grace. God saves us by his grace and transforms us more and more into the likeness of his Son by his grace. In all our trials and afflictions, he sustains and strengthens us by his grace. He calls us by grace to perform our own unique function within the Body of Christ. Then, again by grace, he gives to each of us the spiritual gifts necessary to fulfill our calling. As we serve him, he makes that service acceptable to himself by grace,and then rewards us a hundredfold by grace.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
J. Rodman William}}Martin Luther said there were only two days on his calendar: “today” and “that Day.”[3] Each day brings us closer to that Day. It will be a day of unparalleled rejoicing as we see our Lord face to face. But it will also be a day of intense scrutiny and examination. And as Randy Alcorn explains, “It is we, by virtue of our hourly and daily choices, who will determine what transpires on that day.”[4]

God will ask, “In light of the call you received, in light of the grace I extended despite your unworthiness, where did you invest your life? What were your priorities and values? Did you serve me or use me? Did you live a life worthy of your calling?” Again, our answers to those questions won’t determine our reconciliation to God, but they will have everything to do with whether or not we receive the rewards God so eagerly desires to give us.

Randy Alcorn writes about this rarely considered subject in his excellent book Money, Possessions and Eternity. I find his perspective extremely helpful and motivating:

Meditate on Ephesians 5:16. What critical “study habit” does this verse encourage?

Heaven will be a wonderful place. But what we seldom consider is that at the entry point to heaven Scripture plainly tells us there is a judgment of believers that will determine for all eternity our place or status in heaven...Scripture simply does not teach what most of us seem to assume—that heaven will transform each of us into equal beings with equal possessions and equal responsibilities and equal capacities. It does not say our previous lives will be of no eternal significance. It says exactly the opposite...

We have been given fair warning that there lies ahead for each of us, at the end of the term, a final examination. It will be administered by the fairest yet strictest Headmaster in the universe. How seri- ously we take this clear teaching of Scripture is demonstrated by how seriously we are preparing for that day.


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
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