Let's pray. Father in heaven, it
is with reverence and with awe
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that we approach
Your holy throne today.
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As we open Your Holy
Word we ask for the presence
00:00:39.93\00:00:43.67
of Your Holy Spirit.
00:00:43.71\00:00:45.04
I ask, Lord, that You
will give us understanding,
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for we're going to study a
very important subject about the
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hour of Your judgment.
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So, Father, help us
to understand not only
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theoretically, but help us
to understand the importance
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of what we're going to study.
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And we thank You
for hearing our prayer,
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for we ask it in
Jesus' name, Amen.
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I want to begin our study today
by reading the passage that
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we've been studying the last few
sessions, Revelation 14:6, 7.
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We've studied ten
great facts about the
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three angels' messages.
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We've studied about
the everlasting gospel.
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We've studied what
it means to fear God.
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And in our last session
we discussed what it means
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to give glory to God.
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Now today we're going
to study about the hour
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of God's judgment.
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It says in Revelation 14:6,
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And now you
have two imperatives.
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Now the question is,
Why should we fear God
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and give glory to Him?
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It continues saying:
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Now that word for there is what
is called in the Greek language
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a causal conjunction, and it
should be translated because.
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In other words, fear
God and give glory to Him
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because the hour of
His judgment has come.
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And then we're told the third
imperative: and worship Him
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who made heaven and earth,
the sea and springs of water.
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So you see, the reason why
we're supposed to fear God,
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and give glory to God, and
worship Him, is because the hour
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of His judgment has come.
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Now when most people
think about the judgment,
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they think of the
judgment as an event.
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But really, in the Bible
the judgment is not an event,
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the judgment is a process;
a rather extended process.
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In fact the book of Revelation
itself presents three different
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and distinct
phases of the judgment.
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I'm not going to go
into all of these phases.
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I'm just going to
give you the references.
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The first phase of the
judgment takes place before
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the second coming of Jesus,
before the close of probation.
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We find that in
Revelation 14:6, 7.
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The second phase of the
judgment takes place during
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the thousand years,
during the millennium.
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And you can find
that in Revelation 20:4-6.
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The third phase of
the judgment takes place
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after the millennium,
after the thousand years.
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And you can find a reference
to that in Revelation 20:13-15.
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In other words, the
judgment is a process.
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The judgment is not an
event, a punctual event.
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Now the stage that we especially
want to take a look at today,
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as we study this subject of the
judgment, is that first stage
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that I mentioned, the stage
that occurs before the second
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coming of Jesus,
before the close of probation.
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Now in order to understand
this particular phase of the
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judgment, the first
one which is mentioned in
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Revelation 14:7, we need to go
back to the story of creation.
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And you say, Well,
why do we need to go back
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to the story of creation?
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Very simply because the first
angel's message calls us to
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go back and talk
about the Creator.
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You know that the first angel's
message says, Worship Him
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who made the
heavens, the earth, the seas,
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and the fountains of waters.
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So, in other words, the first
angel's message itself sends us
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back to the story
of creation in order to
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understand the judgment.
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So we have to go back
to Genesis and talk about
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the origin of man.
00:05:11.51\00:05:13.17
Go with me to
Genesis 2:7, Genesis 2:7.
00:05:13.21\00:05:19.85
It's speaking here
about the creation of man,
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and I want you to
notice the description.
00:05:23.72\00:05:26.52
There are several elements that
we're going to underline here.
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Now it's the physical nature
of man that is composed of dust
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or of clay, as Isaiah 64:8 says.
00:05:39.97\00:05:43.24
It says God is the
potter, and we are the clay.
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Our physical nature
is composed of clay.
00:05:45.47\00:05:48.94
But even after God
made this perfect body,
00:05:48.98\00:05:52.18
originally without sin,
the body was without life.
00:05:52.21\00:05:56.58
I didn't say that it
was dead; it was lifeless,
00:05:56.62\00:05:59.09
because there was
something lacking.
00:05:59.12\00:06:01.49
You see, only having
the body of matter perfect,
00:06:01.52\00:06:04.33
with all of its parts, did not
mean that the body was alive.
00:06:04.36\00:06:08.40
And so God had to do
something to that body.
00:06:08.43\00:06:11.37
Notice what it continues saying.
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Another way of saying that is,
He breathed into his nostrils
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the energizing force, the
electrical force, if you please.
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Now there are several
things that I want us to
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notice about this verse.
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First of all, man was
created with a material body;
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a body composed of matter.
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And, of course, in the
head of that body was the brain;
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the center of operations
of the body, if you please.
00:06:51.94\00:06:55.88
The brain is that organ that
processes everything that comes
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in through our five senses.
00:07:01.55\00:07:02.98
In other words, our eyesight,
our hearing, our touch,
00:07:03.02\00:07:07.69
our smell, our taste; everything
that comes in through the five
00:07:07.72\00:07:10.99
senses is
processed by the brain.
00:07:11.03\00:07:13.80
And the brain, of course,
is a physical organism as well.
00:07:13.83\00:07:17.37
It's also composed of matter.
00:07:17.40\00:07:19.50
But I want you to notice that
the body with this processor,
00:07:19.53\00:07:23.91
the brain, did not function
until God plugged the body in,
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so to speak, into the electrical
source which was giving the body
00:07:28.61\00:07:33.45
and the brain the
capacity to function.
00:07:33.48\00:07:37.02
And so when God created the
body with a brain to process
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all of the functions, and
gave that body with the brain,
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the electrical force, the Bible
says that man became a living
00:07:45.49\00:07:50.23
being, or other
versions say, a living soul.
00:07:50.27\00:07:54.17
Now up till here you
say, Okay, that's fine.
00:07:54.20\00:07:58.27
We already knew this.
00:07:58.31\00:07:59.71
But now I want to
emphasize something that
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is extremely important.
00:08:04.31\00:08:05.98
As Adam, and let's
take Adam as our example,
00:08:06.01\00:08:10.69
as Adam lived after he was
created, from the moment that
00:08:10.72\00:08:14.89
he was created, he now begins
to process the information that
00:08:14.92\00:08:20.16
comes through his five senses.
00:08:20.20\00:08:21.76
And he begins to form
his own self identity.
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You know, there are no two
people in this world that have
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the same self identity,
because everybody has different
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information coming
from the five senses that is
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processed by the brain.
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So taking Adam as an example,
Adam lived to be 930 years.
00:08:36.14\00:08:41.62
Let me ask you, Do you
think that Adam had a much more
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complex self identity when he
died at 930 years than the day
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that he was created? Absolutely!
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He had his own individuality.
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He had his own self
identity, if you please,
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which was different
from the self identity
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that anyone else had.
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In other words, during those
930 years he formed his self
00:09:01.80\00:09:05.77
identity, or we could
also call it his character.
00:09:05.81\00:09:09.94
Now we need to ask the question,
What happened when Adam died?
00:09:09.98\00:09:15.45
In fact, what
happens when all of us die?
00:09:15.48\00:09:18.29
Notice Ecclesiastes
12:7, Ecclesiastes 12:7.
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This is a famous
state of the dead verse.
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It says there
when a person dies:
00:09:28.50\00:09:31.13
So you'll notice that when
a person dies it says that the
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body returns to the
dust, and the spirit returns
00:09:45.45\00:09:49.25
to God who gave it.
00:09:49.28\00:09:50.62
But now I'm going to ask you
a question that perhaps nobody
00:09:50.65\00:09:52.85
has asked you before.
00:09:52.89\00:09:54.22
What happens with the self
identity, or with the character
00:09:54.26\00:09:57.93
that we formed
during our lifespan?
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For example, what happened to
the 930 years of self identity
00:10:00.60\00:10:04.80
that Adam formed, or the
character that Adam formed
00:10:04.83\00:10:08.00
during 930 years when he died?
00:10:08.04\00:10:10.91
You say, Well, Pastor, that's
kind of a strange question.
00:10:10.94\00:10:14.08
I'm asking that question
for a very specific purpose,
00:10:14.11\00:10:17.81
as you're going to
see as we study along.
00:10:17.85\00:10:20.22
The fact is folks, that the self
identity of Adam was actually
00:10:20.25\00:10:26.92
recorded by God in heaven
as Adam lived his 930 life.
