Before the Judgment Seat

Friends,

An old friend once remarked to me that he always approached a time of revival in his life with some trepidation. That was because he knew that, before the revival came, he had to go through a period of great conviction and repentance. We can see this illustrated for us in God's word:

Joshua 4:10
So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. [NKJV]

When Israel crossed into the Promised Land, all the people had to pass before the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark serves as the God's seat of judgment. We must see the important symbolism contained in this act:

Before we can enjoy the promised blessings of eternal life with the LORD, we must be examined, scrutinized, and judged to be worthy of those blessings!

The cold hard truth is that NONE of us has lived a life that meets that standard. But Christ did. And He has granted that worthiness to His people. As you and I pass before the LORD, we go there having taken our place in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. To stay in that safe and blessed place, we must recognize that our carnal ways have been judged and sentenced to death. We must repent of them and leave them behind. And then we can enter into the rest and joy of our Master.

Be encouraged, Jose