The Lord’s Work – Part 54

Mankind will be judged by words. WORDS will testify against men. Firstly, the words of the law will testify against men.

Romans 2:12  … as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

As many as have sinned, as many as have broken the law, will be judged BY the law.

But oh, no, no, no, no! That is not enough. The Lord will present more than one witness.

Numbers 35:30  Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

The words of the law will not testify alone. Man will be condemned by the mouth of witnesses! Notice: by the MOUTH of witnesses.

Back to Jude:

Jude 1:14-15  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

He is going to convince every single man (of the unsaved) that they are ungodly. How? He is going to use WORDS. First, His word of the law. Second, His word of the gospel.

Not just the Old Testament to testify against man, but the New Testament too. Both Testaments are going to Testify against a man.

John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Mankind is going to be judged BY the word of Jesus Christ. The words that Jesus SPOKE will judge man. For the ungodly, they will try him, to reveal, and to prove that he is an ungodly man: that is, an unbeliever. The words of Jesus Christ that men reject, those same words will judge every man.

Not Jesus’ works. Jesus’ words.  His words is going to convince ungodly sinners.

Titus 1:9  Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

By the doctrine of salvation in Jesus Christ, the word of God is going to judge, and to convince mankind.

The faithful word is able to convince the gainsayers. They talk a big game now, but just wait till the word tries them on Judgment day. They may say they believe. They may say they have grace now. But the word of Jesus will convince them otherwise.

How else could God possibly convince the gainsayers – the mockers, the opposers?

Luke 21:15  For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Solomon asked for wisdom that he may JUDGE Israel. Judgment is done BY WISDOM. Mankind is going to be judged by wisdom. Wisdom and the words of a man’s MOUTH will convince and condemn mankind.

But not wisdom of man’s WORDS. The wisdom of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

1 Corinthians 2:6-7  Howbeit we speak wisdom … : yet not the wisdom of this world, … :  7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, …

That is what is going to convince man in the day of Judgment.

His words, Jesus’ words, are going to either testify against men, or FOR men.

1 Corinthians 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

His words are the witness, and His words are the JUDGE.

The new testament, the words of Jesus Christ, the gospel of Jesus Christ, IN A MYSTERY, is going to testify for man to justify him, or against man to condemn him.

The Word of God will be mankind’s judge.

Romans 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

We will be judged by Jesus Christ (The Word of God), according to the gospel.

The gospel says, if you have Jesus you have life, and if you don’t have Jesus you don’t have life. The gospel says that you either believe and speak this truth perfectly, or you are ungodly.

And all the ungodly will be convinced of their ungodliness in that day.

Mankind is going to be judged BY Jesus Christ.

John 5:22-24  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:  23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. [The Word will judge man. Honour that Word as you honour God. And then how about this very next verse?] 24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Mankind is going to be judged BY Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is going to judge man BY His words.

Either you believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, or you will be condemned by it.

John 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

His words are good fruit. Take those words, believe them, and confess them out of your mouth, as your fruit, the fruit of your lips. That is the only way to bring forth good fruit. This is the only WORK required for salvation; that is, the work of bringing forth His WORDS (life).  Believe and confess these words.

And these words, are the words of the Word, that we will be judged BY.

With your mouth, what sort of fruit did you bring forth? Did you bring forth life or death? His words are life.

James 2:12  So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

The saved and the unsaved are both judged by “the law”… but not the same law.

The unsaved will be judged by the natural law. The law of sin and death.

But the saved are not under the law of sin and death, and so will not be judged by that law.

I believe the saved will be judged by the law of liberty, that is, in effect, the gospel.

The lost will be judged by the law of liberty, only in the sense that they rejected the law of liberty – in effect, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The word of God, by the gospel of Jesus Christ, will judge man in that day. It will either witness for you to justify you, or it will be a witness against you to condemn you.

The OT and the NT will both testify against you. But the Lord will present more than one witness, He’s even going to use more than 2 witnesses.

Numbers 35:30  Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

Back to Jude:

Jude 1:14-15  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

He is going to convince every single man (of the unsaved) that they are ungodly. How?

He is going to use WORDS. First the words of the OT, second the words of the NT. And Third, the words of the mouths of men; other men, witnesses. People (human witnesses) will testify against sinners.

The mouths of men, will be used in the judgment.

Matthew 12:41-42  The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.  42  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

And when men’s mouths ARE used to judge, notice that they will condemn based not on wicked WORKS.. but based on WORDS. They will condemn based on the rejection of the wisdom of God; the rejection of the preaching of the word of God.

1 Corinthians 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

We, the saved, are going to judge the world. We will be witnesses against the unsaved.

Romans 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

We who are not Jews by nature, but have become spiritual Jews by Jesus Christ, and have fulfilled the law by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we shall judge sinners, condemning them as ungodly, breakers of the law.