00:10:26.96\00:10:33.93
In fact, our self identity is
written by God in heavenly books
00:10:33.96\00:10:39.67
as we live every
moment of every day.
00:10:39.70\00:10:43.17
So when Adam died all of the
record of his life was preserved
00:10:43.20\00:10:50.75
in the heavenly records.
00:10:50.78\00:10:52.21
In other words, God had an
exact perfect record of Adam
00:10:52.25\00:10:56.35
in His heavenly books.
00:10:56.38\00:10:57.79
And you say, Does the
Bible teach such a thing?
00:10:57.82\00:11:00.52
Well, let's read several
verses that speak about what is
00:11:00.56\00:11:04.99
contained in the books.
00:11:05.03\00:11:06.46
You see, God keep
records in heaven.
00:11:06.49\00:11:09.06
He keeps an exact record
of who I was during my life;
00:11:09.10\00:11:13.34
who Adam was during his life.
00:11:13.37\00:11:15.64
Notice 2 Corinthians
5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
00:11:15.67\00:11:22.14
Let me ask you, Does God keep
a record of the good and bad
00:11:39.03\00:11:41.43
things that we performed
while we were alive? Yes.
00:11:41.46\00:11:43.90
And we all must appear before
the judgment seat of Christ.
00:11:43.93\00:11:47.04
So our actions are recorded
in God's heavenly books.
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Now what about our words?
00:11:51.47\00:11:53.68
Notice Matthew 12:36,
37, Matthew 12:36, 37.
00:11:53.71\00:12:00.82
Here Jesus is
speaking and He says:
00:12:00.85\00:12:03.18
Is a record of our words
kept in God's heavenly records?
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.20
Absolutely! Because by our
words we will be justified,
00:12:22.24\00:12:26.37
or by our words
we will be condemned.
00:12:26.41\00:12:29.18
But I want you to notice
that also our secret things
00:12:29.21\00:12:33.35
are written there.
00:12:33.38\00:12:34.72
You see, God has a
record not only of the outside,
00:12:34.75\00:12:37.45
He has a record of the
inside, in other words.
00:12:37.49\00:12:40.66
Notice Ecclesiastics 12:13,
14, Ecclesiastics 12:13, 14.
00:12:40.69\00:12:49.03
If God is going to bring
every work into judgment,
00:12:59.87\00:13:01.74
must He have a record
of every work? Of course.
00:13:01.78\00:13:04.71
It says, God will bring
every work into judgment.
00:13:04.75\00:13:08.65
And now notice this: including
every what? every secret thing,
00:13:08.68\00:13:14.39
whether good or evil.
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.86
So God keeps an exact
record of everything concerning
00:13:16.89\00:13:21.56
our life inside and out.
00:13:21.60\00:13:24.27
Let's read also Revelation 20:
12, 13, Revelation 20:12, 13.
00:13:24.30\00:13:33.07
It says there:
00:13:33.11\00:13:34.51
Notice this:
00:13:40.35\00:13:41.68
So I want you to notice
that you have books, plural.
00:13:56.46\00:13:59.70
Now when the Bible
speaks of books, in the plural,
00:13:59.73\00:14:03.37
it's talking about
the record of our lives.
00:14:03.41\00:14:05.77
You see, every breathing
moment God is taking a movie,
00:14:05.81\00:14:10.05
if you please, or He's taking
a picture of every single thing
00:14:10.08\00:14:13.52
that we're doing, every single
thing that we're thinking,
00:14:13.55\00:14:16.69
every single thing that we're
feeling, every intention and
00:14:16.72\00:14:20.12
motive that we have.
00:14:20.16\00:14:21.49
God is recording a
perfect record of every
00:14:21.52\00:14:25.56
aspect of our lives.
00:14:25.59\00:14:27.06
Let me illustrate what I mean.
00:14:27.10\00:14:28.96
Jesus today is
personally in heaven, isn't He?
00:14:29.00\00:14:34.50
He's in heaven in person.
00:14:34.54\00:14:35.87
But do you know
where He is on earth?
00:14:35.90\00:14:37.67
On earth He is written in
sixty-six books: the Bible.
00:14:37.71\00:14:43.21
Because the Bible is a
written revelation of Christ.
00:14:43.24\00:14:46.21
That's why the Bible says that
Jesus is the Word in person,
00:14:46.25\00:14:50.05
but also the written
Word is the Word of God.
00:14:50.09\00:14:53.25
Because the Bible is
the transcript of the
00:14:53.29\00:14:56.19
character of Jesus.
00:14:56.22\00:14:57.56
It's Jesus in
written form, if you please.
00:14:57.59\00:15:00.13
Now with us it's
just the opposite.
00:15:00.16\00:15:02.80
We are physically
and personally on earth,
00:15:02.83\00:15:06.43
but in heaven we
are written in books.
00:15:06.47\00:15:08.54
In other words, we
are written in books
00:15:08.57\00:15:11.17
where we are not personally.
00:15:11.21\00:15:12.77
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:15:12.81\00:15:14.48
What I'm explaining, or
I'm trying to explain is,
00:15:14.51\00:15:17.81
that the heavenly books
contain a complete biography
00:15:17.85\00:15:21.18
of each one of us.
00:15:21.22\00:15:22.55
Every act, every word,
every motive, every thought,
00:15:22.58\00:15:26.96
every emotion, even every
opportunity to do good, which we
00:15:26.99\00:15:31.93
did not take advantage of
is found written in the books.
00:15:31.96\00:15:36.83
There is a complete record
of our lives, inside and out.
00:15:36.87\00:15:41.30
In other words, God has another
Steve Bohr in written form
00:15:41.34\00:15:44.67
in heaven, and I walk personally
here upon Planet Earth.
00:15:44.71\00:15:50.25
Now I believe that if God
was revealing His truth to the
00:15:50.28\00:15:54.88
prophets today, He would
probably not talk about books
00:15:54.92\00:15:59.12
as containing the records.
00:15:59.15\00:16:00.66
In Biblical times you know it
was common to preserve records
00:16:00.69\00:16:04.19
in scrolls or in books.
00:16:04.23\00:16:05.56
But if God was speaking to a
prophet today, I believe that
00:16:05.59\00:16:08.50
God would be
speaking about video cameras,
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.03
and He would speak about
DVD's, and NP3's, and He would
00:16:11.07\00:16:15.90
speak about computers.
00:16:15.94\00:16:17.44
Because it's a much more
sophisticated way of storing
00:16:17.47\00:16:20.98
and retrieving information.
00:16:21.01\00:16:22.84
Now, the Bible then when it
speaks about books is referring
00:16:22.88\00:16:28.88
to the exact transcript
of our lives, which God keeps
00:16:28.92\00:16:32.52
in the heavenly records.
00:16:32.55\00:16:34.06
But the Bible also uses
the word book, singular.
00:16:34.09\00:16:38.49
Now let's take a look at
the references in the Bible that
00:16:38.53\00:16:41.86
use book, singular.
00:16:41.90\00:16:43.93
Go with me to Philippians
4:3, Philippians 4:3.
00:16:43.97\00:16:49.87
Here the apostle Paul is
speaking about some of his
00:16:49.90\00:16:52.67
collaborators; some of the
individuals that were helping
00:16:52.71\00:16:55.38
him in his ministry.
00:16:55.41\00:16:56.75
And he says there:
00:16:56.78\00:16:58.11
He even mentions one by name.
00:17:07.46\00:17:09.42
Book, singular. What is
it that the book contains?
00:17:18.43\00:17:21.40
The book contains names.
00:17:21.44\00:17:24.07
What do the books, in plural,
contain? the exact transcript
00:17:24.11\00:17:28.34
of the persons character.
00:17:28.38\00:17:30.08
Notice Revelation
3:5; still talking about
00:17:30.11\00:17:32.85
the book,
singular, Revelation 3:5.
00:17:32.88\00:17:36.58
Once again the book,
singular, has what? names.
00:17:51.83\00:17:56.24
Notice Revelation 13:8.
00:17:56.27\00:17:58.74
There are many verses.
00:17:58.77\00:18:00.11
I'm only reading
a sampling of them.
