I am so grateful to know You, Lord. Thank you for washing all my sins away and putting me in right standing before You. I have confidence when I think of the Day I will stand before You in eternity because I know I have an Advocate, Jesus Christ. You have placed within me Your Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come. I no longer fear death and judgment because I know Your favor is upon my life.
This security I have in You gives me great joy but is mingled with sorrow, knowing that so many around me are completely unprepared for the Day of Judgment. It’s been said that there are two categories of people in the world: those who are ready to meet God and those who are not. Some are clothed in the righteousness of Christ and others have only the filthy garments of their own righteousness. Some are on the path to eternal glory and others are on the path to eternal separation from God.
This reality, which is deeply and clearly rooted in Scripture, is hard to stomach. In fact, if we are honest, we put this out of our minds because it’s so overwhelming to face. Most of us are surrounded by atheists, people of other religions, pseudo-Christians, agnostics, pagans and even some who identify as Satanists. Because we know these people—and find many of them quite likable—we avoid thinking about the severe danger they are in. The truth is that they are one breath away from being lost forever. As they go about their lives they appear oblivious to the fact that they hang by a thin thread over hell.
You’d think that Christians would be much more concerned about these eternal realities than they are. As people who claim to read the Bible, it’s strange that we don’t talk more about the danger people around us are in. Jesus taught a lot about the dangers of hell and constantly pointed to a future Day when He would separate the wheat from the chaff, the sheep from the goats, the righteous from the unrighteous.
Revelation 20
The book of Revelation describes the Day when people stand before the Judge of all the earth. It’s a portion of Scripture I have read hundreds of times because I really want to keep this reality in view as I live out my life. Read it slowly:
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. — Revelation 20:11-15
If this is true
If this is really true—which I believe with all my heart it is—then it means people we know and love are not ready for Judgment Day. Multitudes are blind to where they're headed. It is a fact that the overwhelming majority of people in society have little to no interest in following Christ. Each does what is right in his own eyes.
Even many of those who identify as Christian have mishandled the Word by cutting out all that is difficult. They have fashioned a “new and improved Jesus” to suit their selfish desires. And I’m afraid their new and improved Jesus won’t save them in the end—because it’s nothing more than a fabrication of their imagination. I tremble thinking about so many people standing before the eternal judge unprepared. Almost half a million people have died of COVID-19 in America in the last year. How many appeared before the Lord and heard the words, “I do not know where you come from?”
And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. — Luke 13:23-28
Again, if these words of our Lord are true—and I am fully persuaded they are—then multitudes of people, including many professing Christians, are in danger of hell. How are we to respond to this sobering reality? What can we do?
Moved with compassion
When Jesus saw the multitudes He didn't glibly think, “Well, everything is as planned. They will get what they deserve.” Rather, he was moved with compassion.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." — Matthew 9:35-38
Lord, I pray that we too would be moved with compassion. Baptize us with tears. You call us to “pray earnestly” and to “rescue the perishing; to save those staggering toward death.” Oh that we would be about these works while we still have breath in our lungs—and while people around us who are lost still have breath in their lungs! Your Word says it’s not Your desire for any to perish. Oh that you would use our prayers and our work to reach people! Give us souls dear Lord. We don't want people we love to be lost forever.
Paul the Apostle expressed anguish over people he knew and loved who were not prepared to meet God.
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
— Romans 9:1-3
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. — Romans 10:1
If this be true that so many around us are in danger of eternal hell how can we not let tears stream down like a torrent day and night (Lam 2:18)? If our labors and prayers and sacrificial love could even make a tiny difference—we should give ourselves fully to it! But James 5 says, “Our prayers avail much!” And Paul said, “Our labor in the Lord is not in vain.” We can make a difference!
Oh God!
Almighty God, I pray that we would be wide awake to the power we have to change the world. The weapons of our warfare are mighty through God. Our purpose in this life is not only to develop a deep intimate relationship with You for the sake of our own delight. We have a mission. We have work to do. Jesus, You are doing Your Isaiah 61 works through us in the world.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. — Isaiah 61:1
Satan works with intensity to blind people, enslave people, and keep them on the path to hell. May we challenge these forces of darkness, and may we work while we still have daylight.
I set before you, Lord, all those in my sphere who are presently unprepared to stand before you. Open their eyes, let them feel Your love, give me words for them, give them dreams that shake them, send people into their lives who can demonstrate God's love. Let the kindnesses of your provision soften them. Let the things of this present world not satisfy them. Let them long for you. Give them a taste of your goodness. I pray that they would realize the brevity of life and fear standing before You. Let them understand the message of the gospel. May we not put out of our minds the danger they are in. Let our eyes flow without ceasing, without respite, until the Lord from heaven looks down and sees (Lam 3:49-50). Amen.
Leonard Ravenhill
When I think about this idea of Judgment Day I always think about the twentieth-century man of God, Leonard Ravenhill. One of his most famous sermons is called The Judgment Seat of Christ (see link below). This is another message I listen to at least once a year.
Ravenhill was a close friend to pastor and author A.W. Tozer. He knew Duncan Campbell. He was mentored by Samuel Chadwick. He invested much into David Wilkerson. He was also a mentor of the musician Keith Green. Ravenhill didn’t call himself a prophet but it’s pretty obvious he was a prophet. His influence transcended denominations. Countless ministers have been greatly challenged by his sermons and books. The signature feature of Ravenhill’s life was prayer. So often he said, “No man is greater than his prayer life.” He spent hours upon hours laboring earnestly in prayer, often with tears.
The second link below is a two-hour interview with Ravenhill at almost 85 years of age before he went home to be with the Lord. This interview is a goldmine of truth and I highly recommend watching it. Many people can’t handle Ravenhill’s blunt words. He holds nothing back. But if you are hungry for the truth you will find Ravenhill a gift from God to fuel your pursuit of God.