Psalms 149:4-9  For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.  5  Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.  6  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;  7  To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;  8  To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;  9  To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Notice what we will execute judgment with? A two edged sword. The word of God. We will judge mankind with the judgment WRITTEN. We will judge them as heathen, as unbelievers.

But the mouths of men will not condemn a saved man. Oh unsaved men will TRY to condemn us too, that they may also be counted righteous. But it won’t work on a saved man.

Revelation 12:10-11  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Satan has been trying to condemn the godly since the beginning. But it doesn’t work on the saved.

We overcome the accuser, and all accusations by the blood of Jesus, and by WORDS.

Isaiah 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

Man’s tongues will be hugely involved in the judgment.

It is the tongue that shall rise up in the judgment to judge man,

AND NOTICE… it is the tongue that will BE condemned.

One city will condemn another. One man will condemn another.

Many will attempt to condemn based on works. But those that condemn only based on WORDS – whether or not they repented at, and believed the word of God – those tongues will be justified.

The only thing that will stand in the day of judgment, is the word of God.

Your tongue, your speech, your wisdom, needs to be the wisdom of God in a mystery: the gospel.

Back to Jude once more:

Jude 1:14-15  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

He is going to convince every single man (of the unsaved) that they are ungodly. He is going to use WORDS. Fourth and finally, your words of your own mouth.

The Lord will present more than one witness to condemn sinners.

Numbers 35:30  Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

The law will testify against you. The gospel will testify against you. Saved men will testify against you. All of heaven and earth (Deut. 4:26) will testify against you.

And then also, perhaps most importantly… YOU will testify against yourself.

Matthew 23:31  Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.

“How so?” you ask?

Job 15:6  Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

He is going to convince every single man that they are ungodly. He is going to use evidences. He is going to pull up all the testimonies. And they will testify. And the final testimony – the one that will convince you and all others, will be the testimony of your own mouth. Your own words will judge you in that day.

Luke 19:21-22  For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.  22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. …

You KNEW He was going to require you to give Him something at his coming. You knew you were required to bring forth good fruit. You knew he was going to require good from each and every man.

Your own mouth will testify against you. Your own mouth said it.

This man thought he had done well to hide his Lord’s money in the earth. Until the Lord used his own mouth to judge him.

You knew you were supposed to bring forth fruit. And what did you bring forth instead? Nothing but a bunch of dirt; earth. “Look here Lord, I did good in the earth. I made the earth a better place!”

Nothing but a bunch of dead works. No fruits, just carnal works.

“Lord, Lord!” you will say.

David’s judgment on the young man that killed Saul is an OT precedent of this. David judged him, David took hold of him, and David put him to death. But it was the young man’s own mouth that condemned him.

2 Samuel 1:16  And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD’S anointed.

Matthew 12:33-37  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.  34  … for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  …  36  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Words. You will be judged by WORDS. Your own words will judge you. And YOUR OWN WORDS will either JUSTIFY you, or CONDEMN you.

Your WORKS will not justify or condemn you. Your WORDS will. Your words will either justify or condemn you.

The Lord’s Work – Part 53

And conversely, do you know how a man can subtract from his account? To kill souls, to lose souls?

Acts 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Ezekiel 13:19  And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

WORDS save souls, and WORDS slay souls.

You will give account of every word that you spoke. Not just those you spoke out loud, but those you spoke in secret, in private: in your heart. He’s going to judge the words that you THINK in your thoughts. He is going to judge what you believe!

We are going to be judged “ACCORDING TO” works, but we are going to be judged “BY” words.

What is the difference?

To be judged “ACCORDING TO works” works means that we will receive the due reward of what we have worked. We will receive proportionally to what we worked. Whether good things, we will receive AS MUCH again. And whether evil things, we will receive AS MUCH again. Maybe exactly what we worked, or maybe a multiple of it. But whatever we’ve worked, whatever the finished work is, we will receive as much in return. “According to” means “agreeing to”. It means as X goes, so will Y go. Maybe Y = X, or maybe Y = 2*X. As you did good, so will you receive good. And as you did evil, so will you be rewarded with evil. You will be REWARDED/RECOMPENSED according to your works.

To be judged “BY words” means that we will either be found innocent or guilty, determined to be righteous or wicked, set on the left hand or the right hand, based on WORDS. You will either be condemned and imprisoned, or justified and set here, based on words. To be judged BY words means we will be either justified or condemned BY WORDS that have been spoken. Both The Lord’s words, and our own words.

You will be judged “in agreement with” your works. But it is not WORKS that will be used to determine whether a man is justified or condemned. That will be determined BY WORDS.

The verdict (justified or condemned) will be established “by” (based on) WORDS.

The sentence (rewards or punishments) will be “according to” (proportional to) one’s works.

The reward, which you will be given “according to your works” will be EITHER in proportion to GOOD you have done OR in proportion to EVIL you have done – but not both. Both is impossible. You are either found to be good or evil based on WORDS and THEN the reward is based on the AMOUNT of your EITHER good or evil works – but not both.