00:18:00.14\00:18:01.48
Revelation 13:8, speaking about
those who are going to end up
00:18:01.51\00:18:05.75
worshipping the beast. It says:
00:18:05.78\00:18:07.35
And you remember when Moses
was on Mount Sinai and God said,
00:18:19.69\00:18:23.87
I'm going to destroy Israel,
and I'm going to choose another
00:18:23.90\00:18:26.60
people, because these
people are idolatrous.
00:18:26.63\00:18:28.80
Notice in Exodus 32:31, 32,
what Moses said to the Lord.
00:18:28.84\00:18:36.31
And in Daniel 12:1,
where it speaks about the final
00:18:55.96\00:18:59.73
deliverance of God's
people at the end of the time of
00:18:59.77\00:19:02.14
trouble such as never has
been seen, we find the following
00:19:02.17\00:19:05.27
words, Daniel 12:1.
00:19:05.31\00:19:07.08
So are you
understanding the difference
00:19:28.63\00:19:30.17
between books, and book?
00:19:30.20\00:19:31.87
The books contain the
exact transcript of our lives
00:19:31.90\00:19:35.80
in written form in heaven.
00:19:35.84\00:19:38.14
Nothing is missing: words,
thoughts, emotions, motives,
00:19:38.17\00:19:44.61
actions, you name it, everything
is there inside and out
00:19:44.65\00:19:49.82
in the books, but the
book, singular, contains names.
00:19:49.85\00:19:55.02
And the Bible emphasizes that
the book contains the names of
00:19:55.06\00:19:58.19
those who have received
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
00:19:58.23\00:20:02.53
Now I want us, in the light
of what we've studied about the
00:20:02.56\00:20:06.13
books, and the book, I'd like
us to take a look at several
00:20:06.17\00:20:10.04
interesting
details about the judgment.
00:20:10.07\00:20:12.57
The first thing that I want us
to notice is that everyone must
00:20:12.61\00:20:17.38
appear before the judgment
seat of Christ. No exceptions.
00:20:17.41\00:20:20.68
Notice 2 Corinthians 5:10
once again, 2 Corinthians 5:10.
00:20:20.72\00:20:27.26
How many people are going
to have to appear before the
00:20:43.47\00:20:45.84
judgment seat of Christ to give
an account for what they did
00:20:45.87\00:20:49.34
while they were in the
body, which means while they
00:20:49.38\00:20:51.51
were in this life?
00:20:51.55\00:20:52.88
Every single person is going
to have to appear before the
00:20:52.91\00:20:56.18
judgment seat of Christ.
00:20:56.22\00:20:57.55
But now there's another very
interesting detail, and that is
00:20:57.59\00:21:01.62
that that judgment
takes place in heaven.
00:21:01.66\00:21:05.49
What, you're saying?
00:21:05.53\00:21:08.16
Does that mean that we have
to NASA, and we have to get on a
00:21:08.20\00:21:11.83
rocket in order to appear before
the judgment seat of Christ?
00:21:11.87\00:21:14.80
Well, let's notice
what the Bible says.
00:21:14.84\00:21:17.57
Daniel 7:9, 10, Daniel 7:9, 10.
00:21:17.61\00:21:22.84
Daniel is seeing
something in vision.
00:21:26.18\00:21:27.98
Who is the Ancient of
Days? God who? God the Father.
00:21:29.62\00:21:33.96
Where does God the Father live?
00:21:33.99\00:21:35.62
Our Father which
art in heaven, okay.
00:21:35.66\00:21:39.39
Who are those?
angels. And then notice:
00:22:03.12\00:22:06.55
What do the books contain?
the record of the lives.
00:22:12.46\00:22:16.63
Where does this
judgment take place?
00:22:16.67\00:22:18.93
It takes place where the Father
lives, where the angels are,
00:22:18.97\00:22:22.54
according to Scripture.
00:22:22.57\00:22:23.91
So everyone must appear,
and the judgment takes place
00:22:23.94\00:22:28.44
where? It takes place in heaven.
00:22:28.48\00:22:30.95
Now let's notice another
detail about the judgment.
00:22:30.98\00:22:34.05
Go with me to Revelation
14, which we started our lecture
00:22:34.08\00:22:37.79
with, Revelation 14:6, 7.
00:22:37.82\00:22:40.72
Let me ask you, Does the
judgment begin after Jesus
00:22:40.76\00:22:45.06
comes, or at the moment Jesus
comes, or does this judgment
00:22:45.09\00:22:48.86
of God's people, those who
are written in the book of life,
00:22:48.90\00:22:51.70
does it take place
before the close of probation,
00:22:51.73\00:22:55.10
and before the
second coming of Jesus?
00:22:55.14\00:22:57.11
It takes place before.
00:22:57.14\00:22:58.97
You say, Now
wait a minute, Pastor,
00:22:59.01\00:23:00.54
Where does the Bible
say that? Revelation 14:6.
00:23:00.58\00:23:03.91
Let me ask you, If the gospel
is being preached, must the door
00:23:14.82\00:23:17.53
of probation still
be open? Absolutely!
00:23:17.56\00:23:20.30
You wouldn't preach
the gospel if the door of
00:23:20.33\00:23:22.56
probation had closed.
00:23:22.60\00:23:23.93
So you have this angel; he's
preaching the everlasting gospel
00:23:23.97\00:23:26.67
to every nation, tribe, tongue,
and people, and he says with a
00:23:26.70\00:23:30.17
loud voice, Fear God and give...
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.24
It doesn't say the hour
of His judgment shall come,
00:23:36.31\00:23:39.48
it says the hour of
His judgment has come.
00:23:39.51\00:23:41.85
Let me ask you, Does the
judgment take place while the
00:23:41.88\00:23:44.75
gospel is being
preached? Absolutely!
00:23:44.79\00:23:47.42
And listen to
what I'm going to say.
00:23:47.46\00:23:49.56
Only after the three angels'
proclaim their messages do you
00:23:49.59\00:23:54.00
have Jesus seated on a cloud
with the sickle in His hand
00:23:54.03\00:23:57.60
to harvest the earth, which
means that the three angels'
00:23:57.63\00:24:00.94
messages are preached, and then
you have the coming of Jesus
00:24:00.97\00:24:04.34
to harvest the righteous,
and to harvest the wicked.
00:24:04.37\00:24:07.34
In other words, the
judgment takes place before the
00:24:07.38\00:24:11.61
close of probation.
00:24:11.65\00:24:12.98
It takes place before the
second coming of Jesus Christ.
00:24:13.01\00:24:16.32
Now let me ask you, When
will a person receive the reward
00:24:16.35\00:24:20.22
that was
determined in the judgment,
00:24:20.26\00:24:21.59
when their name was examined?
00:24:21.62\00:24:22.96
Notice Matthew
16:27, Matthew 16:27.
00:24:22.99\00:24:28.56
What event is that describing?
00:24:34.10\00:24:35.87
The second coming, yes.
00:24:35.90\00:24:37.81
So when is the reward
given? when Jesus comes.
00:24:46.31\00:24:49.98
When are they
judged? before Jesus comes.
00:24:50.02\00:24:53.96
Are you understanding me?
00:24:53.99\00:24:55.32
Notice Revelation
22:12, Revelation 22:12.
00:24:55.36\00:25:01.56
Here Jesus is
speaking, and He says:
00:25:01.60\00:25:04.17
So when Jesus comes
He brings the reward.
00:25:10.57\00:25:12.37
Now I know the
question that you're asking.
00:25:19.68\00:25:22.48
If the judgment is in
heaven, before the second coming
00:25:22.52\00:25:28.19
of Jesus, how can everyone
appear before the great judgment
00:25:28.22\00:25:34.30
seat of Christ, if
we live on Planet Earth?
00:25:34.33\00:25:37.83
Well, let's ask another
question, a very important one.
00:25:37.87\00:25:42.80
Where are the dead
between the time when they died,
00:25:42.84\00:25:47.58
and the time when
Jesus comes to reward them?
00:25:47.61\00:25:50.28
Let's go to John 5:28, 29.
00:25:50.31\00:25:54.82
Folks we're going to notice
here that it's a very close
00:25:54.85\00:25:57.42
connection between the state
of the dead, and the judgment.
00:25:57.45\00:26:01.09
If you misunderstand
the state of the dead,
00:26:01.12\00:26:03.63
you're not going to
understand the judgment.
