WEBVTT 00:00:01.199 --> 00:00:04.360 There are three words that every two -year -old 00:00:04.360 --> 00:00:07.820 and every 72 -year -old will say sometime this 00:00:07.820 --> 00:00:12.720 year. That's not fair. Let me ask you, if God 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:16.100 is just, why is life so unfair? Let's tackle 00:00:16.100 --> 00:00:23.059 that one together today. Thanks for listening 00:00:23.059 --> 00:00:26.059 to this edition of Living on the Edge with Chip 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:28.839 Ingram. We are an international teaching and 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:30.980 discipleship ministry that motivates Christians 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:33.619 to live like Christians. We're in the middle 00:00:33.619 --> 00:00:36.320 of our series, The Real God, as we continue studying 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:39.560 the core attributes of God that reveal more of 00:00:39.560 --> 00:00:42.179 who He is. Well, today Chip's going to pick up 00:00:42.179 --> 00:00:44.679 with a second half of his talk, The Justice of 00:00:44.679 --> 00:00:47.520 God. But before Chip gets started, if this is 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:49.700 your first time listening to Living on the Edge, 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.280 or you're curious about who we are and what we 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:56.899 do, visit livingontheedge .org. You'll discover 00:00:56.899 --> 00:01:00.060 a wealth of valuable tools we've created to equip 00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:03.859 you in your walk with Jesus. So check out livingontheedge 00:01:03.859 --> 00:01:08.599 .org today. Okay, if you have a Bible, go again 00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:11.420 to the book of Genesis chapter 18 for the rest 00:01:11.420 --> 00:01:15.459 of Chip's meaningful message. C .S. Lewis, many 00:01:15.459 --> 00:01:17.560 of you are very familiar with him, was an agnostic 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:23.959 slash atheist. Brilliant fellow who taught English 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:28.599 literature. Cambridge, Oxford, and later wrote 00:01:28.599 --> 00:01:30.700 the Chronicles of Narnia and became one of the 00:01:30.700 --> 00:01:33.959 greatest apologists. But when he describes how 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:38.280 he eventually came to believe in God and to embrace 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:43.079 the person of Jesus, what he talks about is the 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:46.859 sense of ought or should that is in the human 00:01:46.859 --> 00:01:50.590 heart. that tells the human heart and all people 00:01:50.590 --> 00:01:53.849 of all cultures, of all backgrounds, that this 00:01:53.849 --> 00:01:56.390 is right and this is wrong. And even though we 00:01:56.390 --> 00:01:59.549 know this is right, no matter where we place 00:01:59.549 --> 00:02:02.010 the rule, none of us can keep even the rules 00:02:02.010 --> 00:02:04.909 that we place. Lewis writes, these are the two 00:02:04.909 --> 00:02:08.310 points I want to make. First, that human beings 00:02:08.310 --> 00:02:11.469 all over the earth have this curious idea that 00:02:11.469 --> 00:02:14.430 they ought to behave in a certain way and cannot 00:02:14.430 --> 00:02:18.180 really get rid of it. I mean, we take that for 00:02:18.180 --> 00:02:19.819 granted. It's so intrinsic, right? But he just, 00:02:19.860 --> 00:02:21.419 you know, he's kind of intellectual looking and 00:02:21.419 --> 00:02:24.400 he goes, of all time, all people, people have 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.659 this idea that you should behave in a certain 00:02:27.659 --> 00:02:30.699 way. And no matter how they try to say, oh, we 00:02:30.699 --> 00:02:32.639 can do whatever we want, they can't get rid of 00:02:32.639 --> 00:02:36.180 it. Secondly, that they do not, in fact, behave 00:02:36.180 --> 00:02:38.800 in that way. So human beings, you know, this 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:40.740 is right, this is good, but no matter what they 00:02:40.740 --> 00:02:44.460 do, they can't do it. Then he goes on to say, 00:02:44.520 --> 00:02:47.900 they know the law of nature. Yet they break it. 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:50.860 And then this is a classic line in his book. 00:02:51.620 --> 00:02:56.120 These two facts are the foundation of all clear 00:02:56.120 --> 00:03:00.300 thinking about ourselves and the universe that 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:04.259 we live in. Inside even a fallen world that does 00:03:04.259 --> 00:03:08.840 not appear fair, Lewis is saying this idea, this 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:11.900 sense of ought, this idea of justice, therefore 00:03:11.900 --> 00:03:15.729 there is a judge. And our inability to do what 00:03:15.729 --> 00:03:19.090 we know we ought is the foundation for thinking 00:03:19.090 --> 00:03:22.710 rightly about yourself, the universe, and God. 00:03:23.509 --> 00:03:27.310 God is the judge of all the earth, even in a 00:03:27.310 --> 00:03:31.849 fallen world. But in a fallen world, until eternity 00:03:31.849 --> 00:03:34.689 gets on the other side of Revelation 20, I will 00:03:34.689 --> 00:03:37.409 guarantee the scales will be balanced perfectly 00:03:37.409 --> 00:03:42.180 and justly for every situation. But in this fallen 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:45.419 world, there will be times where someone doing 00:03:45.419 --> 00:03:48.599 one thing appears to get only $20 for what we 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:50.979 can see now. And someone who does exactly the 00:03:50.979 --> 00:03:54.979 same thing will appear to get only $1. But we 00:03:54.979 --> 00:03:57.680 have an all -wise God who is doing what? Producing 00:03:57.680 --> 00:04:01.379 perfect ends by... perfect means to do what? 