                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                  Without Fault Before the Throne of God -
                     Very Good News for Perilous Times

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By David Wilkerson
October 5, 1998
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          "These were redeemed from among men, being the
          firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their
          mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault
          before the throne of God (Revelation 14:4-5).

          My wife and I were having dinner with a family friend
          not long ago, a woman weve known for some time.
          Suddenly, in the middle of our meal, our friend began
          to voice the kinds of thoughts Ive been hearing from
          Christians all across the country.

          She said to us:

          As you know, my husband is an oculist. He makes and
          fits glass eyes. Weve both worked hard all of our
          lives, and weve been able to save some money. Weve
          also built up a small retirement fund.

          But now, just as were beginning to think about
          retirement, were seeing things that scare us. Nations
          all over the world are falling into depression. Look at
          whats happened to Russia, with its shaky economy and
          its political upheaval.

          America cant help but be affected by all of this.
          Then there are all kinds of terrorist acts taking
          place, like those U.S. embassy bombings in Africa. And
          now, here in America, everybodys talking about the
          great harm that Y2K, the year-2000 computer disaster,
          might bring.

          My husband and I just cant take hearing any more news
          like this. Every time we listen to the news or pick up
          a newspaper, another awful thing is happening
          somewhere.

          I know Christians are not supposed to fear, but its
          hard not to be scared when we see all these terrible
          things going on. I struggle with fear every time I
          think about our mortgage and car payments. After all,
          who knows if people are going to buy glass eyes when
          the economy takes a downturn?

          I have to fight off these fears daily. I feel bad
          about even having such feelings, because I know I
          should be trusting the Lord. But, frankly, things are
          becoming so frightening, its hard to keep all of my
          fears at bay.

          I believe our friend was voicing what multitudes of
          other sincere Christians are going through  a struggle
          to keep fear out of their hearts. Like her, most
          Christians who write to our ministry sense intuitively
          that our nation is disintegrating, and that some kind
          of ominous disaster is looming on the horizon. Now, as
          they hear all these terrible reports of whats
          happening in America and around the globe, they
          struggle just to rest in the promise of Gods keeping
          power.

          Many believers write that they cant help being gripped
          by a very human fear, because they think theyre not
          prepared physically for whatever perilous circumstances
          the economic collapse will bring. Others write that
          theyre making all kinds of preparations for their
          physical survival, because theyre convinced the
          financial holocaust will usher in social chaos as well.

          Even the federal government is preparing for upheaval.
          For example, the U.S. Secretary of Defense announced
          that 120 top military units, specially trained for riot
          control, are standing by to move into our major cities
          in the event of riots or mass hysteria.

          Then, on August 20, 1998, the Federal Reserve announced
          it was preparing to inject an additional $50 billion
          into circulation, because its anticipating a huge run
          on banks just before the Y2K problem hits. The Fed
          reasoned that if 70 million households withdrew an
          average of $450 to pay for necessities such as food and
          gas, it would deplete all the cash reserves. Even the
          $150 billion in existing reserves wouldnt cover the
          demand at ATMs.

          The fact is, no matter how righteous we may be, and no
          matter how strong our faith is, all these frightful
          uncertainties coming to pass cannot help but affect our
          human emotions. Its all very scary. And the worst part
          is, things are going to grow even more ominous in the
          days ahead.

          But for the overcoming Christian whose sins are covered
          by the blood of Jesus, there is very good news. And I
          believe if we keep our eyes focused on this good news,
          meditating on it night and day, no evil report will
          ever faze us. Here is the good news God wants us to
          know:

                      -------------------------------

                          Were All Going to Die!

                      -------------------------------

          And, Even Better, Were All Going to Stand Before the
          Throne of Judgment. Now, if this good news sounds a
          bit bizarre to you, I understand. But the truth is, if
          youre a Christian, this kind of news shouldnt sound
          bizarre at all. Gods word declares very clearly:
          ...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
          this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

          Im convinced that just one moment into eternity, were
          all going to realize how unimportant and fleeting our
          present fears and trials have been. Well also see just
          how present the Lord has been with us the whole time,
          watching over us with his saving and keeping power.

