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GALACTIC NEWS FROM THREE ANGELS #9
ST. NICK’S WAY OF JUDGING
I know Christmas is still a long ways off, but you
know, every December we sing a certain song that has to do with the Judgment.
Not in church, probably . . . because the lyrics go like this.
“You’d better watch out. You’d better not cry. You’d
better not pout; I’m telling you why.” And then the apocalyptic warning:
“Santa Claus is coming to town.”
And on what basis is old Saint Nick going to judge
the human race? Is grace mentioned? Is forgiveness found in the chorus?
Does this Christmas song explain to us that RELATIONSHIP is the important
thing, and that if you wait up on Christmas Eve until midnight, and if
you love Santa Claus, that is all he expects? No, it doesn’t seem to work
that way. Here are the guidelines, and we all know them:
“He’s making a list, And checking it twice. Going to
find out who’s naughty or nice. Santa Claus is coming to town.” And you
know, the legalism gets even worse. “He sees you when you’re sleeping.
He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good. So be
good for goodness’ sake.”
Now, let me say something right here. I’m awfully glad
that “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” is not an expression of the Christian
message. I’m glad that born-again Christians don’t have to be any more
afraid of the Judgment at the end of time than they do the arrival of
the sleigh and reindeer on the rooftop. We’ve been saying for about a
week now: “The Judgment before Jesus comes is wonderful news for the born-again
believer!”
Furthermore, we’ve said on this series — and my predecessors said it for
the past seven decades here on the radio — that the basis of our salvation
doesn’t have to do if we’ve been good or bad. Doesn’t have to do with
if we’ve been naughty or nice. Doesn’t have to do with the positive or
negative deeds on the list that God makes and then checks twice. We’re
saved in heaven because we’ve accepted the blood of Jesus Christ, which
He shed on Calvary. Isn’t that tremendous news?
And yet . . . and yet . . . as we study what that Word of God teaches
about the Judgment, do you know something? We find even Jesus telling
us — not exactly word for word — but certainly shades of this very Christmas
song: “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” We find a list. We find God checking
it twice — in fact, maybe up to four times. We find naughty and nice.
Good and bad. Saints getting presents, and sinners not getting them.
In Matthew 26 Jesus tells one of His most well-known “Judgment parables.”
It’s entitled “The Sheep and the Goats.” The returning King — that’s Jesus
Himself — separates people into these two groups: Sheep . . . and Goats.
One group on His right, the other on the left. And on what basis are people
separated that way? Well, one group does certain things: feeding the hungry,
giving someone a drink, inviting in the stranger, clothing the destitute,
visiting the sick, ministering to someone in prison. One, two, three,
four, five, six . . . things you could do, or not do. Six things that
might equally appear on Santa Claus’ list, or on Almighty God’s. In fact,
when you get down to verse 41, which is about the lost people, the “goats,”
it’s the same six things again. These folks did not feed the hungry, visit
the prisons, etc. And we all recall the great line:
“Inasmuch as ye did it NOT to one of the least of these,
ye did it not to Me.”
Friend, this is Judgment — and it’s not on the basis
of grace, or of relationship. It’s on the basis of a Christmas list: good
deeds or no good deeds. What do we make of this?
If we move away from what we thought were the warm-and-fuzzy Gospels,
and come back to our study book for this series, Revelation, the announcement
about Judgment gets even more forceful. Here’s one of the last verses
in the whole Bible: Revelation 22:12:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and
I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”
And just three verses later is a tight little list
of types of sinners who will not be in the Kingdom: “Satanic magicians,
murderers, the immoral, idolaters,” etc. And we almost hear the familiar
tune: “Makin’ a list, and checkin’ it twice. Gonna find out who’s naughty
or nice.”
As we said yesterday, this kind of Bible discovery can shake a Christian’s
faith. Our assurance can evaporate overnight, if we think God is going
to judge us, not on the basis of Calvary, but on the basis of our behavior.