00:26:03.66\00:26:05.26
And if you
misunderstand the judgment,
00:26:05.29\00:26:07.56
you're not going to
understand how people are during
00:26:07.60\00:26:11.20
the interim of death.
00:26:11.23\00:26:12.57
Now notice John 5:28, 29.
00:26:12.60\00:26:15.70
heaven or in hell
will hear His voice.
00:26:22.04\00:26:24.58
Ah, yeah, okay.
You say, Where is that?
00:26:26.68\00:26:29.88
Well, that's the Revised
Bohr Version. It doesn't count.
00:26:29.92\00:26:33.49
When is it they're going to
come forth? when Jesus comes.
00:26:44.63\00:26:49.04
When do they receive
their reward? when Jesus comes.
00:26:49.07\00:26:52.37
When were they
judged? before Jesus comes.
00:26:52.41\00:26:55.51
So did they go before
God's judgment seat before
00:26:55.54\00:26:57.91
the second coming? Absolutely!
00:26:57.95\00:26:59.71
But how could they if
they were dead in the grave?
00:26:59.75\00:27:02.05
Ah, we're going to study
something very important here.
00:27:02.08\00:27:04.99
And so it says, Do not marvel
at this: for the hour of His
00:27:05.02\00:27:08.02
coming, in which all
who are in their graves
00:27:08.06\00:27:10.36
will hear His
voice, and come forth;
00:27:10.39\00:27:14.00
those who have done good,
unto the resurrection of life;
00:27:14.03\00:27:16.87
Now, folks, I believe that in
order to explain how dead people
00:27:21.27\00:27:28.44
can appear before the judgment
seat of Christ before the second
00:27:28.48\00:27:32.51
coming... You know,
most Christians think,
00:27:32.55\00:27:34.32
Well, what's going to happen
is that the soul of those people
00:27:34.35\00:27:37.52
are going to appear before
the judgment seat of Christ.
00:27:37.55\00:27:39.45
That's not what the Bible says.
00:27:39.49\00:27:40.82
The Bible says that the
individual must appear before
00:27:40.86\00:27:44.16
the judgment seat of Christ.
00:27:44.19\00:27:45.53
How can they appear
if they died in Christ,
00:27:45.56\00:27:49.36
or even if they're alive on
Planet Earth before Jesus comes,
00:27:49.40\00:27:53.47
before the close of probation?
00:27:53.50\00:27:54.84
The fact is that we must
understand what we started our
00:27:54.87\00:27:58.84
study with this evening.
00:27:58.87\00:28:00.24
You see, when the Bible speaks
about the spirit that returns to
00:28:00.28\00:28:05.38
God, it's more than
just the capacity to breathe;
00:28:05.41\00:28:10.72
it's more than just
the energizing force
00:28:10.75\00:28:14.02
that returns to God.
00:28:14.06\00:28:15.42
You see, as we live
we develop our own self
00:28:15.46\00:28:20.83
identity, do we not?
00:28:20.86\00:28:22.20
And God, what does
God do when we die?
00:28:22.23\00:28:24.93
He preserves that self
identity where? in the books.
00:28:24.97\00:28:29.44
In other words He
writes in the books the end,
00:28:29.47\00:28:33.48
and He closes the books.
00:28:33.51\00:28:35.68
In other words, He's preserving
the record of our lives.
00:28:35.71\00:28:39.58
He's not only, He's not,
you know, some people say,
00:28:39.61\00:28:42.65
Well, you say the
Spirit returns to God.
00:28:42.68\00:28:44.15
Does that mean that God
grabs everybody's breathing?
00:28:44.19\00:28:47.66
No, that's not
what it's talking about.
00:28:47.69\00:28:49.66
It's talking
about God preserving the
00:28:49.69\00:28:51.66
record of our lives.
00:28:51.69\00:28:53.03
Now I want to read
several texts: Luke 8:52.
00:28:53.06\00:28:57.47
This is a very
interesting story.
00:28:57.50\00:28:59.67
And make sure
that you follow along,
00:28:59.70\00:29:03.04
and tell me if
I'm reading wrongly.
00:29:03.07\00:29:04.71
Luke 8:52-56.
It's speaking about the
00:29:04.74\00:29:08.31
death of a little girl.
00:29:08.34\00:29:09.68
It does not say the spirit,
it says her spirit returned.
00:29:37.44\00:29:43.38
Let me ask you,
What was returned to her?
00:29:43.41\00:29:45.21
only the capacity to breathe?
00:29:45.25\00:29:46.58
No, the capacity to breathe,
along with her self identity...
00:29:46.61\00:29:51.72
Are you with me?... that
God preserved before she died.
00:29:51.75\00:29:54.92
Notice what it continues saying.
00:29:54.96\00:29:56.56
Then her spirit returned,
and she arose immediately:
00:29:56.59\00:30:00.20
and he commanded that she
be given something to eat.
00:30:00.23\00:30:03.57
Notice Acts 7, and beginning
with verse 57, (This is talking
00:30:03.60\00:30:08.10
about the martyrdom
of Stephen.) Acts 7:57.
00:30:08.14\00:30:12.77
I want you to
remember these two individuals.
00:30:28.29\00:30:29.96
We're coming back to them at the
end of the presentation today.
00:30:29.99\00:30:32.36
It doesn't say,
Receive the spirit.
00:30:40.00\00:30:42.60
He's saying, Receive My spirit.
00:30:42.64\00:30:45.37
Are you understanding what
I'm saying; receive My spirit?
00:30:45.41\00:30:49.28
I love that; he fell asleep.
00:30:58.25\00:31:00.09
It doesn't say he died,
although he did die, we know.
00:31:00.12\00:31:03.59
But it says he fell asleep.
00:31:03.63\00:31:05.66
Notice one further
example: Luke 23:46.
00:31:05.69\00:31:09.83
It's talking about
the death of Jesus Christ.
00:31:09.86\00:31:11.93
Luke 23:46. It says:
00:31:11.97\00:31:16.94
...I commend the spirit.
00:31:23.78\00:31:25.25
No, that's not what it says.
00:31:25.28\00:31:27.82
Into your hands I commend what?
00:31:27.85\00:31:29.95
Now let me ask you this:
Do you think that when Jesus
00:31:34.52\00:31:37.29
resurrected He remembered
everything that had happened
00:31:37.33\00:31:39.59
while He was
alive before His death?
00:31:39.63\00:31:41.80
Do you think He remembered
the names of His disciples?
00:31:41.83\00:31:44.63
Do you think He
remembered when He was arrested?
00:31:44.67\00:31:47.24
Do you think He remembered
when He calmed the storm?
00:31:47.27\00:31:50.14
Do you think that He remembered
when Peter denied Him?
00:31:50.17\00:31:53.17
Of course He did! Why did
Jesus remember all those things
00:31:53.21\00:31:56.34
when He resurrected?
00:31:56.38\00:31:57.71
Because folks, when God
returned to Jesus His spirit,
00:31:57.75\00:32:02.08
He not only returned
the capacity to breathe,
00:32:02.12\00:32:04.79
or the energizing force, He
also returned to Him the record
00:32:04.82\00:32:08.69
of His life which
God had preserved.
00:32:08.72\00:32:11.03
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:32:11.06\00:32:12.39
Critically important!
00:32:12.43\00:32:14.16
Now I want to read you
an interesting statement.
00:32:14.20\00:32:16.93
This statement is
in the devotional book,
00:32:16.97\00:32:19.43
Maranatha, page 301.
00:32:19.47\00:32:21.67
You see, the
author caught this nuance
00:32:21.70\00:32:25.37
that I'm sharing with you today.
00:32:25.41\00:32:26.91
This is what the author
says in the book, Maranatha,
00:32:26.94\00:32:30.21
which is a devotional book.
00:32:30.25\00:32:31.58
Is that
biblical? Of course it is.
00:32:36.22\00:32:38.59
Now let me ask you, Am I
going to resurrect Gene Hobbs?
00:32:38.65\00:32:41.99
Am I going to be Gene
Hobbs when I resurrect?
00:32:42.02\00:32:44.19
Am I going to be Rick Perez?
00:32:44.23\00:32:46.16
No, I'm going to be Steve Bohr.