          As scripture testifies, our lives here on earth are
          like grass: one day we re here, growing and thriving,
          and the next day were fading away with the season.
          Were like the vapor of breath we see on a frosty day 
          here one moment, gone the next.

          At this point, I can imagine you may be thinking,
          Brother Dave, how can you expect me to accept this as
          good news? Im trying to rid my heart of all my fears
          about the coming depression, and all the violence
          thats going to follow. Yet here you are reminding me I
          have to stand before the judgment seat and give an
          account of my life to the Lord.

          What kind of comfort is that? The day we stand before
          Christs throne is going to be one dreadful time. Were
          going to have to give an account of our every deed and
          thought.

          I know that many sincere Christians have this same
          feeling about the judgment. They tremble inside every
          time they think about it: How can I ever give an
          account of all the millions of sinful, un-Christlike
          thoughts Ive had? How can I answer for all the
          thousands upon thousands of idle words Ive uttered?
          How can I face all my evil deeds  my sins of omission,
          my carelessness, my complaining, my apathy, my sins
          against the light, the sins of my youth?

          How will I ever be able to look Jesus in the eye on
          that day? How can I avoid trembling in fear when such a
          time comes?

          I bring you good news  glorious news  that will help
          you combat all of the bad news youve been hearing. And
          I believe this news will keep your heart and spirit
          peaceful, even joyful, through all thats coming upon
          the earth.

                      -------------------------------

                          Here Is This Good News:

                      -------------------------------

          If you have repented and you are trusting in Jesus 
          believing in his cleansing blood, submitting daily to
          his lordship  youre going to stand before his throne
          without fault or fear. In fact, youre going to be
          acknowledged before everyone present  every human,
          every angel and every demon in hell  as the precious
          bride of Christ!

          I hope to prove to you that you wont have to face even
          a single sin against you, nor be exposed for any
          failure  but that you will be able to stand without a
          fault or blemish.

          On the day of judgment, all your evil works will
          already have been done away with. Not a single sin of
          yours will be mentioned. Instead, only your good works
           including your faith in Jesus Christ  will be
          expressed to the multitudes gathered before the great
          white throne.

          Now, I dont want to go into a discussion of exactly
          what the judgment is going to be like  such as whether
          there will be one or two judgments, a subject biblical
          scholars continue to debate. Some say there will be one
          judgment, while others claim there will be two  one
          for believers, and a separate one for everyone else.

          The Puritans and other theologians throughout history
          have taught that there will be one general judgment,
          and that the judgment seat of Christ and the Great
          White Throne judgment are one and the same. Suffice it
          to say, we all must give an account of our deeds,
          whether those deeds are good or bad. Scripture tells
          us, God shall bring every work into judgment, with
          every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it
          be evil (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

          You may wonder, But, Brother Dave  you just finished
          saying the sins of the saints wont be mentioned. How
          can this be, if the Bible says every work, whether good
          or bad, is going to be brought to judgment? How can we
          stand before God without fear if our bad works are
          going to be brought into the light?

          Keep in mind, there will be two groups at the judgment
           sheep and goats. And these two groups will stand
          before the Lord separately on that day, one group on
          the right and one on the left: saints and sinners, sons
          and slaves, the faithful and the unfaithful, the wise
          and the foolish, believers and unbelievers. And the bad
          works referred to, which will be exposed on that day,
          are only those of the wicked.

          Scripture says all the evil deeds of the godless goats
          will be brought into the light and exposed. Every
          wicked thought, every secret desire, every lust, every
          vile imagination, every denial of Christ, every curse
          word  all will be proclaimed and judged. And after
          these hidden, wicked deeds are made public, they will
          pursue their perpetrators into eternal damnation.