First The Lord will assess the type of fruit, in order to know/to prove the type of tree, and THEN He will gather up and count up the fruit.

Every tree is known by his fruit. The tree will be judged BY the type of fruit it produces.

Matthew 13:30  Let both [the wheat and the tares] grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

The Lord will separate men based on what they produce. Based on what type of fruit they bring forth. Based on, what they ARE.

Then, when gathered into the barn, the Lord will count the fruit. And who are the wheat, and who are the tares?

Matthew 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Where you will go, is based on who your father is.

Your work is according to what you are. Your works, your work, is either good or evil. Not both. “It be” of one sort.

1 Corinthians 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Not whether THEY ARE, but whether IT BE.  It is only of one SORT. It is all one work.

And not whether it WAS, but whether it BE. We are talking about something present, not something passed away. We are talking about the finished work. What is done.

The things (plural) you have done, your finished work, will be tried to reveal whether IT be, either good or bad. Then you will receive ACCORDING TO the amount of that work.

1. This is not the summation or the difference. This is not the average. All of a man’s works are the same KIND. They are all one SORT.

Man’s doingS are not evaluated and judged individually, but as one product of one sort. This is the finished work. This is the FRUIT of your tree.

Once the type of tree is determined, based on its fruit. That is, based on WORDS… The only remaining question is: how much fruit?

Jeremiah 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

You will receive a recompense in proportion to the fruit that you bring forth. Man’s spirit within him WORKS. And his works bring forth his fruit. And a man’s fruit is only of one sort.

Carnal works within the heart of a man bring forth DEATH. Good and true spiritual works within Jesus Christ bring forth LIFE. Those are the only two sorts of fruits there will be on that day.

And a man’s KIND OF, OR TYPE OF, OR SORT OF WORKS are based on his WORDS (his fruit).

Matthew 7:15-16  Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  16  Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Matthew 7:19-20  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

How is God going to divide men? Based on their fruits. How is God going to show righteous judgment when He judges? He is going to REVEAL every man’s fruit.  That is how we will KNOW that God is just. That is how we will KNOW on that day that those who we perhaps thought were Real Christians were not, before they are cast into the fire.

Matthew 12:33  Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.

The Lord will know the tree by the singular SORT of fruit that it makes. I wonder what a man’s fruit is? Well, why don’t we look at the very next verse:

Matthew 12:34  O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

The things that a man SPEAKS out of his heart are his fruits. His WORDS. An evil man cannot bring forth good fruit.

Luke 6:44  For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

The Lord will know the tree by the singular KIND of fruit it makes. I wonder what a man’s fruit is? Well, why don’t we (again) look at the very next verse:

Luke 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Whether a man is a good tree or an evil tree is determined based on WORDS. It is based on one’s own words that come out of his own mouth.

They are of one sort, either good or evil. Not both.

Matthew 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Once this is manifested, then and only then, is the weight/portion calculated.

No one will go to heaven because they DID good, but rather because they ARE good: Because they bring forth good fruit – eternal life.

Likewise no one will go to the LoF because they DID evil, but rather because they ARE evil: Because they bring forth evil fruit – eternal death.

We will be rewarded according to our works (our finished works that is, the amount of fruit). We will be rewarded according to our account (how much fruit is on our account).

But.. we are going to be judged BY, either JUSTIFIED, or CONDEMNED… BY WORDS.

Psalms 1:5  Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

You will be judged by WORDS. And the only hope you have to stand, is by WORDS. No sinner will stand. Only the righteous will stand. And they will only stand BY the WORD of God.

Jude 1:14-15  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,  15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

In the judgment, the Lord is going to convince every single unsaved man, that he is ungodly. He is going to convince every sinner (every man who CAN sin), that they are an ungodly sinner. How?

He is going to use WORDS that have been SPOKEN.  He is going to use speeches.  He’s going to use testimonies, testaments.

The first word/testimony that He will use is HIS word of the law.  He will use the OT.  He will use the law (for those that are under the law) to convince a man that he is a sinner.

Romans 2:12  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

Man is not going to be judged BY WORKS, but he will be judged BY the law. The words of the law. That is, as many as have sinned in the law.

For those that are not under the law, this will not be true. They will not be judged by the law.

But for the unsaved, for the sinners, the Old Testament will testify against man.

Romans 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

The Lord is going to convince every sinner that he is ungodly. He is going to prove man’s guilt. How? With WORDS.

Starting, with the words of the law. That is why the law was given: to convince man of sin. They were already sinners. They were already condemned.

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

I think of the OT saints… how could they NOT be condemned? “By faith Noah…”

The only hope anyone has ever had of not being CONDEMNED with the world is by believing the word of God.

Romans 5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

All men that are born of Adam are already judged and condemned. All men that are born of Jesus Christ are already justified. So what good is the judgment?

The Judgment is not to prove to God who is righteous and who is wicked. The judgment is to convince men. And angels. All other beings. Even without the law, men were condemned already. But the law was given, for this very purpose: 1 – to convince men that they are sinners, 2 – to lead men to Jesus Christ.