00:32:46.19\00:32:47.70
Because God is going to return
to me the record of my life
00:32:47.73\00:32:50.37
with the capacity to
breathe. So she says:
00:32:50.40\00:32:54.20
And then she says this:
00:33:05.15\00:33:06.92
What is it that's preserved?
the spirit or the character,
00:33:15.62\00:33:20.23
our self identity, who we
were in life in other words.
00:33:20.26\00:33:24.83
She says:
00:33:24.87\00:33:26.20
In other words
your own life record.
00:33:29.74\00:33:32.04
Isn't that a
beautiful statement?
00:33:52.33\00:33:53.86
Now there's a
statement in the book of Job
00:33:53.90\00:33:58.13
that used to puzzle me.
00:33:58.17\00:33:59.50
It sounded pretty selfish.
00:33:59.53\00:34:00.87
It sounded like Job was the
only one that was going to see
00:34:00.90\00:34:02.37
the second coming of Jesus.
00:34:02.40\00:34:03.74
Notice Job 19:25-27. and
I'm going to read from the New
00:34:03.77\00:34:06.68
And I'm going to read from
the New International Version,
00:34:06.71\00:34:09.84
where the
translation is more forceful.
00:34:09.88\00:34:11.88
Job 19:25. Here Job is saying,
in the midst of his suffering.
00:34:11.91\00:34:17.15
It's talking
about the second coming.
00:34:23.86\00:34:25.69
So nobody else is going
to see the second coming
00:34:45.21\00:34:46.95
of Jesus except Job.
00:34:46.98\00:34:48.32
He says, I and not another.
00:34:48.35\00:34:50.52
What is he saying?
00:34:50.55\00:34:51.89
What is Job saying here?
00:34:51.92\00:34:53.25
He's saying that when I
resurrect, I'm going to be whom?
00:34:53.29\00:34:56.02
I'm going to be Job.
00:34:56.06\00:34:58.06
Job is going to see the Lord.
00:34:58.09\00:35:00.43
Rick Perez is
going to see the Lord.
00:35:00.46\00:35:02.23
Dr. Teske is
going to see the Lord.
00:35:02.26\00:35:05.23
All of us are gong to see the
Lord as individuals that we were
00:35:05.27\00:35:08.74
were during our life.
00:35:08.77\00:35:10.41
Now let me ask you, applying
this after the millennium.
00:35:10.44\00:35:14.08
After the millennium
you have the resurrection
00:35:14.11\00:35:16.28
of the wicked, right?
00:35:16.31\00:35:17.65
Let me ask you, Do the
wicked resurrect righteous?
00:35:17.68\00:35:20.22
Of course not.
How do they resurrect?
00:35:20.25\00:35:23.59
Just as wicked as they were?
00:35:23.62\00:35:24.95
Let me ask you, do
they begin at the same spot
00:35:24.99\00:35:27.36
where they left off? Absolutely!
00:35:27.39\00:35:29.79
They surround the holy city.
00:35:29.82\00:35:31.99
They're just as wicked as ever.
00:35:32.03\00:35:33.46
Why? Because God is
returning to them the identity
00:35:33.50\00:35:36.50
that was saved in the books.
00:35:36.53\00:35:37.87
Are you following me?
00:35:37.90\00:35:39.23
Allow me to read you another
statement from my favorite book
00:35:39.27\00:35:42.47
on Bible prophecy.
00:35:42.50\00:35:43.84
This is a classic.
00:35:43.87\00:35:45.21
It's the book that has the
clearest perspective of Bible
00:35:45.24\00:35:47.48
prophecy anywhere in the world.
00:35:47.51\00:35:49.21
It's called The
Great Controversy.
00:35:49.24\00:35:50.95
Notice about
after the millennium
00:35:50.98\00:35:55.05
what the author has to say,
speaking about outside the city:
00:35:55.08\00:35:59.15
Now notice this:
00:36:13.50\00:36:15.20
In other words, if somebody
opened their mouth and half
00:36:29.88\00:36:36.99
a word came out, and somebody
shot them, when they resurrect
00:36:37.03\00:36:41.03
they complete the word.
00:36:41.06\00:36:42.40
Because they resume the
current of their thought
00:36:42.43\00:36:46.00
just where it ceased.
00:36:46.03\00:36:47.37
Let me ask you, Why is it
that they resurrect in this way?
00:36:52.41\00:36:56.38
It's because God is not only
returning to them the capacity
00:36:56.41\00:36:59.51
to breathe, God is returning
also their own self identity.
00:36:59.55\00:37:04.09
He's returning
their own character.
00:37:04.12\00:37:06.05
Now let me give you a little
illustration of what I mean.
00:37:06.09\00:37:07.89
How many of you have ever
seen that little clip of the
00:37:07.92\00:37:11.03
assassination of John F.
Kennedy, the Zapruder film?
00:37:11.06\00:37:13.83
You've seen that, right?
00:37:13.86\00:37:15.20
Now let me ask you,
You see the limousine
00:37:15.23\00:37:19.23
turning onto Elm Street, right?
00:37:19.27\00:37:21.70
And you see John F.
Kennedy and Jacqueline
00:37:21.74\00:37:25.31
with her pink dress, and
they're greeting the people.
00:37:25.34\00:37:28.84
Let me ask you, When you
look at that clip of video,
00:37:28.88\00:37:31.41
is John F. Kennedy
alive, or is he dead?
00:37:31.45\00:37:34.22
You know I ask that question in
a confusing manner on purpose.
00:37:37.82\00:37:41.66
Because some people
say, Well, he's alive.
00:37:41.69\00:37:44.33
Other people say he's dead.
00:37:44.36\00:37:45.69
Well, the fact is this
folks, the movie was taken
00:37:45.73\00:37:50.33
while he was alive.
00:37:50.37\00:37:51.70
But we are looking at the movie
after he died. Are you with me?
00:37:51.73\00:37:57.17
In other words, on tape he's
alive, but the review of the
00:37:57.21\00:38:02.24
tape takes place after he died.
00:38:02.28\00:38:05.38
So let me ask you, Is there
a certain sense when you watch
00:38:05.41\00:38:09.15
that event of the life of John
F. Kennedy, and when you see him
00:38:09.18\00:38:12.62
still alive before he was shot,
let me ask you, are you really
00:38:12.65\00:38:15.82
watching him alive, just
like it was? Yeah, absolutely!
00:38:15.86\00:38:21.56
You're watching him alive.
00:38:21.60\00:38:22.93
And so let me share this,
when the righteous appear before
00:38:22.96\00:38:29.30
the judgment bar of Christ,
there's a certain sense in which
00:38:29.34\00:38:33.51
they appear there alive.
00:38:33.54\00:38:35.14
Now don't misunderstand me.
00:38:35.18\00:38:37.88
How do they appear alive?
00:38:37.91\00:38:41.18
Because God took a
movie of their lives
00:38:41.22\00:38:43.45
while they were alive.
00:38:43.49\00:38:46.99
So when the judgment
comes, what does God bring?
00:38:47.02\00:38:51.53
the record in the books, or
whatever way that God reserves,
00:38:51.56\00:38:55.10
or preserves the record.
00:38:55.13\00:38:56.67
And God shows the heavenly
tribunal all of the life of that
00:38:56.70\00:39:00.84
person, inside and out,
while that person was alive.
00:39:00.87\00:39:03.34
So let me ask you, In a certain
sense, are people seeing the
00:39:03.37\00:39:07.31
life of that person when that
person was alive? Absolutely!
00:39:07.34\00:39:10.65
But we know that it's being
reviewed when? after they died.
00:39:10.68\00:39:16.15
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:39:16.18\00:39:17.55
So when Scripture says
that all must appear before the
00:39:17.59\00:39:20.46
judgment seat of Christ,
How can the dead appear before
00:39:20.49\00:39:23.29
the judgment seat of Christ?
00:39:23.32\00:39:24.66
They appear through
the record of their lives.
00:39:24.69\00:39:28.06
They do not
appear there personally.
00:39:28.10\00:39:30.83
They appear there through
the record of their lives.
00:39:30.87\00:39:33.80
Are you
understanding what I'm saying?
00:39:33.84\00:39:35.17
So all must appear.
00:39:35.20\00:39:36.91
The judgment's in heaven.
00:39:36.94\00:39:38.27
It's before the second coming.
00:39:38.31\00:39:39.64
What about the dead?
00:39:39.67\00:39:41.01
Well, they're
decomposed on Planet Earth.