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:03.319 Help the most people for the longest possible 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:06.240 time. And since he's completely in control of 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:08.800 all things actual and possible, he's going to 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:11.000 sovereignly orchestrate that in his goodness 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.840 to bless both of these men to accomplish his 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:16.399 purposes for the world and individual purposes 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:21.980 for their lives. And he is the judge and it's 00:04:21.980 --> 00:04:24.399 unequivocal. Hebrews 12, 23 says, to the church 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:26.560 of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven, 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:29.290 you have come to God. And how's God described? 00:04:29.750 --> 00:04:33.250 The judge of all men to the spirit of righteous 00:04:33.250 --> 00:04:36.670 men made perfect. 2 Timothy 4 .8 says, now there 00:04:36.670 --> 00:04:39.670 is in store for me, the apostle Paul says, a 00:04:39.670 --> 00:04:42.230 crown of righteousness, which the Lord, and who's 00:04:42.230 --> 00:04:44.829 the Lord described as? The righteous judge will 00:04:44.829 --> 00:04:47.949 award me on that day. And not only me, but also 00:04:47.949 --> 00:04:50.350 those who have longed for his appearing. And 00:04:50.350 --> 00:04:51.990 then if you want to know the role of Jesus in 00:04:51.990 --> 00:04:57.149 judgment, John 5, 22 and following says, God 00:04:57.149 --> 00:05:04.829 reveals his justice in a fallen world through 00:05:04.829 --> 00:05:06.629 the natural order of the human heart, his role 00:05:06.629 --> 00:05:09.490 as judge, and forth and profoundly yet again 00:05:09.490 --> 00:05:13.610 at the cross. Romans 3, 25 to 26. If you've got 00:05:13.610 --> 00:05:15.569 your pen, I want you to circle a few key words. 00:05:16.170 --> 00:05:19.350 For God presented him, Jesus, as a sacrifice 00:05:19.350 --> 00:05:22.310 of atonement through faith in his blood. He did 00:05:22.310 --> 00:05:28.410 this to demonstrate his justice. The problem 00:05:28.410 --> 00:05:32.329 of sin was atoned or covered for, and God did 00:05:32.329 --> 00:05:35.230 that to demonstrate or make a picture or make 00:05:35.230 --> 00:05:37.870 a point about something, and that something is 00:05:37.870 --> 00:05:41.410 his justice. Because in his forbearance, he left 00:05:41.410 --> 00:05:44.209 the sins committed beforehand unpunished. He 00:05:44.209 --> 00:05:47.930 did it to demonstrate his justice. Circle that. 00:05:48.949 --> 00:05:52.750 At the present time, so that he may be just and 00:05:52.750 --> 00:05:55.589 the one who justifies those who've put their 00:05:55.589 --> 00:06:00.629 faith in Christ. His justice, his justice, that 00:06:00.629 --> 00:06:04.470 he might be just and also the one who justifies. 00:06:05.529 --> 00:06:08.490 God is consistent in his character, so consistent 00:06:08.490 --> 00:06:12.149 in his character that the standard for access 00:06:12.149 --> 00:06:17.149 to him to be fair and to be just, what his holiness 00:06:17.149 --> 00:06:20.709 demanded, his love provided. And what you need 00:06:20.709 --> 00:06:23.490 to understand is what the cross is, is God's 00:06:23.490 --> 00:06:27.870 justice in action. God did not wink at your sin 00:06:27.870 --> 00:06:31.089 and my sin and say, you know what? Sin, there 00:06:31.089 --> 00:06:33.990 are actual consequences to this kind of behavior 00:06:33.990 --> 00:06:36.769 and thought that is unrighteous. This is sin, 00:06:36.769 --> 00:06:39.870 cause, this is effect. God didn't say, oh, let's 00:06:39.870 --> 00:06:42.370 just quit that rule for a while. Michael, Gabriel, 00:06:42.730 --> 00:06:44.269 you know, I'm the God of the universe. I can 00:06:44.269 --> 00:06:47.470 change whatever I want. Let's just say it's okay. 00:06:48.290 --> 00:06:53.189 No. God's standard is even placed upon himself. 00:06:53.930 --> 00:06:56.790 And that's why the only solution for a relationship 00:06:56.790 --> 00:07:01.110 with a God that is 100 % holy is there needed 00:07:01.110 --> 00:07:04.910 to be a sacrifice that was 100 % holy. And the 00:07:04.910 --> 00:07:07.410 reason that Jesus was fully God and fully man, 00:07:07.629 --> 00:07:10.230 it could only be the death quote of God that 00:07:10.230 --> 00:07:12.509 could pay the price, but only man could die. 00:07:12.689 --> 00:07:15.209 And so born of a virgin, fully man, fully God, 00:07:15.269 --> 00:07:17.990 without confusion, the Messiah comes. And when 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:21.269 he hung upon the cross, he became your payment 00:07:21.269 --> 00:07:24.569 and my payment for sin. So that as 1 Peter 3 00:07:24.569 --> 00:07:27.970 .18 says, God once and for all has done what? 00:07:28.170 --> 00:07:31.990 He's drawn us to himself, the just for the unjust, 00:07:32.050 --> 00:07:36.050 that he might bring us to God. And what he did 00:07:36.050 --> 00:07:41.889 is he, Christ once died for sin. The just Christ 00:07:41.889 --> 00:07:46.250 for the unjust, me and you, that he, Christ, 00:07:46.490 --> 00:07:52.360 might bring us to the Father. God's justice is 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:55.839 demonstrated at the cross. And that's why it's 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:58.579 about grace. That's why the Christian life is 00:07:58.579 --> 00:08:01.040 not about performance. That's why you cannot 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:05.120 earn God's favor. That's why the justice of God 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.980 allows you, when you understand it, to begin 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:10.759 to deeply embrace and appreciate the love of 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:13.600 God. And that's when the cross becomes not just 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:15.779 some mental exercise of, yes, Jesus died for 00:08:15.779 --> 00:08:20.139 my sins. What Jesus did... was he absorbed the 00:08:20.139 --> 00:08:24.019 just wrath of God. Sin does what? Sin is like 00:08:24.019 --> 00:08:26.860 cancer. It destroys. It destroys relationships. 