Prepare to meet your God!

Does this heading startle you? Does it disturb you? It is an actual quotation from the Old Testament book of Amos. God, through the prophet Amos, was remonstrating with the nation of Israel for their continual backslidings and refusal to obey Him.

 Amos 4:12, 13, "(12) Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" (13) For behold, He who forms the mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his though is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth - the LORD God of hosts is His name.

 Israel made preparations to meet their God at Mount Sinai; where the Law was given unto them. This was a covenant between God and the nation. The following centuries revealed a nation that disobeyed Him and worshipped the idols of the surrounding nations. Here in Amos, the message is to prepare to meet their God; but this time it would be in judgement upon them. Subsequently, both the northern kingdom of ten tribes [Israel] and the southern kingdom [Judah] were carried away captive into foreign lands. The ten tribes were carried away into Assyria and the two tribes were carried away into Chaldea; each on separate occasions.

 What bearing does this have in today's world? The modern nation of Israel is nothing like ancient Israel. The Israelis are back in their land, but without a temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, or the sacrifices God insisted upon. Yet God still holds them responsible for their manner of life; the covenant is still in operation today.

 What about you and me? Does God hold us responsible to Himself for our manner of life? Yes! Yes! Yes! Each and every human being is accountable to God for their life lived here on Earth.

 Romans 3:23 tells us that, "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Please note, there are no exceptions - "all have sinned". The only person who is not, and was not, a sinner is Jesus Christ! Now Romans 6:23 informs us that "...the wages of sin is death..." Why do we die? It is the penalty for sinning! Hebrews 9:27 reveals that, "...it is appointed unto men [human beings] to die once, but after this the judgement."

 So if we die in our sins can we expect God's judgement on us? Of course we can expect God's judgement upon us if we die in our sins! The solution to a problem can be found in the problem itself. In this case we need to get rid of our sins - that is the simple solution.

 Let's see what the apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, wrote to the believers in Christ in Romans 3:19-26.

"(19) Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

(20) Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

(21) But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

(22) even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and upon all who believe. For there is no difference;

(23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(24) being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

(25) whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

(26) to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

 Let's take note of the main points in each verse. In 19 all the world is guilty before God. In 20 no one is justified before God under the law. In 21 and 22 we can have the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ. In 23 we see that all have sinned. In 24 we find there is redemption and justification in Christ Jesus through God's grace to us. In 25 Christ shed His blood and made atonement to God for us; therefore God can pass over all our sins previously committed. In 26 we find that because of Christ's work on our behalf God is still just, but is able to justify one who has faith in Jesus.

 You do not have to die in your sins! That is not what God wants! You can prepare to meet God as your Saviour and Redeemer; or you can meet Him as your Judge! The decision is yours alone!

 

Jon Peasey

Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com

Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

 [All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

 [If you have any questions or comments you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.]