Inevitable Appointment

It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, Hebrews 9:27

There are two kinds of appointments. One is mutual, where both parties agree to meet at a certain place and time. The other is where one party is summoned to an appointment by the other. An example of the first is a date, something to look forward to. An example of the second is a summons to court over a transgression of the law. The first kind of appointment is usually eagerly anticipated, and the approach of the second kind of appointment is usually accompanied by trepidation at the least, and fear at the worst.

We all agree that we all have one thing in common at least. Rich or poor, smart or dumb, weak or strong, powerful or impotent, we are all going to die. Well actually we all have two things in common. After we die we all have an appointment with the Judge of all mankind. You are probably in agreement with me about the first thing we have in common, but if not, it won’t make any difference, you will die anyway! Neither does it make any difference if you disagree with me about the second thing, for you will face judgement as well anyhow! Why? Because God says so!

Let me enlighten you about something. The reason you are going to die is because God said so. If He is right about that, rest assured He is also right about the judgement. You do have an appointment, time and date unknown, before the court of heaven, and so do I.

Let’s clear up any misunderstanding here. God did not create us to die! Think about it, it makes sense. If a turtle can live over 400 years, why is it that the pinnacle of God’s creation can only manage one quarter of that time? The answer is found in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were created to be immortal. They were made in God’s image. They could reproduce, they could create, they could choose to do whatever they wanted to and they had dominion over the earth and its creatures. They were in fact lords of the world, by the decree and authority of its Creator! They were created with built in immortality! In that state they were in communion with God. Genesis records that Adam walked with God in the garden. If you really want to talk to someone and get to know them, go for a long walk in the country. God and Adam fellowshipped together like that! Wow!

What broke that relationship? For it surely has been broken, I am sure you will agree with me on that point! Relationships are broken by agreement and trust being violated. God trusted Adam with stewardship of all He had made on the earth, and withheld only one thing. God said that if that trust was broken, Adam would suffer death. Why? God was not being petulant or vindictive. He is not a man, and does not act out of wrong motives. God is pure, holy, and without fault. As soon as Adam disobeyed God, he betrayed His trust. Do you remain on good terms with someone you do not trust? No. It does not make for a relationship of any sort. Now Adam’s life was directly dependent on his continuing relationship with God, just as his body’s function was dependent on food and water, just as the earth as a habitable planet is dependent on the sun. Take away the source of life and death is inevitable. If God continued in relationship with Adam, His holiness and purity would be compromised. That cannot happen of course, so the only alternative is that Adam and Eve would have ceased to exist completely. So they were driven out from Eden, from God’s presence, which had now become deadly to them. Separated from the source of their life they began to die. Corruption set in, and eventually took it’s toll, and they died, just like their descendents did. And you and I will. It could be no other way. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin (breaking of relationship with God by disobedience to His law) is death.” That’s not all it says, but I’ll come back to that later.

Before the fall, relationship with God was a privilege. Now the privilege is withdrawn. What do you do when a privilege you value very highly is taken from you? For example your car is impounded because it is unworthy. You pay the fine to have it released of course, and then you pay to have it made roadworthy again. That’s what you do isn’t it? Anybody would.

So what price will mankind pay to get right with God? What price will you pay? The history of the world is littered with mankind’s attempts to get right with God. They are known as religions. They all have some things in common. Firstly they are all inventions of men. I can prove it. What do you do when the thing you cherish most is insulted, rejected, belittled, despised, abused, miss-understood, and scorned? You get angry, that’s what you do! Ring any bells? Does a Muslim get angry if Jesus is insulted? How about Mohammed! Muslims own Mohammed, they don’t own Jesus, That’s why!
Listen to what Jesus said to His followers about their reaction to Him being insulted…
`A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20). You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, Matthew 5:43 & 44

How many wars, persecutions, massacres and suppressions have been carried out in the name of religion? Even people who are followers of the same religion despise and kill one another! More people have died in Iraq from sectarian attacks than from the action of coalition forces! The bitterness and division in Ireland has its roots in religious intolerance Are we stupid enough to think God is impressed by this? If we think that we can get right with God by following the rules and regulations of a religion, we are sadly deluded! Look at what Jesus had to say…

Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.'' But He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? "For God commanded, saying, `Honor your father and your mother'; and, `He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
"But you say, `Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated to the temple'' is released from honouring his father or mother.' "Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' '' Matthew 15:1-9

For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.
As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.
Romans 3:9-12

The benchmark here is the one set by God in the 10 commandments. Sorry, you can’t set your own benchmark! But that is exactly what religion does! How absurd! Here’s a good idea. If you want to go to university, just set your own admission standards! Hey, let’s all go. Sorry, but it won’t work. We can all see that, so why do we delude ourselves into thinking we can write our own ticket to heaven? You can dress it up with a fancy name, like Catholicism, or Anglicanism, or Judaism, Islam, or Buddhism, or Hinduism, or any ism you like, but it WILL NOT WASH!

So back to the 10 commandments. Jesus said to him, " `You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: `You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39

Oh! Uh.. hands up anyone who has managed the first two? No, well that’s no surprise! Hard isn’t it? In fact it’s impossible to keep the commandments! So why did God set an impossible benchmark? Come on God you say, cut us a little slack, it’s not fair! Actually God had no option. He is holy and perfect, and to gain admission to His presence we have to be holy and perfect too, or we will be destroyed. Remember when God was going to appear to Moses on the mountain? God found a fault in the rock, a deep cut into which Moses could go. Thus surrounded by the rock, he saw God pass by the opening to the cleft with His back to Moses. Even so Moses barely survived the encounter! When he returned to camp his face shone for days afterwards. It wasn’t sunburn, it was Godburn! This is an old testament example of a new testament truth. We can only enter God’s presence if we are hidden in Christ, the Rock of our salvation. He is our advocate at the court of heaven. He fulfilled all the demands of God’s law and lived a perfect life. When he laid down His life, he offered it up as the penalty for our sin, our rebellion and disobedience. There is nothing any of us can do to deserve the pardon that He freely offers us. Clutching our pardon in our hand, we approach our appointment with God at the court of heaven with confidence knowing that our pardon has the seal of God on it, because it was purchased with the blood of His precious Son!

Remember Romans 6:23? The wages of sin is death? The second part of that verse says “but the gift of God is eternal life!”

Funny thing about a gift. You don’t have to earn it. You earn your wages, and the wages of rebellion is death. We have all sinned, and we shall all die. Eternal life however is a gift. To obtain it you only need to do an about turn towards God, hold out your hands and receive it! The about turn is repentance. That means to turn around, to change direction.
“For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10
Being sorry for your sin is good, but it is not good enough. On it’s own it won’t alter your destination. Godly sorrow causes you to turn from your rebellion, and set’s you off in the opposite direction, in fellowship with Jesus Christ, the fellowship that Adam lost.

“For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:21&22.

We all have an appointment with death. We don’t know when or where. There are no guarantees. The appointment could come at any time. Are you ready? Afterwards we have an appointment in the court of God for judgement. We are all guilty,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23

Is your defence prepared? There is no defence. Jesus said…
"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.” John 15:22
There is no defence, there is no excuse! There is however a pardon available. Do you have it? Without it there is no entry to God’s presence, only everlasting torment over a wrong decision that cannot be rectified.

To those who reject the Son of God He says…

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. "So he said to him, `Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. "Then the king said to the servants, `Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Do not delay. God says ' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”. Revelation 3:20