00:08:26.899 --> 00:08:29.240 It separates us from God. It makes people make 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:32.220 terrible decisions and kids get abused and suicides 00:08:32.220 --> 00:08:34.799 happen. People get hooked on drugs and all this 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:38.299 chaos in this fallen world. Here's a holy, righteous 00:08:38.299 --> 00:08:40.779 God and he sees it and he know it's the price 00:08:40.779 --> 00:08:44.360 tag of freedom, but he hates it. He hates it. 00:08:44.460 --> 00:08:47.799 And what he does is it makes him angry. Anger 00:08:47.799 --> 00:08:51.080 is not a wrong or bad emotion. Wrath is a response 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:54.279 to correct something. And so God took his just 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:58.679 wrath. Have you ever seen a child abused? I have. 00:08:59.580 --> 00:09:02.899 I came as close to literally hitting a woman 00:09:02.899 --> 00:09:05.759 in a laundromat when I saw her pick up an 18 00:09:05.759 --> 00:09:09.679 -month -old and slam her into a dryer and then 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:12.240 stick her up on that. I mean, I went over to 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:14.360 that lady and I just said, ma 'am, excuse me, 00:09:14.379 --> 00:09:16.179 I'm a pastor and this wouldn't look good in the 00:09:16.179 --> 00:09:18.059 paper, but you touched that child again, so help 00:09:18.059 --> 00:09:20.559 me. I will knock your chin off your shoulders. 00:09:22.460 --> 00:09:24.360 Didn't make a lot of good headlines for the new 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:27.139 pastor in town. But you know what? I'll tell 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:28.620 you what, that's what's called righteous anger. 00:09:29.720 --> 00:09:32.500 If I as a little tiny human being can feel that 00:09:32.500 --> 00:09:34.740 way about one 18 -month -old, how do you think 00:09:34.740 --> 00:09:38.600 God feels about all the sin? that has infiltrated 00:09:38.600 --> 00:09:41.000 this planet and has caused all the heartache 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.120 and all the suicides and all the broken relationships 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:47.940 and all the diseases that have marred and caused 00:09:47.940 --> 00:09:50.299 this cancer to destroy the world that he made 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:51.799 and the world that he loves and the people that 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:55.120 he cares about. The only solution for him to 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:58.879 be both just, to be holy, and yet to be loving 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:01.940 and good was to have his son, the perfect sacrifice, 00:10:02.059 --> 00:10:04.539 hang on that cross. And as he hung on the cross, 00:10:05.210 --> 00:10:08.649 God the Father turned away and he took his wrath 00:10:08.649 --> 00:10:12.409 and poured it on Jesus and all the just wrath 00:10:12.409 --> 00:10:18.570 of God was placed on him instead of you. The 00:10:18.570 --> 00:10:23.710 sin got paid for. And the Lamb of God took away 00:10:23.710 --> 00:10:27.990 the sins of the world. And you were justified. 00:10:28.990 --> 00:10:32.450 And the response is by faith to receive that 00:10:32.450 --> 00:10:35.659 gift. But if you don't get God's justice, see, 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:37.500 what we think is, we think God grades on the 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:41.100 curve. We think he's like that teacher that, 00:10:41.179 --> 00:10:43.100 well, you know, no one did very well on this 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:44.779 test, and the highest grade was an 88. We'll 00:10:44.779 --> 00:10:47.019 make that an A. And those of you that got a 55, 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:50.460 you get a C. Here's how God grades. If you get 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:56.759 100, it's pass. 99 .9, it's fail. His character 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:59.539 demands it. And that's why I don't care how many 00:10:59.539 --> 00:11:01.919 good deeds you do, how religious you are, how 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:04.779 kind you are, how moral you are, you fall short 00:11:04.779 --> 00:11:08.039 of the glory of God. And so that's why we need 00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:10.840 a savior. I think we have a generation of people 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:13.840 that don't understand how lost we are. We think 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.019 we're basically kind of good people and we don't 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:18.340 understand the holiness of God. Therefore, we 00:11:18.340 --> 00:11:20.399 don't grasp the significance of the love of God 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:23.299 and we don't grasp at all that God being just 00:11:23.299 --> 00:11:27.259 had to deal with us in a way that would cost 00:11:27.259 --> 00:11:30.519 him the life of his son. You're listening to 00:11:30.519 --> 00:11:33.019 Living on the Edge. And Chip will be back in 00:11:33.019 --> 00:11:35.860 just a minute to finish today's talk. But quickly, 00:11:35.960 --> 00:11:38.379 this program is only possible because of the 00:11:38.379 --> 00:11:41.720 generosity of listeners like you. Consider supporting 00:11:41.720 --> 00:11:44.940 us today by becoming a monthly partner. Learn 00:11:44.940 --> 00:11:49.019 more by going to livingontheedge .org. That's 00:11:49.019 --> 00:11:53.470 livingontheedge .org. And thanks for doing whatever 00:11:53.470 --> 00:11:56.230 God leads you to do. Well, let's rejoin Chip 00:11:56.230 --> 00:11:59.409 now for the remainder of his message. See, his 00:11:59.409 --> 00:12:01.590 justice even in a fallen world is revealed through 00:12:01.590 --> 00:12:03.529 the natural order of human hearts, his role as 00:12:03.529 --> 00:12:05.750 judge through the cross, and then finally through 00:12:05.750 --> 00:12:08.250 the promise of eternal retribution. Please turn 00:12:08.250 --> 00:12:12.250 in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 3. Very important 00:12:12.250 --> 00:12:17.360 passage. 1 Corinthians 3. The Apostle Paul is 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:20.259 talking to a group of people, and there's division 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:23.820 in the church, and he's explaining to them. how 00:12:23.820 --> 00:12:26.460 spiritual growth occurs. He's explained that 00:12:26.460 --> 00:12:29.220 his role was to plant, Apollos was one who watered, 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:31.340 and he wants them to understand that only God 00:12:31.340 --> 00:12:34.360 causes the increase, but there are genuine, real 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:37.200 implications that there is going to be a future 00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:39.720 judgment for believers, not a judgment for your 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:42.000 sin, not a judgment of whether you'll spend eternity 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.360 with Christ or eternity apart from Christ. It 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:47.299 will be a judgment for believers of how they've 00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:49.919 lived their life. And at the end of that judgment, 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:52.120 at what's called the bema seat or the judgment 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:55.259 seat of Christ, people will be rewarded for what 00:12:55.259 --> 00:12:57.860 they did in this life, and others will suffer 00:12:57.860 --> 00:13:00.500 loss for what they did or doing it for the wrong 00:13:00.500 --> 00:13:03.860 motives. So notice we pick it up in chapter 3, 00:13:03.940 --> 00:13:07.379 verse 10. By the grace of God that he's given 00:13:07.379 --> 00:13:10.259 me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder 00:13:10.259 --> 00:13:13.230 in someone else's building on it. But each one 00:13:13.230 --> 00:13:15.250 should be careful how he builds, for no one can 00:13:15.250 --> 00:13:17.529 lay a foundation other than the one which is 00:13:17.529 --> 00:13:20.289 already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man 00:13:20.289 --> 00:13:22.429 builds on the foundation using gold, silver, 00:13:22.610 --> 00:13:25.850 precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work 00:13:25.850 --> 00:13:28.470 will be shown for what it is. Notice it's his 00:13:28.470 --> 00:13:30.769 work. It's not a salvation. It's your work as 00:13:30.769 --> 00:13:32.909 a believer. Because the day will bring it to 00:13:32.909 --> 00:13:35.269 light. It will be revealed with fire, and the 00:13:35.269 --> 00:13:37.409 fire will test the quality of each man's work. 00:13:37.730 --> 00:13:40.110 If what he built survives, he will receive a 00:13:40.110 --> 00:13:43.000 reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:46.059 and he himself will be saved, but only as one 00:13:46.059 --> 00:13:49.820 escaping the flames. Here's all I want you to 00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:53.779 hear about God's justice. There's coming a day 00:13:53.779 --> 00:13:58.899 that you will give an account and I will give 00:13:58.899 --> 00:14:02.399 an account and I'm going to die or the rapture 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:04.620 is going to occur and I'm going to be ushered 00:14:04.620 --> 00:14:07.679 into the presence of God. And not because of 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:11.179 anything good I've done. I will, because of the 00:14:11.179 --> 00:14:13.759 substitutionary death and atonement of Jesus, 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:16.720 my sins are forgiven. And because when I was 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:19.899 18 years old in 1972, I by faith received that 00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:22.419 free gift. There was a judgment that occurred. 00:14:22.659 --> 00:14:25.100 And the judgment was my sins would never be held 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:28.299 against me ever. And I was justified. I was born 00:14:28.299 --> 00:14:31.059 again. The Spirit was placed in my life. And 00:14:31.059 --> 00:14:33.340 then from this point, I'm living this life as 00:14:33.340 --> 00:14:36.019 a believer. And then I die and I meet Christ. 