And that is what the words of the law will do to those who are under the law in that day of judgment. It will convince them of their guilt.

James 2:8-9  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:  9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

He will use the law (His words), to convince sinners of sin. The law will testify against sinners, and it will convince them of sin.

Romans 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

The Bible indicates that our sins will testify against us.

Isaiah 59:12  For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: …

Jeremiah 14:7  O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, …

But if so be that sins will testify against men, I would say that this is not the works of sin that will testify, but it is the finished work, that is, the fruit of sin that will testify against man.

James 1:15  … sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

It is not the past sins, it is the end of, the fruit of, sins. Death.

But sin could not testify against man without the WORDS of the law.

1 Corinthians 15:56  … and the strength of sin is the law.

For Christians, who are “not under the law”, sin and death have no power to testify against us.

1 Corinthians 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

And at the judgment, the first witness to be called against man will be the WORDS of the law. These that will convince man of sin.

Romans 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The law will not be used to justify a righteous man, but the law will be used to condemn a sinner.

The law, the words of the law, will witness against the ungodly.

Deuteronomy 31:24-26  And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished,  25  That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,  26  Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

By the WORDS of the law, The Lord is going to convince every ungodly man that he is a breaker of the law.

Romans 2:25  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

If you are not made righteous by faith, by being born of Jesus Christ, the words of the law will witness against you, as one that is born of Adam, that you are a breaker of the law. Men will be convinced of the law as transgressors.

WORDS will testify against men. Firstly, the words of the law will testify against men.

But oh, no, no, no, no! That is not enough. The Lord will present more than one witness.

Numbers 35:30  Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

The words of the law will not testify alone. Man will be condemned by the mouth of witnesses! Notice: by the MOUTH of witnesses.

The Lord’s Work – Part 52

King Solomon said the whole duty of man is to: Fear God and keep His commandments (His words).

Luke 16:2  And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

The Lord has given to man His goods. Man’s job is to protect those goods and give / minister those goods. To sow them, to bring forth more. To trade with the same to gain by trading.

The Lord is going to come back and reckon with man. The Lord is going to require his own with usury. He is going to count up what each man was given and whether or not he used that substance faithfully.

Matthew 18:23-24  Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.  24  And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

Matthew 25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

Luke 19:15  And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

Philippians 4:17  Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Its not what you did that you will give an account of… its what you HAVE.

Each of us has an account. And the Lord will take account, to find out your account. You will GIVE AN ACCOUNT of what you have been given, and what you did with it.

Romans 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Will you give account of your works?!?! No.

You will give an account of what you have brought forth. What FRUIT you have brought forth. Whether you have good fruit in your account, or no.

What is your fruit? Well, what makes fruit? A tree makes fruit. So then, what is your tree?

Proverbs 15:4  A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Your mouth makes fruit.

Proverbs 18:20  A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.

Isaiah 57:19  I create the fruit of the lips; …

Hebrews 13:15  … the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Proverbs 12:14  A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: …

Proverbs 13:2  A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: …

So what is your fruit?

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Your words! You will be judged by what fruit is on your account, and your fruit, is your words.

You will be judged by your words.

Matthew 12:36-37  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

You will be judged according to your worKs, but you will be judged BY your worDs.

Man is going to be judged by what he did with the Lord’s goods. What are the Lord’s goods? His wisdom. His spiritual substances. His words. Man is going to be judged by how he handled the Lord’s WORDS.

How has one either used them wisely or wasted them?

John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Works will not judge you. You will not be judged by works.

Words. Words. WORDS! We will be judged BY… WORDS!! WORDS will judge you.

HIS words, and YOUR words.

By WORDS you will be justified, or by WORDS you will be condemned.

The Bible says that man, and all man’s works, are going to be tried by fire. And do you know what that fire is? The word of the Lord is that fire.

Jeremiah 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Jeremiah 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Jeremiah 20:9  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.

1 Corinthians 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

Every man, and every work of every man, is going to be tried by the word of God.

And do you know which ones will burn up, and which ones will not???

Isaiah 40:6-8  The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:  7  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.  8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

All flesh will burn. And any work that is made of FLESH, will burn. All of creation will burn. All carnal things will burn.

The only thing that will NOT burn, is the word of our God.

We sing there is “power in the blood”.  I do believe His blood has power in it. Power to forgive sins. Power to wash us clean and justify us. But I don’t see that SAID specifically, in the Bible.

Do you know what God has magnified above all His name?

Psalms 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Do you know what God SAYS He puts power in?

Luke 4:32  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, …

The blood of Christ may have power to forgive sins, but the word of God has power to give life.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The word of God doesn’t just HAVE power. It is power. It is the power of God.

By the word of God we will be tried, and only by the word of God will a man be able to stand through that trial.

