A Sober Look into the Future (Rev. 20)

"I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." Martin Luther (1483-1546), understood loss. Groomed as an Augustinian Monk, Luther began to question the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, leading him to impact Christian thought lasting beyond today. The Catholic Church taught that salvation comes from "good works", and that one could purchase indulgences to provide absolution from sin. Luther objected, as he believed the truth of scripture- salvation can only be reached through faith in Jesus Christ by God's divine grace. Luther's 95 Thesis, a document that became the foundation of the Protestant Reformation, also caused him to be excommunicated from the Catholic Church. God is so perfect in the way he turns ashes into beauty, and he certainly did so in the life of Martin Luther. After excommunication, Luther worked 10 years translating the Bible into German, so that the common man may have access to God's word. Luther did not fight the Catholic Church, he simply surrendered to God. Luther refused to recant his belief, "Here I stand. God help me. I can do no other." What makes a person able to surrender totally to God? First, our enemy, Satan is defeated totally by our Savior. Finally, we have a righteous standing before God.

I. Satan's Defeat

Satan's defeat is total. A couple of things to remember. First, Satan's power is over before it even got started. Secondly, Christ defeated death and hell, and he holds the key to hell where Satan will be thrown down to his final demise. How do believers live a freely surrendered life without Satan causing a defeatist attitude? Intentionally get sin out of your life. "Little" sins are a great place to start. Do you have a problem with anger? Then, act intentionally to remove anger from your life. Any sin, however "small" it may be, rests squarely between a person and God. Any sin separates a person from God, and it breaks God's power from freely flowing into one's life.

Next, work on removing "big" sins. I'm sure God sees all sin the same, no big or little because any sin separates us from God. There are three areas that are commonly hard for most people to keep reigned in and under control. First, we live in a world that is saturated with sexual perversion. These types of acts are no longer hidden, but are flaunted and out in the open daily. Participants in this type of sin want everyone, especially Christians, to condone such behavior. Christians must follow the scripture and stand their ground, never caving to political correctness. Second, marriage and/or celibacy is rarely sacred anymore. Divorce and unmarried people living together are both at all time highs. About half of all American marriages end in divorce. In 2016, 18 million adults were living with an unmarried partner, which is a 29% increase from the 14 million who were living together in 2007. Christians must honor marriage or celibacy and not go the way of the world. Lastly, money causes a great deal of agony for the majority of people. Credit card debt is out of control. Total credit card debt has reached its highest point ever, surpassing one trillion dollars. Debt is consuming people even as they work overtime to buy more of what they want. Scripture is clear on finances. Money is not bad. The love of money is what is a sin. God blesses us with income, and he only requires 10 percent of what we are paid. We get to keep 90 percent! What a bargain! Time after time, God blesses his children because they are faithful to give him a ten percent tithe. When we compromise God's laws, we compromise our blessings. Focus on getting sin out of your life. It is a process that will take time, but it is so worth you effort.

II. Our Standing Before God

Revelation 20 speaks of thrones of judgement like in a courtroom. This heavenly courtroom has two judgements with two totally different outcomes. The first judgement is actually a judgement of rewards. Included here are all those whose names are written in the Book of Life. This includes all the people who have walked with God and not taken the mark of the beast. They will come to life, and will reign with Christ for 1,000 years. The second judgement is not so rewarding. It takes place at the Great White Throne and includes many books in which are written the names of people who have not followed God, and it includes all the deeds of those people. The result of their judgement is not reward, but they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. So, the end of life results either in reward or retribution. Eternal life in heaven is the reward, and separation from God, eternally damned to the Lake of Fire is the retribution. Every person decides their faith. There is only two choices. If logic dictated the decision, everyone would choose heaven. Sadly, logic rarely controls decision-making for the majority of people today. Why? People just want to do what they want to do. It is as simple as that. Isaiah makes it clear, "All of us, like sheep, have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way." As long as we are going our own way, it will be impossible to surrender. Remember, Satan is defeated, and we are right before God. A surrendered life lives exactly like that. Amen.

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