00:14:36.620 --> 00:14:39.159 And when I meet Christ, he's going to say, Chip, 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:42.840 got a few questions for you. I gave you X amount 00:14:42.840 --> 00:14:45.600 of time on the earth. I gave you these spiritual 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:48.759 gifts. I gave you this ability to make this much 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:52.779 money. I gave you these talents, these experiences. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:55.899 Now, I would like to do a little inventory. What 00:14:55.899 --> 00:15:01.379 did you do with what I gave you? And I will hold 00:15:01.379 --> 00:15:06.440 you accountable. You are my steward. It was not 00:15:06.440 --> 00:15:09.200 your time. It was my time entrusted to you. You 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.259 are my steward. It was not your money. It wasn't 00:15:11.259 --> 00:15:14.460 your house. It wasn't your car. Those gifts, 00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:18.379 they're called gifts. I gave them to you. I entrusted 00:15:18.379 --> 00:15:23.679 this ministry gift to you. Now, Chip, we're going 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:26.559 to have a little evaluation time. And if you 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.840 used your time, your talent, and your treasure 00:15:28.840 --> 00:15:31.139 with the right motives not to impress people, 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:37.049 not to gain strokes, not to get people to like 00:15:37.049 --> 00:15:39.149 you or think better of you while you secretly 00:15:39.149 --> 00:15:42.269 had different motives, but to the degree you 00:15:42.269 --> 00:15:45.610 used your time, your talent, your treasure to 00:15:45.610 --> 00:15:49.169 honor me during this life, I want you to know 00:15:49.169 --> 00:15:51.269 that I have some rewards that you will enjoy 00:15:51.269 --> 00:15:55.029 with me forever and ever and ever. And those 00:15:55.029 --> 00:15:57.909 things that don't quite measure up, you will 00:15:57.909 --> 00:16:01.620 have an experience of loss. And we don't hear 00:16:01.620 --> 00:16:03.320 a lot of teaching on spiritual rewards. It's 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:06.500 very clear in Scripture. Remember what God's 00:16:06.500 --> 00:16:09.700 justice is? Everyone gets exactly what they deserve. 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:15.279 Do you think that people who've lived for Christ 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:18.000 and have a passionate love for Him and been a 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.659 great steward of their gifts and their time and 00:16:19.659 --> 00:16:21.059 their talent and their treasure are going to 00:16:21.059 --> 00:16:22.820 have the same experience in heaven as those who 00:16:22.820 --> 00:16:25.960 didn't? Absolutely not. We think heaven's like 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:29.330 a socialistic society. Absolutely not. There 00:16:29.330 --> 00:16:32.610 will be multiple levels of heaven. Now, we will 00:16:32.610 --> 00:16:36.730 all have no tears, but what you do with your 00:16:36.730 --> 00:16:41.809 life, I told you sobriety would be needed. What 00:16:41.809 --> 00:16:44.809 you do with your money, what you do with your 00:16:44.809 --> 00:16:48.549 gifts and your time will have an eternal impact 00:16:48.549 --> 00:16:51.950 on the quality. I mean, certain people will have 00:16:51.950 --> 00:16:55.169 levels of service. Heaven is not floating on 00:16:55.169 --> 00:16:57.809 clouds and sipping iced tea. There's going to 00:16:57.809 --> 00:17:00.289 be a new heaven and a new earth, and there's 00:17:00.289 --> 00:17:02.470 going to be real people and real life and real 00:17:02.470 --> 00:17:05.130 work, and except what it's going to be is everything 00:17:05.130 --> 00:17:07.430 about this fallen, yicky earth is going to be 00:17:07.430 --> 00:17:10.210 gone, and we're going to have relationships and 00:17:10.210 --> 00:17:14.589 work and joy like we've never known. But what 00:17:14.589 --> 00:17:18.309 you do and what it looks like will be determined 00:17:18.309 --> 00:17:21.049 by what you do now. And the Bible's very clear 00:17:21.049 --> 00:17:24.730 on this. And so we somehow think that, you know, 00:17:24.730 --> 00:17:26.630 we're trying to get this little ticket to get 00:17:26.630 --> 00:17:29.349 into heaven. I believe in Christ. As though that's 00:17:29.349 --> 00:17:32.670 the end of the game. Instead of it's the entrance 00:17:32.670 --> 00:17:35.690 ticket into a life of service and stewardship. 00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:38.369 And that this whole little thing called time 00:17:38.369 --> 00:17:40.769 is about like this. And there's this thing called 00:17:40.769 --> 00:17:43.609 eternity because Revelation chapter 21 starts 00:17:43.609 --> 00:17:46.690 here. And forever and ever and ever, the implications 00:17:46.690 --> 00:17:51.089 of what I do to steward my life will be played 00:17:51.089 --> 00:17:56.220 out for all eternity. That's serious stuff. That's 00:17:56.220 --> 00:17:59.660 really serious stuff. I mean, that ought to be 00:17:59.660 --> 00:18:04.500 one of the highest priority jerks, shakers in 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:08.700 your life. You talk about the fear of the Lord? 