We corrected by it (2Ti 3:16, Jer 7:28), we are saved by it (Jas 1:21, Act 11:14), we’re cleansed by it (John 15:3, 1Ti 4:5), washed with it (Eph 5:26), justified by it (Gal 3:8), quickened by it (Joh 6:63, Ps 119:25,154), born by it (Jas 1:18, 1 Pet 1:23), our thirst is quenched with it (Amo 8:11, Ps 104:11), our soul is fed by it (Job 23:12, 1 Cor 3:1, 1Ti 4:6), we grow by it (1 Pet 2:2, 1 Tim 4:6), we’re instructed by it (Deu 4:36, 2Ti 3:16, Ps 50:17), we’re strengthened by it (Job 4:4, 23:5-6, Ps 119:28), we labour with it (1Ti 5:17), we fight with it (Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12), we’re enriched by it (Col 3:16, Isa 33:6, Ps 119:162).

Every eternal live is lived BY the word of God.

Deuteronomy 8:3  … by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Matthew 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

It is no wonder, that we are going to be judged BY it. Words. We are going to be judged by words.

We are going to be either JUSTIFIED, or CONDEMNED… BY WORDS.

1 Peter 1:23-25  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

The only thing that will abide the trial with the word of God, IS the word of God.

You believe this word, or you will wither like grass. You are either planted in heaven as a tree of life, planted by the river of living waters, or you are grass upon the earth. All flesh is grass.

You are either born again, of the word of God, or you will wither like grass in the fire.

The word of God is going to try men like fire, and the only thing that will abide the heat of that fire, is the word of God.

Exodus 16:21  And they gathered it [the manna, the bread from heaven] every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

Jesus said, “Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.”

Psalms 84:11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield;…

Malachi 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

The Son of God is going to come back. Sun is going to rise. The Word is going to try mankind.

For Real Christians, this is going to be for our salvation and glorification. But for all flesh, for anything made with flesh, mixed with flesh, defiled by the flesh, it will be for destruction and eternal damnation.

James 1:11  For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

He may look like he has grace. He may SAY he has grace. But the Word of the Lord will try him.

This is the heat, this is the trial that will manifest the sons of God, and the children of the devil.

In this trial we will see who is a Real Christian, and who is a false brother. Not by works, but by WORDS!

Isaiah 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Mark 4:5-6  And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:  [He looks like a Christian, he has fashion of grace] 6  But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

He may look like a saved man. He may “endure to the end” of his measly little life (a vapour). But one day, the Sun is going to rise up. And when the Sun comes up, everything that isn’t the pure, undefiled, unleavened, unmixed word of God, is going to wither, melt, and BURN.

EVERYTHING will perish. Every, thing, … except…

Matthew 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

This is the ONLY thing that is going to stand up to the fire.

This is the only thing that will matter in the day of judgment.

You will be tried. Either you were born of the word of God, or you will burn up.

Your work will be tried. Either your work IS THE WORD OF GOD, or it will burn up.

The only work that you can do that will abide the fire is to receive the word of God, and preach the word of God. To believe it, and confess it. R.B.C.

Take the word of God, by the gospel, and PLANT IT in a good ground.

Keep it, protect it, hide it, in your heart; rather… hide it in Jesus Christ… so that it bears fruit.

Romans 14:12  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Philippians 4:17  Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

Its not what you did that you will give an account of… its what you HAVE.

Do you have fruit. Did you produce FRUIT?

Matthew 7:19  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

What do you have on your account?

Galatians 3:6  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

The only way for an unsaved man to add to his account, is to BELIEVE the word of God.

Romans 4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

The only way for an unsaved man to add to his account is by faith – by believing on Jesus Christ.

The only true good work is the spiritual work of God: the Church.

The only way for a saved man to add to his account is to watch for souls.

Hebrews 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, …

The account is an account of souls. The only way to add to your count is to win souls.

The only way to do that is get the word of God, and give the word of God, by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Get wisdom and give wisdom. Get it, hide it, give it.

How does a man add to his account of souls? How does a man save souls? With WORDS of course.

James 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Hebrews 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

The Lord’s Work – Part 51

You will be judged in a body. Either your earthly body, or in your new body (His body). For the saved, you will be judged in your new body and will receive the things done in HIS body. That is your inheritance, that is the reward of the inheritance that you share with the saints.

I don’t believe that we will receive the evil things done in our mortal bodies. Scripturally, I believe we cannot be rewarded according to our evil works, sins, iniquities. The body of sins has been destroyed, circumcised, mortified, crucified, put off. Our iniquities have been removed from us. As far as the east is from the west. But even IF we do receive evil things, they will burn up, and our new bodies will be unharmed.

Romans 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

There is no wrath on the Christian. We shall be saved from all wrath in that day through Jesus Christ.

For a Christian, there is no reason to fear the judgment.

1 John 4:16-18  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.  17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

You’re either made perfect because you’ve believed, or you are not made perfect, and you have reason to fear. If you are fearful of the day of judgment, you’ve not believed unto salvation.

Justified or Condemned By What?