00:39:41.04\00:39:43.85
They can't go to heaven
in a rocket to appear before
00:39:43.88\00:39:47.08
the judgment seat of Christ.
00:39:47.12\00:39:48.45
The fact is that
they appear through the
00:39:48.48\00:39:49.95
movie of their lives.
00:39:49.98\00:39:51.32
Now let's read Revelation
20 so that we understand
00:39:51.35\00:39:55.39
how this process takes place.
00:39:55.42\00:39:56.93
Revelation 20:11, 12.
00:39:56.96\00:39:59.29
By the way, this is after the
millennium, but the principle
00:40:01.83\00:40:04.27
applies also to the
pre-advent judgment;
00:40:04.30\00:40:06.63
the judgment
before the second coming.
00:40:06.67\00:40:08.00
Now notice this:
00:40:16.71\00:40:18.15
How can dead
people stand before God,
00:40:21.05\00:40:22.72
in the light of
what we've studied?
00:40:22.75\00:40:25.15
When it says the dead
were standing before God,
00:40:25.19\00:40:27.19
what does that mean?
00:40:27.42\00:40:28.76
It means that those who are on
earth dead, are standing before
00:40:28.79\00:40:32.46
God how? through the
record of their self-identity,
00:40:32.49\00:40:37.27
or the record
of their character,
00:40:37.30\00:40:38.70
which is contained in
the books. And so it says:
00:40:38.73\00:40:41.67
If they're standing
there in person, why would you
00:40:46.88\00:40:50.15
need to open books?
00:40:50.18\00:40:51.51
Are you understanding
what we're studying?
00:41:05.59\00:41:08.06
Now, we have some things
that we still need to cover.
00:41:08.10\00:41:11.97
Let's talk a little about
the process of the judgment
00:41:12.00\00:41:15.80
when our name appears before
the judgment seat of Christ.
00:41:15.84\00:41:18.67
Let me ask you, What
is it that our life is
00:41:18.71\00:41:22.44
going to be compared with?
with the law of God, right?
00:41:22.48\00:41:27.08
Notice James 2:12.
00:41:27.12\00:41:29.98
Now we're talking about what
happens when our record appears
00:41:30.02\00:41:32.85
in the heavenly court before
the second coming of Jesus.
00:41:32.89\00:41:35.82
James 2:12. It says this:
00:41:35.86\00:41:38.99
In other words, our lives are
going to be compared with what?
00:41:47.47\00:41:50.41
with the law. Now let me ask
you, When our lives are compared
00:41:50.44\00:41:53.17
with he law, how
many are not guilty?
00:41:53.21\00:41:55.68
Well, let's go to Romans
3:10 and we'll read verse 20,
00:41:57.91\00:42:02.45
and also verse 23.
00:42:02.48\00:42:03.89
Verse 10 of chapter
3, As it is written:
00:42:03.92\00:42:07.66
Verse 20: Now we know
that whatever the laws says,
00:42:10.26\00:42:14.23
it says to those who are under
the law: that every mouth may
00:42:14.26\00:42:18.13
be stopped, and all the world
may become guilty before God.
00:42:18.17\00:42:21.67
And then verse 23: For all
have sinned, and come short
00:42:21.70\00:42:25.77
of the glory of God;...
00:42:25.81\00:42:27.21
So what does the law saw
to everybody who comes before
00:42:27.24\00:42:29.84
the judgment seat of
Christ through their records?
00:42:29.88\00:42:32.71
The law says you are all
what? you are all sinners,
00:42:32.75\00:42:37.29
and therefore you
deserve what? you deserve death.
00:42:37.32\00:42:40.56
Notice Romans 6:23.
00:42:40.59\00:42:42.62
Do you see how
difficult this situation is?
00:42:48.50\00:42:50.93
You see, there's no
one who never sinned.
00:42:50.97\00:42:53.27
So when we appear before
the judgment seat of Christ,
00:42:53.30\00:42:55.90
through our records in
heaven, whether we're dead,
00:42:55.94\00:42:58.21
or whether we're
alive, the records are
00:42:58.24\00:43:01.68
what's are looked at in heaven.
00:43:01.71\00:43:03.58
When we appear there our
life is compared with the law,
00:43:03.61\00:43:06.55
and our lives are full
of sin, so the law says,
00:43:06.58\00:43:10.69
The wages of sin is death.
00:43:10.72\00:43:12.15
You must die. And who's
there standing to accuse us?
00:43:12.19\00:43:15.26
the Devil is. Notice
Zachariah 3:1, Zachariah 3:1:
00:43:15.29\00:43:21.73
Then he showed me Joshua the
high priest standing before the
00:43:21.76\00:43:26.84
angel of the Lord, and
Satan standing at his right hand
00:43:26.87\00:43:31.04
to do what? to oppose him.
00:43:31.07\00:43:33.81
So, in other words, in God's
great tribunal, when our life
00:43:33.84\00:43:37.98
is examined,
everybody is guilty.
00:43:38.01\00:43:41.05
So you say, how in the world
could the judgment be good news?
00:43:41.08\00:43:44.99
Ah, now let's go
to the good news.
00:43:45.02\00:43:48.79
You see, the Bible tells us
that Jesus came to this world,
00:43:48.82\00:43:51.79
and we studied this when we
analyzed the everlasting gospel.
00:43:51.83\00:43:55.73
We noticed that Jesus
came to this world and He lived
00:43:55.76\00:43:58.33
the perfect life that we should
live, and Jesus died the death
00:43:58.37\00:44:02.70
that we should die.
00:44:02.74\00:44:04.07
And when we repent and confess
our sins, and trust in Jesus,
00:44:04.11\00:44:10.38
and bury our sins in the waters
of baptism, and we confess
00:44:10.41\00:44:16.38
our sins, the Bible says that
God takes the life and death of
00:44:16.42\00:44:21.76
Jesus, and He
credits it to our account.
00:44:21.79\00:44:24.09
Now is that good news?
00:44:24.13\00:44:25.46
Notice 1 Peter
1:18-20, 1 Peter 1:18-20.
00:44:25.49\00:44:32.17
Notice, we weren't
redeemed by silver and gold...
00:44:41.11\00:44:43.65
So what happens
when we confess our sins,
00:44:59.76\00:45:03.20
when we repent of sin,
when we claim the righteousness
00:45:03.23\00:45:06.53
of Christ, when our
heart is right with the Lord,
00:45:06.57\00:45:09.47
what does Jesus do?
00:45:09.50\00:45:10.91
He records the sin
in the heavenly books,
00:45:10.94\00:45:13.84
but next to the sin He writes
the word, forgiven through
00:45:13.88\00:45:17.78
the blood of the Lamb.
00:45:17.81\00:45:19.15
Is that good news?
00:45:19.18\00:45:21.82
So when our name
comes up in the judgment,
00:45:22.68\00:45:25.22
are our sins in the record?
00:45:25.25\00:45:27.82
Yes, everything
is in the record.
00:45:27.86\00:45:30.16
So some people say,
Wow, if the sins are in the
00:45:30.19\00:45:33.56
record, well, that's bad.
00:45:33.60\00:45:36.67
You know, because how can
I be secure about salvation
00:45:36.70\00:45:40.10
if my sins are written there?
00:45:40.14\00:45:41.50
Listen folks, if your sins
are not there covered with the
00:45:41.54\00:45:45.07
blood they're here.
00:45:45.11\00:45:46.44
See, we need to have
Jesus as our advocate.
00:45:48.31\00:45:50.85
In other words, if we
sin, as it says in 1 John 2:1,
00:45:50.88\00:45:55.42
My little children,
these things I write to you so
00:45:55.45\00:45:58.25
that you may not sin.
00:45:58.29\00:45:59.62
And if anyone sins, we have
an advocate with the Father,
00:45:59.65\00:46:02.66
Jesus Christ the righteous.
00:46:02.69\00:46:04.69
See, our judge and our lawyer
is Jesus, and He's righteous,
00:46:04.73\00:46:09.50
and He appears
before the Father.
00:46:09.53\00:46:11.03
And when I repent and confess
my sin, Jesus says, Father,
00:46:11.07\00:46:14.80
Pastor Bohr has
repented of that sin.
00:46:14.84\00:46:17.44
He's confessed that sin.