Is everything lost? On top of all this, the Bible tells so many stories
about people who did tons of good deeds. They said prayers. They used
the name of Jesus in church. They worked mighty miracles. They paid tithe,
not just on their paychecks, but on the tomato plants out in their gardens.
And Christ the Judge says to them: “Get away from Me. I never knew you.”
So what in the world is going on here?
Well, friend, it’s too vital a Bible pillar of truth to fit into a simple
story, but let me try anyway. Imagine that God invites you to become a
friend to His own Son. “Come,” He invites. “I want you and My Son to be
friends. He loves you so much . . . and I do too. In fact, that’s your
only hope — to be a friend to My Son. I have heavenly mansions waiting
for all of the friends of My Son.”
He then also gives us the great news that His own Son is a fantastic driving
instructor. Jesus is eager to ride along with us on this trip through
life. Right there in the car with us. Not just enjoying and savoring the
friendship . . . but He’ll be right there, willing to give loving counsel.
A Friend’s advice. Driving tips. Strategies and scenarios to avoid the
potholes in the road. Ways and means of avoiding the enemy’s misleading
road signs he put in your way, all the confusing arrows pointing in the
wrong direction. And God promises you that if you get into a friendship,
a relationship, with His own Son . . . as time goes by, you’ll be a better
driver. How could you not? Oh, some drivers might progress more than others.
Some might make fewer mistakes than others, go the wrong way down one-way
streets not as many times — especially the more you’re willing to listen
to this wonderful Friend in the car with you. But as time goes by, you
surely will end up driving up on the curb less often than before. Does
that makes sense?
And now, Judgment Day comes. Or, shall we say, the time to get your driver’s
license. And really, God wants to know just one thing. Actually, as we’ve
been saying, He already knows . . . but the watching universe wants to
know just this one thing. Have you got a relationship with the Son? That’s
it! That’s the sum total of it all. Trust in Jesus, or no trust in Jesus.
Of course, God knows your heart . . . and so it takes Him very little
time to determine if you’ve really entered into that friendship with His
Son. He could decide that so easily. But, because there is a host of watching
worlds out there, and because the angels would like to know too, God says
very simply: “The reality is that those drivers who have been experiencing
this relationship and friendship with My Son . . . they don’t drive up
on the curb so often. They don’t mow down pedestrians. They don’t get
lost and bash up fenders. Not because they’re great drivers on their own,
but because they’ve allowed My own Son to help them. So . . . look to
see if they’re driving on curbs. Or smashing up their cars. Those in relationship
with My Son will have a clear pattern . . . OF BECOMING BETTER DRIVERS.”
So we have a parable about sheep and goats. The ones not in relationship
with Christ were the same ones who didn’t help their fellow man, who didn’t
give a cup of cold water. And since some of us onlookers aren’t capable
of looking at Exhibit A — the inner heart which is in relationship with
Jesus — God permits Judgment to also rest on Exhibit B. Which is cups
of cold water, and acts of kindness done to strangers . . . as a result
of the fact that Exhibit A — relationship with the Son — is firmly in
place.
So I would say to you right here, friend: Take heart! Be encouraged, not
discouraged! Because the eternal question still is this: Are you in a
relationship with Jesus? Are you allowing Him to help you drive?
And you say: “But . . . but . . . my driving is still pretty terrible!”
Well, don’t focus on that. ARE YOU IN RELATIONSHIP? “But . . . I’m not
as kind to others as I wish I was.” Don’t focus on that. ARE YOU IN RELATIONSHIP?
Are you willing for Jesus to make you kinder? Are you asking your best
Friend to make you kinder? As He lovingly prompts you to do a kind deed,
are you willing to try? And if you fail to follow a prompting here on
a Thursday, do you fall on your knees and ask Him to help you on Friday
with another chance?
I have it on good authority that this wonderful Friend uncomplainingly
rides through a lot of fender-benders and wrong-way streets . . . as long
as you invite him — sincerely — if you invite Him and mean it, to stay
in the car and help you drive.
And friend, with Him there in the car with you, you’re going to pass that
driver’s test.
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