          On the other hand, no evil deed of the righteous will
          be mentioned on that day. Instead, every good thing
          about their lives will be brought into the light 
          every holy thought, every charitable act, every
          sacrificial work.

          Thats right  our Lord is going to make known to all
          who are present every prayer, every heart-cry, every
          tear, every fast, every groan of the spirit, every
          trial and suffering, every word of praise and
          thanksgiving of the righteous while they lived on the
          earth. He will recall every cup of cold water given to
          the thirsty, every morsel of bread given to the hungry,
          every piece of clothing given to the freezing and
          naked. Hes going to bring everything good out into the
          open  and that will be one glorious moment!

          The fact is, as we stand before our Lord at the
          judgment, we will be complete in him. This means that
          anything weve ever done, including any sin weve ever
          committed, will already be covered under his blood and
          never mentioned again. In short, there is no
          condemnation to the righteous  none at all.

          Jesus tells us, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
          that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent
          me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
          condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John
          5:24). The Greek word Jesus uses for condemnation
          here is judgment. Hes saying, If you believe in me,
          you wont come into judgment, but will pass from death
          over to life.

          Indeed, scripture tells us from cover to cover that
          once the Lord forgives our sins, he wipes them from
          memory:

             * I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy
               transgressions for mine own sake, and will not
               remember thy sins (Isaiah 43:25).

             * I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
               transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return
               unto me; for I have redeemed thee (Isaiah 44:22).

             * ...I will forgive their iniquity, and I will
               remember their sin no more (Jeremiah 31:34).

             * I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and
               their sins and their iniquities will I remember no
               more (Hebrews 8:12).

             * This is the covenant that I will make with them
               after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my
               laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I
               write them; and their sins and iniquities will I
               remember no more (Hebrews 10:16-17).

             * He will turn again, he will have compassion upon
               us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt
               cast all their sins into the depths of the sea
               (Micah 7:19).

          Here is abundant good news for every Christian whos
          ever sweated, striven, or worked to mortify the deeds
          of his flesh in his own strength. Does this include
          you? How many times have you tried to bite the bullet
          and plow ahead toward victory in the Christian life?
          How many promises have you made to God only to break
          them? How many times have you tried to please the Lord
          by fighting off your lusts and habits, only to fail
          once again?

          Here is your good news, reported in the book of Micah:
          I, the Lord, will subdue all your iniquities!

          God has given us image after image in these passages of
          how he wipes our sins from memory: he blots them out,
          he remembers them no more, he buries them in the sea,
          he subdues them, meaning, he chases them down and
          captures them. Isaiah even tells us God takes our
          trespasses and flips them over his shoulder: ...thou
          hast cast all my sins behind thy back (Isaiah 38:17).
          This means God will never look at our sins or
          acknowledge them again.

          Now, let me ask you: If God forgets our sins, why dont
          you or I? Why do we always allow the devil to dig up
          some muck or mire from our past and wave it in our
          face, when all of our sin is already covered by
          Christs blood? The cleansing, forgiving power of
          Christs blood is all-encompassing. It covers our
          entire lives!

                      -------------------------------

                            All the Books Are
                           Going to Be Opened and
                           Examined on That Day.

                      -------------------------------

          John writes of the judgment:

          I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on 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 (Revelation 20:11-12).

          Notice John says in this passage there are many books
          and there is a book at the judgment. What are the
          first books? Theyre records of the life of every
          single sinner  every goat  who stands before the
          judge.

          You see, every unbelieving person has a book of works
          and deeds thats being recorded in heaven. Every page
          of his book is a record of how he lived. Can you
          imagine what its going to be like for a transgressor
          when he stands before the Lord on that day? Every
          thought, word and action in his life will be brought
          out into the open, exposed for its evil, until finally
          the sinner has to scream, No, no  enough! No more!