00:46:17.47\00:46:18.81
I claim My blood in his behalf.
00:46:18.84\00:46:21.41
And the Father says, I accept
Your death in place of his
00:46:21.44\00:46:24.91
death, and I accept Your
life in place of his life.
00:46:24.95\00:46:27.98
Is that good news?
00:46:28.02\00:46:29.35
But if we don't place
our sins in the Sanctuary,
00:46:29.38\00:46:32.42
through repentance and
confession, then those sins
00:46:32.45\00:46:35.16
are where? they're upon us.
00:46:35.19\00:46:37.33
You know some people say,
Oh, the Seventh-day Adventists,
00:46:37.36\00:46:40.00
they don't have any assurance of
salvation, because they believe
00:46:40.03\00:46:42.56
that all these sins are written
in the heavenly Sanctuary.
00:46:42.60\00:46:44.83
Praise the Lord that
they're written in the heavenly
00:46:44.87\00:46:46.77
Sanctuary, because if they're
not in the heavenly Sanctuary,
00:46:46.80\00:46:49.57
covered with the
blood, they are where?
00:46:49.60\00:46:51.54
They are upon us.
00:46:51.57\00:46:53.31
Notice 1 John 1:9,
1 John 1:9. It says:
00:46:53.34\00:46:59.31
Now listen to
what I'm going to say.
00:47:10.49\00:47:12.19
In the Sanctuary,
there were two services:
00:47:12.23\00:47:14.60
there was the daily service, and
there was the yearly service.
00:47:14.63\00:47:18.07
You can read it in Leviticus 16.
00:47:18.10\00:47:22.00
Do you know what
happened in the daily service?
00:47:22.04\00:47:23.77
In the daily service you
have forgiveness for sin.
00:47:23.81\00:47:27.68
Notice that 1 John 1:9
says, If we confess our sins,
00:47:27.71\00:47:31.78
He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins,
00:47:31.81\00:47:35.82
and to cleanse the
Sanctuary from sin?
00:47:35.85\00:47:37.45
No, to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
00:47:37.49\00:47:40.72
The daily service cleansed
the sinner from his sin,
00:47:40.76\00:47:44.46
but then the sin
was transferred where?
00:47:44.49\00:47:46.63
It was transferred to the
Sanctuary through the blood.
00:47:46.66\00:47:49.46
Let me ask you, did the
Israelite have to be afraid
00:47:49.50\00:47:51.80
because it was transferred to
the Sanctuary through the blood?
00:47:51.83\00:47:54.14
Absolutely not! He could
have the assurance that his sin
00:47:54.17\00:47:57.34
was covered by the blood.
00:47:57.37\00:47:58.87
It was very safe
to have it in there.
00:47:58.91\00:48:01.01
It was unsafe not
to have it in there.
00:48:01.04\00:48:03.38
Are you
following what I am saying?
00:48:03.41\00:48:04.75
But all of the sins were placed
in the Sanctuary, so there came
00:48:04.78\00:48:08.08
at the end of the year what is
known as the day of atonement,
00:48:08.12\00:48:10.59
when all of the sin that
had entered needed to what?
00:48:10.62\00:48:14.02
to come out. And
that's what the judgment is.
00:48:14.06\00:48:16.32
Do you know what the
purpose of the judgment is?
00:48:16.36\00:48:18.33
It's not to inform God.
00:48:18.36\00:48:20.30
God knows everything.
00:48:20.33\00:48:22.00
Let me ask you, Are there many
Christians who appear to be good
00:48:22.03\00:48:26.53
Christians, but
really they're hypocrites?
00:48:26.57\00:48:29.34
Jesus spoke
about those, didn't He?
00:48:29.37\00:48:31.21
So if you look on the
outside you'd say, Oh, these are
00:48:31.24\00:48:34.94
exemplary Christians.
00:48:34.98\00:48:36.44
But, you see, when the books
are opened it will be shown
00:48:36.48\00:48:40.18
who truly repented of
sin, who truly confessed sin,
00:48:40.22\00:48:45.99
who truly claimed the
righteousness of Jesus,
00:48:46.02\00:48:50.73
who truly buried
the old man in baptism,
00:48:50.76\00:48:54.93
and truly
resurrected to newness of life.
00:48:54.96\00:48:58.00
The purpose of the judgment
is to reveal if repentance,
00:48:58.03\00:49:02.00
and claiming the
blood was genuine or not,
00:49:02.04\00:49:04.64
for the good of the
inhabitants of the Universe,
00:49:04.67\00:49:06.84
that don't know everything,
like God knows everything.
00:49:06.88\00:49:10.55
And so you have the daily
service, which cleanses the
00:49:10.58\00:49:14.55
sinner from the sin, and
you have the yearly service,
00:49:14.58\00:49:17.32
which cleanses the
Sanctuary from the sin.
00:49:17.35\00:49:21.09
Now this is the marvelous news:
if our name comes up in the
00:49:21.12\00:49:25.09
judgment, and when my name is
looked at, and all of my records
00:49:25.13\00:49:30.40
are looked at, if it's
revealed that I repented of sin,
00:49:30.43\00:49:34.04
and I confessed my sins, and
that I claimed the righteousness
00:49:34.07\00:49:37.31
of Jesus, and that my old
man was buried in the waters of
00:49:37.34\00:49:40.84
baptism, and that I truly
resurrected to a new life,
00:49:40.88\00:49:43.61
and that I hated sin, and I love
the Savior, then what's going to
00:49:43.65\00:49:48.68
happen is my name is going to
be retained in the book of life,
00:49:48.72\00:49:53.76
and I will be found in Christ,
because when I received Jesus
00:49:53.79\00:49:59.33
Christ, I am in Him.
00:49:59.36\00:50:01.03
See, I no longer
appear there on my own.
00:50:01.06\00:50:04.60
I appear through Him.
00:50:04.63\00:50:05.97
And that's the reason why,
in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18,
00:50:06.00\00:50:11.71
we find this very interesting
passage about the resurrection.
00:50:11.74\00:50:15.91
It says in 1 Thessalonians 4:
00:50:15.94\00:50:19.38
Let me ask you, Where are
the dead when Jesus comes?
00:50:37.20\00:50:39.13
In heaven? No,
they're in the grave.
00:50:39.17\00:50:41.74
Now if they're in
heaven when they died,
00:50:41.77\00:50:44.47
what are they
doing in the grave?
00:50:44.51\00:50:45.84
It says that they're in
the grave and Jesus comes.
00:50:45.87\00:50:48.98
Now, do you notice here
that it says the dead in Christ
00:50:49.01\00:50:52.38
will rise first? Let me
ask you, when was it revealed
00:50:52.41\00:50:54.75
that they were in
Christ? in the judgment.
00:50:54.78\00:50:58.19
It was revealed that
they truly repented of sin,
00:50:58.22\00:51:00.96
they confessed their sins,
they claimed the righteousness
00:51:01.02\00:51:04.46
of Christ, they buried the
old man, resurrected to newness
00:51:04.49\00:51:07.53
of life, hated sin,
and loved the Savior.
00:51:07.56\00:51:10.30
And then you will find in
the book of life, in Christ.
00:51:10.37\00:51:14.94
And therefore when Jesus comes,
He's going to resurrect them
00:51:14.97\00:51:17.77
from the dead, because
they are not in themselves,
00:51:17.81\00:51:20.54
they are in Jesus.
00:51:20.58\00:51:22.28
Is this good news or what?
00:51:22.34\00:51:24.28
Now I want to share with you
a very interesting experience.
00:51:24.31\00:51:28.95
Do you remember the
experience of Saul of Tarsus?
00:51:28.98\00:51:31.52
He was a nasty character.
00:51:33.36\00:51:34.89
Notice what we
find in Acts 26: 9-11.
00:51:34.92\00:51:38.43
Here Saul is
describing his life. He says:
00:51:38.46\00:51:42.16
Was he a nasty
character? He sure was.
00:52:08.66\00:52:11.49
Did he have a record of
blood in his heavenly records?
00:52:11.53\00:52:14.06
He most certainly did.
00:52:14.10\00:52:15.43
But then he had his
Damascus road experience.
00:52:15.46\00:52:18.87
And do you know what he did?
00:52:18.90\00:52:21.37
He got baptized.