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:17.339 The second promise of eternal retribution is 00:18:17.339 --> 00:18:19.940 for unbelievers. For it's appointed unto man 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:23.109 once to die and after this the judgment. You 00:18:23.109 --> 00:18:25.130 know, so often people are so afraid or like hell 00:18:25.130 --> 00:18:27.730 is a bad topic. Hell is not a bad topic to talk 00:18:27.730 --> 00:18:33.309 about. God so honors the dignity of people's 00:18:33.309 --> 00:18:36.470 choices that he has created a place where those 00:18:36.470 --> 00:18:38.910 who don't want to be around him get the opportunity 00:18:38.910 --> 00:18:44.750 to not be around him forever. I mean, what is 00:18:44.750 --> 00:18:47.069 it in this thinking that thinks that somehow, 00:18:47.210 --> 00:18:49.630 somehow God's going to make everything and Idi 00:18:49.630 --> 00:18:52.829 Amin and the Stalins of the world and the people 00:18:52.829 --> 00:18:56.009 that have murdered and abused and those that 00:18:56.009 --> 00:19:01.970 somehow, well, everything just gets okay. Universalism, 00:19:02.009 --> 00:19:04.049 people want to play these pseudo -intellectual 00:19:04.049 --> 00:19:06.009 games like, well, everyone somehow is going to 00:19:06.009 --> 00:19:07.369 be in heaven. Yeah, you know, you and Hitler 00:19:07.369 --> 00:19:09.150 just, you know, drinking iced tea, you know, 00:19:09.150 --> 00:19:11.789 and everything. You know what Hitler's gonna 00:19:11.789 --> 00:19:14.210 get? Exactly what he deserves. And you know what 00:19:14.210 --> 00:19:16.549 you're gonna get? Exactly what you deserve unless 00:19:16.549 --> 00:19:19.789 you have a sin substitute named Jesus who has 00:19:19.789 --> 00:19:24.609 placed his life as a substitute and received 00:19:24.609 --> 00:19:27.710 the just wrath of God for you. And by grace, 00:19:27.710 --> 00:19:30.690 you have been forgiven. There's only two kind 00:19:30.690 --> 00:19:32.630 of people. I love C .S. Lewis's. Two kind of 00:19:32.630 --> 00:19:36.049 people in all the world. One group of people 00:19:36.049 --> 00:19:39.730 say to God, thy will be done. I wanna be with 00:19:39.730 --> 00:19:42.589 you forever. And to another group of people, 00:19:42.710 --> 00:19:46.670 God says, thy will be done. You get your way 00:19:46.670 --> 00:19:49.430 forever and ever. And I don't know where you're 00:19:49.430 --> 00:19:53.230 at. I did not grow up in the church. But if you 00:19:53.230 --> 00:19:56.529 have never received Jesus as your Savior, I want 00:19:56.529 --> 00:19:58.490 you to know that God's just. He's going to be 00:19:58.490 --> 00:20:01.549 fair. And if you don't have a way to cover your 00:20:01.549 --> 00:20:04.789 sin, you will get exactly what you deserve, and 00:20:04.789 --> 00:20:07.450 you will receive the just, full. You want fair, 00:20:07.569 --> 00:20:09.589 right? You want fair? God will give you fair. 00:20:10.119 --> 00:20:11.779 But you don't want fair when it comes to this. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:14.799 What you want and what you need is grace. And 00:20:14.799 --> 00:20:17.000 so I'd encourage you, if you've never received 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:19.539 the forgiveness and the work of Christ on your 00:20:19.539 --> 00:20:22.420 behalf, I mean, I would just turn me off mentally 00:20:22.420 --> 00:20:25.019 right now and in my mind's eye say, Lord Jesus, 00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:27.539 I get it. I've never seen it this clearly. Will 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:29.440 you forgive me right now? Will you come into 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:31.579 my life? And then I would tell someone, you know 00:20:31.579 --> 00:20:33.859 what? I prayed to receive Christ and I'm not 00:20:33.859 --> 00:20:36.799 sure what to do. Let me encourage you to do that. 00:20:37.329 --> 00:20:39.269 Let's look at the application. We've covered 00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:40.730 it, but let me give it to you in sort of a little 00:20:40.730 --> 00:20:44.730 to -go package. Four specific things we do in 00:20:44.730 --> 00:20:47.430 light of the justice of God. Number one, choose 00:20:47.430 --> 00:20:49.710 to embrace Jesus today as your Savior rather 00:20:49.710 --> 00:20:52.769 than meet him as your righteous judge later. 00:20:53.329 --> 00:20:55.849 Just choose to meet him today. He will judge 00:20:55.849 --> 00:20:59.250 you. He will judge me. So meet him as your Savior 00:20:59.250 --> 00:21:02.900 today. instead of your judge later. Second, refuse 00:21:02.900 --> 00:21:05.779 to take revenge when treated unjustly, knowing 00:21:05.779 --> 00:21:09.779 God and God alone is judge. Just refuse to take 00:21:09.779 --> 00:21:12.220 revenge. See, life isn't fair and you live in 00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:14.279 a fallen world and what you want to do is you 00:21:14.279 --> 00:21:16.799 want to be the judge. And my ex did this to me 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:19.059 and they did this at work and they did that at 00:21:19.059 --> 00:21:20.480 work. And this guy at church, I can't believe 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:22.119 he didn't even call himself a Christian. He makes 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:23.960 me so crazy. So I'm going to say really bad things 00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:28.599 about him over here. Never pay back evil for 00:21:28.599 --> 00:21:31.059 evil. Respect what is right in the sight of all 00:21:31.059 --> 00:21:34.700 men. Don't take revenge, my beloved. Leave room 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:37.039 for the wrath of God. Vengeance is mine, says 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:39.400 the Lord. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. 