You will be judged according to your work(s).

1 Peter 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Revelation 20:12-15  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Your works will be found out. They will be manifested and you will be judged according to your works. What does that mean!?!?!

What this does NOT mean is that your works will determine whether you are justified (i.e. you go to heaven) or are condemned (i.e. you go to the lake of fire).

These people are NEITHER justified nor condemned because of their works. The deciding factor of whether they spend eternity in the house of God or in the lake of Fire, as described in this passage, is whether their name is in the book of life!!

But what this DOES mean is that you will receive the due REWARD of your works. He will REPAY you ACCORDING TO your works.

You will be GIVEN TO according to your works.

Revelation 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Psalms 28:4  Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Desert: a reward or punishment merited. Merits, earnings, deservings.

He is going to GIVE to you what you deserve.

Numerous times the Bible says that we will be judged ACCORDING TO our works.

But it does not say that we will be judged BY our works. It does not say that we will be found innocent or guilty based on our works.

It does not say, nor does it mean, that if we do evil we will go to an evil place, and if we do good we will go to a good place.

You will go where your father is. You will go where your home is. You will go where your name is written.

To be judged according to our works, is to be given back, repaid… exactly what we deserve, according to the works that we worked.

You will be RENDERED TO according to your works.

Romans 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

When you are judged by the Lord it’s: here is what you did, and here is what you deserve in return.

You will be REPAID according to your works.

Isaiah 59:18  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

You will be REPAID. You will be RECOMPENSED according to your works.

If your work was good, you will be recompensed with good. And if it was evil, you will be recompensed evil.

You will RECEIVE according to your works.

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

You will be REWARDED according to your works.

Matthew 16:27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

He’s not just going to give a sinner evil because he is a doer of evil. He is going to give him a measured amount of evil according to his wickedness. It is proportional.

You will receive the due reward – the deserving portion – of your deeds.

You will be rewarded (given good, or given evil) proportionally, according to your works.

God will judge the righteous and determine how much righteousness he has done, and He will give accordingly in return.

Psalms 18:20  The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

Likewise, God will judge the wicked and determine how much evil he has done, and how much evil in return is the just and fair recompense.

2 Samuel 3:39  … the LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

This is what it means to be judged ACCORDING TO your works.

Not that you will go where your works determine. But that you will receive what you deserve. You will reap what you sow. You will be repaid what you lent/gave out. You will be recompensed with the due reward of your works.

Revelation 18:4-7  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.  5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.  6  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.  7  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

To be judged according to your works means that you will receive exactly the portion of reward that you deserve. You will be repaid exactly what, or exactly according to (some multiple of), what you did – what your works deserve.

Revelation 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

The Lord will judge every man “according to his works”.

Every man will be recompensed “according to his works.”

YOU will be judged and recompensed, repaid, rendered to, rewarded according to your works.

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BUT!! You will not be justified or condemned according to your works.

Justification and condemnation is not according to works.

You will not be justified or condemned according to your works.

You will not be justified or condemned by your works.

You will not be justified or condemned based on your works.

Deuteronomy 25:1  If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

Psalms 109:7  When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

To be judged is not to be condemned. Different actions, different events. Many will be condemned, but a few will be justified.

The Lord judges works, but He does not use men’s works to justify or condemn them. He uses them to recompense. But you are not found innocent or guilty, and sentenced by your works.

2 Timothy 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Rewards are rendered according to our works.

But salvation is not rendered “according to” our WORKS.

We are not saved according to our works. We are saved according to HIS mercy and grace.

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Saved – past tense. We are ALREADY saved, not according to our works, but according to His mercy.

We will not come to the day of judgment and then, when being judged according to our works, be either justified or condemned according to our works.

Truthfully, you are ALREADY justified, or ALREADY condemned.

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

If you are not a believer, you are condemned already. Your name is not in that book.

The saved are not justified according to their works, and the lost will likewise not be condemned according to your works. Your works don’t play a role in your justification OR condemnation.

A man is not condemned according to his works. He is condemned already.

Jude 1:4  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lost are already ordained to condemnation. Because they turned the grace of our God (salvation by grace) into something else. Because they DENIED the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 9:11  (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)  …  13  As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Without even having done good or evil, the eternity was already set. One was elected/chosen, and one was hated/rejected. Not according to works.

Salvation is OF GOD… BY Jesus Christ.

Acts 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Mankind may be judged “according to” their works, but mankind is not “judged by” their works. Mankind is judged BY Jesus Christ.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Not fear God and do His commandments. Not obey His commandments. KEEP them. Hold them, protect them, hide them! Fear God.. and KEEP His Word in your heart. That is the WHOLE DUTY of man. That is ALL THE WORK that you need to do.

With every secret thing – Yes, your works will be judged, but also… every secret thing.

Ephesians 5:11-12  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.  12  For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

There are things you worked in secret. Those will come to light and be judged. But also, the things that you believed and spoke in your heart. Those are the secrets you will be judged by.