Notice Acts, Acts 22:16.
00:52:21.40\00:52:25.51
Notice what happened
when he was baptized.
00:52:25.57\00:52:29.61
Obviously he must have repented
and confessed his sin before.
00:52:29.64\00:52:33.11
Notice Acts 22:16. Here
Ananias is saying to him,
00:52:33.15\00:52:38.49
Arise, and be
what? and be baptized,
00:52:38.52\00:52:42.39
he's saying to Saul of Tarsus.
00:52:42.42\00:52:43.76
Be baptized, and
wash away your what?
00:52:43.79\00:52:46.83
Wash away your sins,
calling on the name of the Lord.
00:52:46.86\00:52:51.53
Let me ask you, What happens
when the record of Saul of
00:52:51.60\00:52:55.10
Tarsus appears in
the heavenly court?
00:52:55.14\00:52:57.24
Does God look
at all of the sins?
00:52:57.27\00:52:59.31
Does God hold all of
his sins against him:
00:52:59.34\00:53:01.58
all of those murders, all
the people he put in prison,
00:53:01.61\00:53:04.18
all the people that were
whipped as a result of him?
00:53:04.21\00:53:06.75
Does God look
at any of that? No.
00:53:06.78\00:53:09.05
That all was forgiven through
the blood of Jesus Christ.
00:53:09.08\00:53:12.29
And the judgment reveals that
even though Saul of Tarsus was a
00:53:12.32\00:53:16.52
nasty character, he
deserves to be saved because
00:53:16.56\00:53:19.39
he's accepted in the beloved.
00:53:19.43\00:53:21.66
He is looked at
through the life of Jesus,
00:53:21.70\00:53:23.90
and through the
death of Jesus Christ.
00:53:23.93\00:53:26.07
You know, it's going to be
wonderful in that great day
00:53:26.10\00:53:29.07
when Saul of
Tarsus meets Stephen.
00:53:29.10\00:53:32.17
Ho ho, I want to be
there just to see that.
00:53:32.21\00:53:35.24
It's amazing! The last
thing that Stephen saw was
00:53:35.28\00:53:38.91
Saul telling the people, Throw
the stones, kill him, kill him.
00:53:38.95\00:53:43.72
And so now you can imagine;
Stephen doesn't know that
00:53:43.79\00:53:46.12
Saul of Tarsus is
going to be saved.
00:53:46.15\00:53:47.62
So you can imagine now, you
know, when we get to heaven.
00:53:47.66\00:53:51.83
And here's Saul of
Tarsus walking down the street
00:53:51.86\00:53:54.53
of the city, and
here comes Stephen walking
00:53:54.56\00:53:56.77
from the other direction.
00:53:56.80\00:53:58.13
And Stephen-I know I got
resurrected eyes, but are you
00:53:58.17\00:54:06.44
Saul of Tarsus? You're here?
00:54:06.47\00:54:09.21
Yes, the grace of
Jesus redeemed me, too.
00:54:09.24\00:54:13.21
Listen folks, there is no record
of sin so terrible that cannot
00:54:13.25\00:54:18.59
be forgiven if we truly
repent, and confess our sin,
00:54:18.65\00:54:21.72
and claim the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, and our buried
00:54:21.76\00:54:25.09
in the waters of baptism.
00:54:25.13\00:54:26.46
There is no sin so great
that God cannot forgive it now,
00:54:26.49\00:54:29.93
and then eventually
erase it from the Sanctuary,
00:54:29.96\00:54:32.67
because it has been
cleansed by the blood.
00:54:32.70\00:54:35.04
Now I want to give
you an illustration,...
00:54:35.07\00:54:37.34
We only have a very short
period... an illustration that
00:54:37.37\00:54:39.91
will help you
remember this forever.
00:54:39.94\00:54:41.98
I want you to
imagine a computer.
00:54:42.01\00:54:44.95
A computer is a
material object, right?
00:54:44.98\00:54:47.32
Does a computer have a brain?
00:54:47.35\00:54:48.95
Of course it does!
00:54:50.12\00:54:51.45
What is it that operates all of
the functions of the computer?
00:54:51.49\00:54:55.79
Okay, memory. In order to
have a memory, what do you need?
00:54:55.82\00:55:00.13
a brain. I'm
speaking figuratively.
00:55:00.16\00:55:03.40
I know it doesn't have a
brain like we have a brain.
00:55:03.43\00:55:05.43
But it has to have a center
of operations, doesn't it?
00:55:05.47\00:55:09.70
Now, let me ask you, Does
the computer need to have a
00:55:09.74\00:55:13.98
power source in
order to function? Yes.
00:55:14.01\00:55:16.31
So you have the material
computer, it has this central
00:55:16.34\00:55:21.78
processor that allows you to
perform all of the functions,
00:55:21.82\00:55:25.15
and then you plug it in,
and it has the power source.
00:55:25.19\00:55:29.06
Now let me ask you, What happens
if someday the roof of your
00:55:29.09\00:55:32.16
house falls while
you're gone, and it smashes
00:55:32.19\00:55:34.66
your computer to smithereens?
00:55:34.70\00:55:36.03
You say, Wow! What a problem.
00:55:36.06\00:55:40.94
But it's not
necessarily a problem.
00:55:40.97\00:55:43.67
Because if you've backed
up the information on a disk,
00:55:43.71\00:55:47.31
you can get another computer,
and you can transfer the
00:55:47.38\00:55:50.45
identity of the first
computer to the second computer.
00:55:50.48\00:55:53.52
Can you make the second computer
the same as the first computer?
00:55:53.55\00:55:57.65
You most certainly can.
00:55:57.69\00:55:59.02
Can you get one
with greater memory?
00:55:59.05\00:56:00.42
Oh, with greater capacities.
00:56:00.46\00:56:03.06
Yeah, absolutely! You can
get a much better computer.
00:56:03.09\00:56:06.36
And all you do is take what's on
the disk, and you transpose it
00:56:06.39\00:56:09.40
to the new computer.
00:56:09.43\00:56:10.77
Do you know that's exactly
what's going to happen with
00:56:10.80\00:56:12.20
those who died in Christ.
00:56:12.23\00:56:13.57
They died and their
bodies and their brains
00:56:13.60\00:56:16.30
disintegrated in the grave.
00:56:16.34\00:56:17.77
They were unplugged,
so to speak; no power.
00:56:17.81\00:56:20.88
But when Jesus comes He's
going to give them a new body,
00:56:20.91\00:56:23.21
a new computer. Then He's going
to take what's on the disk...
00:56:23.24\00:56:26.68
And, by the way, it's
going to be what's on your disk
00:56:26.72\00:56:29.38
in heaven, minus all of
the sins that were blotted out
00:56:29.45\00:56:32.09
in the day of atonement.
00:56:32.12\00:56:33.69
In other words, He's
not going to give you back
00:56:33.72\00:56:35.22
all of your bad record.
00:56:35.26\00:56:36.59
He's going to give you
back your record of all the good
00:56:36.62\00:56:38.29
things without the bad.
00:56:38.33\00:56:39.66
And He's going to take that
on this; He's going to input
00:56:39.69\00:56:42.43
it into you, and then
you're going to resurrect.
00:56:42.46\00:56:44.60
You're going to be the
same person that you were,
00:56:44.63\00:56:46.77
but perfect, without any
record of sin in your life.
00:56:46.80\00:56:50.61
In other words, the computer
of God, when He examines your
00:56:50.64\00:56:53.64
record, has a delete key.
00:56:53.68\00:56:56.04
And as He goes through
the record of your life,
00:56:56.08\00:56:58.71
He's going to delete all
of those things that you've
00:56:58.75\00:57:01.48
repented of, that you confessed.
00:57:01.52\00:57:04.02
And when you claim the
righteousness of Christ,
00:57:04.05\00:57:06.52
and buried your life
in the waters of baptism,
00:57:06.55\00:57:09.06
to resurrect to newness
of life, you are accepted
00:57:09.09\00:57:11.56
in Jesus the beloved.
00:57:11.59\00:57:13.23
Let me ask you then, Is the hour
of God's judgment good news?
00:57:13.26\00:57:17.67
It's wonderful news, as
long as we have repented,
00:57:17.70\00:57:21.80
and confessed our sins.
00:57:21.84\00:57:24.34