"What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the
housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which
is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:27,28
O Lord Jesus, How much You loved me and all Your people! You said that if there were no heaven, You
would have told us. You loved us enough to tell us the truth. There is a heaven, and although You did not
give us a full description [for we walk by faith], You did tell us that there was room there for all of those who
trust You.
You, precious Lord Jesus, also loved us enough to tell us that there is a hell. A place of horror and
punishment that endures forever to destroy forever both the soul and the body. We have more descriptions
of hell than we have of heaven. It is a place of fire, fire that is not quenched, where the sinner does not die in
an instant, but dies eternally forever and ever.
The smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever and they have no rest day nor night. It is a place
that was not prepared for man, but for the devil and his angels, but those who serve the devil and do not trust
in You, Lord Jesus, rightfully have their eternal home with their master, the devil, who takes them captive at
his will.
You told us this in immense love and grace, dear Lord, and if it were not so You would have told us. You
never used words for manipulation and causeless fear, but to indicate truth and reality.
Oh precious Lord Jesus, You know the ways of Your Father in Heaven, for You proceeded and came forth
from Him before the foundation of the world, for You are the Wisdom of God, the Son of the Living God.
You know that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. You know that our God is a
burning Fire. You know that He is the judge of all the earth and at the end of the world the righteous will be
raised from the dead to eternal life and glory, but the wicked will be raised to eternal shame, wrath, and
condemnation.
That's the reason You came to the earth, Lord Jesus. You loved us and You came from the love of Your
father to be lifted up on the horrible cross for the sins of Your people, so that all of those who believe on
You might have everlasting life and not come into condemnation, but pass from death unto life. Those who
do not believe are already condemned and lie under the wrath of God. You knew that and loved us enough
to tell us.
We are also to tell the world. We have no secrets that we keep from the world, but what has been told to
us in private we are to shout from the housetops. What we hear in darkness, we are to speak in the light.
That is what You did, Lord Jesus, and we are not smarter than You.
Preachers do not preach about hell nowadays because they love money, the praise of men, and shun the
shame of the cross. And the people love to have it so, and pay handsome salaries to ensure that they are not
told the truth. But how could they be ashamed of You, Lord Jesus? What a powerful statement the cross is
of Your love for us and the love of Your Father who would not spare to tell us the truth and suffer the
consequences of that truth, that other truth that God's justice will burn against sin even when those sins were
laid on His Only Begotten Son.
We cannot understand the height, the depth, the width, and the height of Your love for us, Lord Jesus, and
the love of Your Father, who loves not with vain show, but in deed and in truth, abhorring evil and loving the
good. We would not be smarter and more holy than the Lord Jesus, dear Lord, but will follow Him even
unto death, by Your grace and mercy.
We shall not be afraid of men who shall die, O Precious Father, if you give us the boldness of faith and
strengthen us with might in the inner man. We will fear You, of Father of Light, who holds the soul of every
man in life, and we will fear the Son of God who holds the keys of death and hell and walks among the
churches and tests and tries them for their faithfulness and love.
"Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that
is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above
all.
"Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in
thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
No comments:
Post a Comment