1 Corinthians 14:25  And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

1 Corinthians 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

This is written to a church. The wicked and slothful servant will not receive praise of God. But the church will have praise of God according to the counsels of the heart! Every thought, every counsel, that you believe and speak within your own heart will be judged.

He will judge your WORDS… your SECRET works. Your thoughts.

Man certainly won’t think its just for God to judge our thoughts. But that is exactly what He is going to do.

The Lord is going to judge your counsels, that is, your wisdom, your understanding, your words that have come out of your heart.  Get wisdom.  Hide it in your heart, and speak it. Because you are going to be judged by it. But there are two types of wisdom.

Romans 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Secrets… Secrets works… secret words.. secret thoughts!

According to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

By Jesus Christ: Your secrets will be judged by Jesus Christ. He will compare your secrets to Jesus Christ.

He will compare the thoughts of your heart to Jesus Christ, according to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Romans 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the secret, the mystery that men will be judged by.

Ephesians 3:3-5  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,  4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)  5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

The gospel of Jesus Christ was the best-kept secret of all the universe in all of history. Men will be judged based on whether they understood and believed that secret.

Matthew 13:34-35  All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:  35  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

We will be judged by those secrets. We will be judged by Jesus’ parables. We are going to be judged by mysteries. Can you imagine how many people are going to be judged unfavorably?

The Lord’s Work – Part 50

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit…

There are consequences for sin in the flesh, in the flesh. But at my final judgment, why should I receive for my sins in my body?

Romans 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

According to Scripture, I didn’t even do them! Someone else did them! Throw this case out. This man is innocent. We have identified the real criminal!

The same is not so for an unsaved man, but for a saved man, he is not complicit.

Why should I receive for my sins in my body? No matter how much I try to do good, my flesh still sins. I should have had to pay for my sins, but I was told I was forgiven, justified. So am I forgiven or not?

Acts 13:39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

No matter how much I sin, I am not dealt with according to my sins. No matter what lifestyle I live, at my judgment, I will be justified, having received mercy and been forgiven. I am not judged according to my sins. I don’t have to PAY for my sins: death.

This is liberty from sin and death. This is Bible Salvation.

BUT, if we are talking about what things have been done in HIS body, that is, in my resurrection body… okay, I could stand before Him and be judged according to what was done IN THAT body. Because that body will have just been raised incorruptible. That body will have just had eternal life worked in it. And if any evil WERE rewarded to it, if there were any “harsh judgments” rewarded to it, it wouldn’t harm it one bit. Jesus told His disciples..

Luke 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

This, I think I can believe. And in fact, I do believe that I will not be judged in this carnal body, but in my resurrection body.

When was Jesus raised from the dead? On the third day…?

Luke 9:22  Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

Luke 18:33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

Luke 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

Acts 10:40  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

1 Corinthians 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Jesus was not raised “on the third day”. Every time it is, that He was raised “the third day”.

Jesus was not raised the 3^rd hour, or the 9^th hour of the 3^rd day. Jesus was raised at the very beginning of the 3^rd day. Right at the very transition from Saturday to Sunday.

Matthew 28:1-2  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.  2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

That is when Jesus was raised. At the very beginning, at the dawning of the day.

Likewise, we are not going to be raised “on the last day”, we are going to be raised “at the last day”.

John 6:40  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Not IN the last day, or ON the last day.

John 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  …  54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 11:24  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

There are two resurrections on the last day. The first resurrection is of the righteous AT the last day, i.e. at the beginning of the day. The second resurrection is of the wicked, near the end of the day.

Revelation 20:4-5  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years [one day].  5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.  6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

We will be resurrected at the very beginning of the third day. Just as the Son (the Sun) is starting to rise.

But the lost, they are resurrected too late. The door is already shut.

John 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

At our judgment, we will have bodies. Mankind will not receive the things done in their bodies, without our bodies being present. We will have our bodies. But WE, will have the body of Christ. We will have new bodies. We receive them AT the last day. At the very beginning of the day, when the cock crows, when the trumpet sounds, the dead in Christ are raised incorruptible.

Resurrections and raptures in Scripture are often associated with trumps and earthquakes.

Matthew 27:50-53  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.  51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;  52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,  53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

There was one earthquake when Jesus died, which opened the graves of the saints. There was another that woke them up, and while opening Christ’s grave.

Matthew 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

There were two earthquakes. Remember that.

Another earthquake is shown to free prisoners, just like they are used to loose the prisoners of death.

Acts 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

That’s a very interesting earthquake. Its kind of like someone had a key to the doors and bands.

Revelation 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Another earthquake accompanies the resurrection of the two witnesses in the tribulation.

Revelation 11:11-13  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.  12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.  13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

That “come up hither”? That is the voice of a trumpet. A trumpet calls to the dead to wake up!

Revelation 4:1-2  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

1 Corinthians 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

The sound of a trumpet from heaven, invokes an earthquake, and the dead (which are in the earth) wake up.