00:21:39.460 --> 00:21:41.740 If he's thirsty, give him a drink. In so doing, 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:43.900 you heap burning coals upon his head. It's a 00:21:43.900 --> 00:21:46.579 picture in the Middle Eastern culture of someone 00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:49.740 who had repented. And they would go through the 00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:52.380 village and they would take some rocks out of 00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:54.319 the coals and they would put it in a pan and 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:55.920 put a towel and they'd put it on their head and 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.220 they would walk through the village and say, 00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:59.099 how I used to think has been burned out of my 00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:01.140 mind and I was wrong in the way I was living 00:22:01.140 --> 00:22:04.460 and I want you to know I've changed. It's the 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:06.460 kindness of God that leads people to repentance. 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:09.539 Well, how does God show kindness today? It's 00:22:09.539 --> 00:22:12.160 when his children, his body, treat people who 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:15.299 are evil the way they don't deserve. Never take 00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:17.700 your own revenge, beloved. Leave room for the 00:22:17.700 --> 00:22:20.960 wrath of God. Do not be overcome with evil, but 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:22.940 what? Overcome evil with good. That's Romans 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:28.359 12, 17 to 21. Don't take your own revenge. Third 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:30.400 is take comfort when you encounter injustice, 00:22:30.680 --> 00:22:33.119 knowing God will balance the scales either in 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:36.119 this life or the next. Psalm 73, for those of 00:22:36.119 --> 00:22:38.339 you that have had injustice in your life, I mean, 00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:40.180 those of you who are saying, you know, buddy, 00:22:40.259 --> 00:22:44.130 I have gotten such a raw deal. Read Psalm 73. 00:22:45.190 --> 00:22:47.150 Asaph was just about ready to cash it in. He 00:22:47.150 --> 00:22:48.390 said, you know, I've been walking with you. I've 00:22:48.390 --> 00:22:50.950 been trying to be pure and all I've got is heartache. 00:22:50.990 --> 00:22:52.589 And I look at all these proud, arrogant people 00:22:52.589 --> 00:22:54.950 and man, they have just got it made. And then 00:22:54.950 --> 00:22:58.309 he says, then I went into the temple of the Lord 00:22:58.309 --> 00:23:01.970 and God gave me perspective. And I realized that 00:23:01.970 --> 00:23:03.809 their life looks good now. And then like a rug, 00:23:03.809 --> 00:23:06.029 it could be pulled out from under them. And then 00:23:06.029 --> 00:23:08.029 he would say, my flesh and my heart may fail. 00:23:08.069 --> 00:23:12.460 Verse 25. But you are the strength of my heart 00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:15.619 and you are my portion forever. In a fallen world 00:23:15.619 --> 00:23:17.740 where there's injustice, and it's going to happen, 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:20.460 you are going to get a bad deal in a fallen world. 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:23.920 Run to Jesus. Just come to him and say, you know 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:27.220 what? I'm going to trust all these anger fantasies, 00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:29.279 all these desires to pay people back, all this 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:31.700 stuff inside my heart that hurts so bad, all 00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:33.819 these ways that, I mean, keep me up at night, 00:23:33.859 --> 00:23:35.740 that cause that acid in my stomach to churn, 00:23:35.799 --> 00:23:38.140 all these times I find myself rehearsing and 00:23:38.140 --> 00:23:39.839 telling people on the phone of how I've been 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:43.880 hurt and what they did. Stop it. Forgive them. 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:46.759 The word forgive literally means to loose. Loose 00:23:46.759 --> 00:23:49.579 them and say, God, I'll tell you what. I'm a 00:23:49.579 --> 00:23:51.779 tiny little judge trying to make this happen 00:23:51.779 --> 00:23:53.720 because it makes me feel better, but they seem 00:23:53.720 --> 00:23:55.299 like their life is really going pretty well, 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:56.599 and I'm up in the middle of the night with these 00:23:56.599 --> 00:23:59.140 stomach cramps and anger fantasies. I'm drinking 00:23:59.140 --> 00:24:01.019 Maalox, you know, three or four times a day. 00:24:01.619 --> 00:24:03.960 I'm taking all those new pills that get the stomach 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:06.359 acid down. They're not even working. I'll tell 00:24:06.359 --> 00:24:08.460 you what, God, I'm going to do. I'm going to 00:24:08.460 --> 00:24:11.980 forgive and loose them the same way you forgave 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:14.099 me, and now I'm going to step out of the way. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:18.349 You're the judge. You judge them. And you can 00:24:18.349 --> 00:24:20.630 do it in this life. You can do it the next life. 00:24:20.730 --> 00:24:23.470 I trust that you're a righteous, just judge. 00:24:23.630 --> 00:24:27.210 And you'll do it. I'm letting go of my internal 00:24:27.210 --> 00:24:29.049 demand that they get back what they deserve. 