          For the righteous there will be only the book of life.
          When that book is opened, we wont hear one word, one
          account, one record of a single sin or failing of any
          of Gods people. Why? All of their sins are covered
          under the blood of Jesus. The only thing that will
          appear in that book will be our names. In fact, it will
          contain our new, heavenly names  and God himself is
          going to reveal to us what our new names are.

          You may ask, how does our name get recorded in the book
          of life? Our names are recorded in this book at the
          moment we believe with all of our being that Jesus
          Christ shed his blood for us. It happens as we claim
          the victory of his cross, and determine to seek him
          with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, submitting
          to his lordship in all things.

          Thats right. God offers a wonderful promise to all who
          were guilty of horrible, scarlet sins... whose acts
          were blood-red with the stench of hell... who abused
          their bodies with alcohol, drugs, perversions,
          fornications... who blush when they remember their
          past... who gulp when they think of how close they came
          to falling headlong into hell.

          Gods promise to these is that they can stand assured,
          with great joy, on the day of judgment, without a trace
          of fear. He pledges: ...though your sins be as
          scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be
          red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).
          Having repented and forsaken their sins, trusting in
          his forgiving grace, they were reconciled by faith to
          him.

          You see, no matter what your past is like, God no
          longer sees you as you once were. Youre no longer a
          junkie in his eyes. Youre not an alcoholic, an
          adulterer, a prostitute, a tax evader, a corporate
          crook. Instead, youve been transformed into his
          precious, lovely, spotless bride. And he is awaiting
          your presence at the jubilant marriage feast, where
          youll be joined to your bridegroom.

          Think about this for a moment: Will a bridegroom who is
          anticipating his wedding day suddenly charge his bride
          with iniquity at the judgment? No, of course not. You
          may ask, But isnt Jesus going to judge all
          wickedness? Isnt he going to judge sin? Yes, he is.
          But the Christ youre going to meet on that day is the
          same Christ who has called you, saved you, forgiven
          you, purchased you with his own blood, cleansed you,
          branded you on your forehead as his own, and interceded
          for you all these years.

          As you stand before Jesus, youre going to see him as
          your husband, your redeemer, your friend, your advocate
           and your intercessor still. And, in that moment,
          youre going to stand complete in him. Youre going
          to appear without fault  without spot or wrinkle,
          holy, unblameable.

          And you, being dead in your sins and the
          uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened
          together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses
          (Colossians 2:13). Now unto him that is able to keep
          you from falling, and to present you faultless before
          the presence of his glory with exceeding joy (Jude
          24).

          We are Christs body  bone of his bone, flesh of his
          flesh. Do you think for one minute hes going to
          mutilate his own body before all the hosts of devils
          and wicked men and women gathered before Gods throne?
          No, never! Hes going to love and care for us who
          comprise his own body. And he wont sever it from the
          head. Besides that, Jesus is also the cornerstone of
          the whole church. Do you think hes going to remove
          himself from that building, and bring the whole place
          down, after hes placed you in it so strategically?
          Its impossible!

                      -------------------------------

                  Now Allow Me to Bring Down the Hammer of
                  Gods Word and Completely Smash All Your
               Fears About Standing Before Christs Judgment
                  Seat, So From Now on You Can Anticipate
                That Time With Great Joy and Thanksgiving.

                      -------------------------------

          I want to give you from the Bible three irrefutable
          reasons why we have no reason to fear, but every reason
          to rejoice at the coming of the judgment day:

          1. Fear is not compatible with all of the wonderful
          relationships the Lord has proclaimed in his love for
          us. God has defined who he is to us  and that
          definition is not compatible with fear.

          Throughout the scriptures, he describes all the facets
          of his relationship to us: Hes our father, our
          brother, our friend, our bridegroom, our head, our
          husband, our advocate, our kinsman-redeemer, our
          provider, our refuge, our shepherd  and much more.

          He has established all of these glorious relationships
          with us through the cross. And now hes urging us to
          know, This is who I am to you. Do you think hes
          suddenly going to wipe out all these relationships with
          his people on the day of his judgment? Never!