Matthew 25:5-7  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  6  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  7  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

That cry is a trumpet and an earthquake. That is what wakes dead men up. What wakes up sleeping men in a city under attack? A trumpet. What wakes up men each day with the rising sun? A cock crowing.

These trumps and earthquakes, I believe, are “cock crowings”. The cock crows when the Sun rises. And when the cock crows, men wake up!

Mark 13:35  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

Whenever it is, the cock will crow (the trump will sound) and the dead in Christ will wake up! That is what a spiritual cock crowing is.

This little piece of understanding is very important. Do you know why? It’s the answer to one of the biggest “problems” in the whole Bible.

Matthew 26:34  Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

Luke 22:34  And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

But in Mark, we have “contradiction”.

Mark 14:30  And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And in Mark 14:66-72, the cock indeed crowed once after only one denial, and the second time after the 2^nd and 3^rd denials.

This is one of the most highly counted “contradictions” or “errors” in the Bible. This is used to destroy men’s faith in a perfect Bible. Not just by unbelievers, but by “Christians”. And I’ve never heard an actual answer. This is a pretty big problem for Bible believers. This is a pretty obvious “error” in the Bible.

But this is no error at all.

In Mark, Jesus was speaking of the earthly cock, which in fact crowed ONCE before Peter denied thrice, but did not NOT crow AT ALL before he was finished denying Christ.

In Matthew and Luke, Jesus was speaking of the heavenly/spiritual cock crowing, the resurrection calls, which in fact did NOT occur until Jesus was on the cross – and then again there was a 2^nd call when He was resurrected – both happening well AFTER Peter had been done denying Christ.

The simple answer to this “insurmountable contradiction”, is that there were two different cock crowings in question. One earthly, One heavenly.

At the very beginning of the day, when the Son rises, the cock will crow, the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible.

I conclude that we will be judged in our resurrected, perfected, new bodies. It is in that body that we will stand before the Lord glorified. It is in that body that we will “receive the things done in His body” – the body of Christ.

There will be two types of bodies at the time of man’s judgment.

2 Timothy 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

We will not be the dead. We will be the quick.

Ephesians 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

We will not be judged in the old body and then be given a new body if we are deemed worthy. We will be judged as we are raised; that is, in a new and perfect body. In a body like His body. In fact, it is His body. Members of the body of Christ. We will be judged as sons of God.

1 John 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

As soon as he comes back, at the beginning of the day, we will be raised, and/or changed, to be LIKE Him.

I believe that my new body will be judged.  And that’s a pretty important detail, because… No flesh is standing up to the day of His coming.

Revelation 6:15-17  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;  16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:  17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

And that’s a pretty important detail, because… that body will be tried by a consuming fire.

Malachi 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

Psalms 130:3  If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

This sinful body would not be approved in the judgment. It would not stand in the judgment. It would not stand when the Lord marks iniquities.

The only other instance of “who shall stand” in the Bible:

Psalms 24:3-5  Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?  4  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.  5  He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Do you know who shall stand? The saved. The saved by grace, and no one else.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest [whatever works were done in the body of Christ, those are the works that will be manifest]: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Whatever carnal things were done in the old body, they will be lost to the saved. What spiritual things were done in the body of Christ, those will be counted gain. That is the body that will be tried, and that is the body that we will be judged in – Christ’ body.

And… being in our new bodies, if any evil works, fleshly works, which we had previously done in our carnal body WERE rewarded – returned upon our own head – how could they possibly hurt us?

1 Corinthians 15:54-55  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

IF The Lord DOES reward my carnal evil works to me (“harsh judgment” where He rewards me with stripes, hunger and thirst, and even death), but they are rewarded to me while I’m not in the body of flesh, but in a new incorruptible spiritual body, made like unto the angels of God, quickened by the Spirit, being LIKE HIM, and being a living part of the body of Christ, how could those things hurt me? How can anything hurt me? Death itself cannot hurt me!

That is a big IF, and I don’t believe it is going to happen. Because my iniquities have been removed from me as far as the east is from the west.

1 Corinthians 3:10-14  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I [e.g. Paul] have laid the foundation, and another [e.g. Apollos] buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  12  Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

The house is NJ – the body of Christ – the church, and the foundation is Jesus Christ. If one is joined to the foundation, a part of the foundation, an everlasting foundation, he is a saved man and part of the Church. We build the house with people, and with wisdom. We build it according to GRACE. But if any man (preacher or teacher) attempts to build the house with carnal things/works/wisdom, then those things will burn up, but the man (the foundation, the saved man) will be saved. But if he builds spiritual things, in the Lord Jesus’s body, things which abide the fire, they will abide, and he will receive a reward.

If there are any true good works (which are the living stones of the city itself, the members of the body of Christ), they will come through the fire. And for those works that abide (The Lord’s works), we will receive a reward.

1 Peter 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

The house of God will be judged first. We will be judged based on what we did in that house, not in our earthly house.