- 1. In (I Thess. 5:9) God says that He has appointed us to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. You say, I did not know that God had appointed a time for me to obtain salvation. Well He has, and as we read (2Cor. 6:2) we discover that the time is NOW, TODAY is the DAY of salvation.
Have you kept this appointment with God? There is nothing in all the world that is of more importance than for you as an individual to keep this appointment, this very DAY, for we know not what shall be on the morrow (Prov. 27:1) Flowers may be banked high about your casket tomorrow, then will friends and loved ones be able to say, we'll meet you just inside the eastern gate? Or, will they with bowed heads and broken hearts, sorrow as others which have no hope?
Jesus says in (John 14:6), "I am the Way, the Truth , and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." If today ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart. "Seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (Isa. 55:6).
There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). And as we read (Rom. 10:9, 10, 13) we learn "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8,9).
2. In(Heb. 9:27) we read, "And as it is appointed unto men once to DIE, but after this the judgment."
The Word says in (Rom.5:12), "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH by sin, and so DEATH, passed upon all men, for that all have sinned."
"The wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom.6:23).
Surely there is no one who would deny the fact that DEATH must come to every one, rich and poor, young and old. How will death find you? Did you know that there is only one heartbeat between you and eternity, and have you stopped to think where you be after time's doors have closed, and eternity's doors have opened? Will you enter eternity LOST or SAVED?
God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, (Ezk. 33:11). But precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. (Ps.116:15).
Jesus bore all our sins in His own body upon the tree, that you might not be lost (I Peter 2:24). "G0d hath made Him to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Cor. 5:21).
Jesus says in (Matt. 5:20), " For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
You see we must have the righteousness of God, for as we read (Isa. 64:6) we find that all our righteousness are as filthy rags. God does not say that our sins are as filthy rags, but that the very best that the natural man can do is as filthy rags in His sight. If man's righteousness is as filthy rags, then what must God think about our sins?
3. The day of judgment has already been appointed, for we read in (Acts 17:31) these graphic words, "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."
In Jude the 14th and 15th verses God says, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, 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."
Some would have you believe that God is not going to bring judgment upon the people for He is a God of Love. Yes indeed He is a God of Love but He is under just as much obligation to punish the wicked as He is to reward the righteous.
Every person in the world who has not been born-again has a case pending in the highest court in the universe, including Hitler, Tojo, Hirohito, Stalin, Mussolini and every other wicked person in all the earth.
"THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT"
There is a horrible scene recorded in (Rev. 20:11-15) which takes place just before TIME gives way to ETERNITY. Let's read it." And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. 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. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
This was written by my brother Carl Layne when he was Assistant Pastor of "Faith Baptist Church" in Akron, Ohio, Probably in the late 1930's. My brother went to be with the Lord shortly after witnessing to a Jewish doctor in a Hospital in the state of Maryland. He was a faithful witness until he was called home Oct. 10, 1991. He was my brother, also a father to me in the gospel, my mentor.
Evangelist R. E. Layne |