          How can a father reject his offspring in the childs
          hour of accountability? No, even as the book of life is
          being opened, he will still be your father, your
          advocate, your intercessor. Nothing can take away that
          relationship with you!

          2. Fear cannot be present on the day of your
          restitution and coronation. He hath not dealt with us
          after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our
          iniquities...As far as the east is from the west, so
          far hath he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm
          103:10, 12).

          Our minds cant begin to fathom how far the east is
          from the west. And that s just Gods point in this
          verse: He has removed our sins beyond our capability
          ever to call them back.

          You may wonder why I call Gods day of judgment our
          coronation day. Its because Isaiah says of that day:
          ...as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so
          shall thy God rejoice over thee (Isaiah 62:5).

          As you stand before your Lord then, youll recognize
          his eyes of love for you. Then, in front of the entire
          multitude of transgressors, he will reach out to
          embrace you, his bride. So, I ask you  how can you
          fear when your Lord is gazing upon you with love and
          rejoicing? Youll still be the apple of his eye!

          3. The Lord will do no less himself than what he
          requires of us here on earth. God doesnt require
          anything of us in his commandments that he isnt
          willing to do himself. And one of those requirements is
          to hide, cover and pardon the sins of our brothers and
          sisters. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass
          against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee
          and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained
          thy brother (Matthew 18:15).

          I believe that if theres going to be a separate
          judgment for Christians, as some teach, this is the
          area of life where it will take place. God is offended
          when we expose the weaknesses and infirmities of other
          saints, especially before the eyes of the wicked. And I
          believe this judgment must be a private, one-on-one,
          intimate encounter. Jesus is going to say to us very
          lovingly:

          I cannot allow you to bring this baggage with you. I
          want to show you what you missed on earth, and how some
          of your works were done in the flesh without my Spirit.
          Yes, youre my precious bride, and there is nothing but
          glory ahead for you. Youre under my blood covering,
          without a single spot or wrinkle. But all your works
          done in the flesh must burn.

          His word already tells us, The discretion of a man
          deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a
          transgression (Proverbs 19:11). It is the glory of
          God to conceal a thing... (Proverbs 25:2).

          Now, in a private moment on that day, Jesus is going to
          show us how he covered and pardoned our sins, when we
          least deserved it. Hes going to reveal to us how his
          mercy and grace alone allowed us to pass over from
          death to life. All his transgressions that he hath
          committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him...
          (Ezekiel 18:22).

          Our sins are forever blotted out by his blood, never to
          be mentioned again. And so should our attitudes be
          toward our brothers and sisters who have offended us.

                      -------------------------------

                        I Bring You This Message to
                        Anchor Your Soul and Prepare
                        You for Any Unseen Calamity
                     in the Dark Days That Are Coming.

                      -------------------------------

          Martin Luther, at the height of all his trials,
          testified, Lord, now that you have forgiven me all, do
          with me as you please. Luther was convinced that a God
          who could wipe away all his sins and save his soul
          could certainly care for his physical body and material
          needs. In essence, Luther was saying:

          Why should I fear what man can do to me? I serve a God
          who can cleanse me of my iniquity and bring peace to my
          soul. It doesnt matter if everything around me
          collapses. If my God is able to save and keep my soul
          for eternity, why wouldnt he be able to care for my
          physical body while Im on this earth? Oh, Lord, now
          that Im pardoned, forgiven, and able to stand before
          you on judgment day with exceeding great joy  do with
          me as you please!

          Brother, sister  rejoice. This present life is not
          reality. Our reality is eternal life in the presence of
          our blessed Lord. So, keep the faith. Things are
          winding down. But we are going up!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

          This material is solely for personal use and is not to
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          County Free-Net Chapel holds exclusive rights from
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          on its web page. You are free to download, copy, print
          and distribute this material, so long as you do not
          post it on a different Internet site. You may, however,
          link this site to reference these messages.

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