00:24:30.809 --> 00:24:35.130 And you know who will be free? You will. See, 00:24:35.170 --> 00:24:38.029 that's what God tells us, how to deal with justice 00:24:38.029 --> 00:24:40.390 in a fallen world. And finally, this is just 00:24:40.390 --> 00:24:43.730 a word of encouragement. Meditate deeply. on 00:24:43.730 --> 00:24:46.210 the reality of the judgment seat of Christ and 00:24:46.210 --> 00:24:48.289 the promise of spiritual rewards. Are you ready 00:24:48.289 --> 00:24:50.410 for this? What would be your sort of spiritual 00:24:50.410 --> 00:24:53.789 P &L statement? You know, profits and losses. 00:24:54.529 --> 00:24:56.789 And just go through and say, you know, kind of 00:24:56.789 --> 00:24:59.410 my devotion, my heart for God, my money, that's 00:24:59.410 --> 00:25:01.470 what it reflects, my time, that's what it reflects, 00:25:01.670 --> 00:25:03.289 spiritual gifts and ministry, that's what it 00:25:03.289 --> 00:25:05.349 reflects, attitudes, and just kind of go through 00:25:05.349 --> 00:25:07.849 and do a little P &L and say, if I was going 00:25:07.849 --> 00:25:10.750 to get rewarded or suffer loss today, what would 00:25:10.750 --> 00:25:13.470 it look like? And then probably get a little 00:25:13.470 --> 00:25:16.009 journal out or a sheet of paper and say, what 00:25:16.009 --> 00:25:18.750 mid -course changes do I need to make so that 00:25:18.750 --> 00:25:21.650 when I meet Jesus at the judgment seat, it'll 00:25:21.650 --> 00:25:25.309 be a lot happier occasion, right? He's good. 00:25:25.349 --> 00:25:31.190 He's holy. He's just. Life isn't fair, but God 00:25:31.190 --> 00:25:38.309 is. I want to pause right now before this program 00:25:38.309 --> 00:25:41.289 goes any farther. I don't know where you're at. 00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:44.019 But what I want to tell you is that if you're 00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:46.640 outside of Christ, you may never hear the gospel 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:50.619 as clearly. Not because I'm saying it more clearly, 00:25:50.740 --> 00:25:54.359 but because God has your attention. God loves 00:25:54.359 --> 00:25:57.680 you and he cares for you. And he's provided a 00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:02.740 way to be both just and the justifier. In other 00:26:02.740 --> 00:26:06.099 words, he has said he will take what you deserve. 00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:09.720 Jesus dying on the cross in your place. paying 00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:12.740 for your sin, and building a bridge from you 00:26:12.740 --> 00:26:17.240 to God the Father. And you can receive that free 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:21.140 gift. Would you, wherever you are right now, 00:26:21.160 --> 00:26:23.140 even if you're driving, maybe need to pull off, 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:27.000 would you pause and say to the Lord God of heaven, 00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:31.059 I have sinned against you greatly. I'm not perfect. 00:26:31.220 --> 00:26:34.880 I've fallen short. And today I believe that all 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:39.380 my sin you placed on Christ. And now I turn in 00:26:39.380 --> 00:26:42.539 the empty hands of faith and I'm putting my trust 00:26:42.539 --> 00:26:46.619 in him. The Bible promises as many as receive 00:26:46.619 --> 00:26:49.700 him, Jesus, to them he gives the right to become 00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:52.900 children of God, even to those who believe in 00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:55.319 his name. If you believe in your heart right 00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:57.740 now and then confess with your mouth, the Bible 00:26:57.740 --> 00:27:01.079 promises God will save you. He'll forgive you. 00:27:01.140 --> 00:27:04.220 He'll come into your life. And so at this moment, 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:07.299 can I encourage you in your own words, tell God, 00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:10.319 I'm sorry. Tell him you're putting your faith 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:13.640 in Christ. And right now say, Lord Jesus, come 00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:17.099 into my life. Cleanse me. Forgive me. Make me 00:27:17.099 --> 00:27:21.339 your son. Make me your daughter. And if you prayed 00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:24.160 that. Even if you prayed it in your mind as you 00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:26.960 are driving and from your heart, I want you to, 00:27:27.019 --> 00:27:30.619 as soon as you can safely, text or call the greatest 00:27:30.619 --> 00:27:34.160 Christian you know. Tell them what you did. Then 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:36.700 I want you to find a good Bible teaching church 00:27:36.700 --> 00:27:41.359 this weekend. And then maybe before that, go 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:45.160 on to livingontheedge .org. One long word, livingontheedge 00:27:45.160 --> 00:27:47.799 .org. We have some things to put in your hands 00:27:47.799 --> 00:27:50.710 to help you grow. That's right, Chip. Well, if 00:27:50.710 --> 00:27:53.089 you prayed to receive Christ, we do have a free 00:27:53.089 --> 00:27:55.490 resource we'd like to put in your hands that 00:27:55.490 --> 00:27:58.730 was created specifically for new believers. This 00:27:58.730 --> 00:28:01.049 tool will help you understand what it means to 00:28:01.049 --> 00:28:22.819 trust in Jesus and what to do next. Let us help 00:28:22.819 --> 00:28:25.359 you get started in your faith journey. Well, 00:28:25.380 --> 00:28:27.259 thanks for listening to this edition of Living 00:28:27.259 --> 00:28:30.160 on the Edge with Chip Ingram. I'm Dave Drewy, 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:32.140 and I hope you'll join us again next time.