Idle Talk

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Let's join this week's extended edition. Hello, I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis, and thank you for listening to Truth Matters. Science tells us that no word we ever speak out loud is ultimately lost, that sound waves continue on indefinitely, available to be recaptured someday. Once our words are spoken, they cannot be retrieved. The unbeliever's words may act as an accuser of the unsaved. So I know, even in my own life, I'm a talker and we know a lot of talkers, but you know, when you think about this, think about idle language that even we as Christians speak that is unnecessary.

Think about how our words are never lost. Again, I don't think that our sins are going to be brought up to us. Those that are redeemed, they are cast into the sea of forgiveness, never to be brought up again. But our works after we're saved are going to be evaluated.

So I just want to ask you, are we having idle speech or are there unnecessary words in the mouth of the believer? Also, it talks about the book of secret works, when it says in the day that God will judge the secrets of men, so our secrets will be exposed. There's also a book of public works, 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verse 15.

Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works, Matthew 16, verse 27, for the Son of Man will come in glory of his Father with his angels, and he will reward according to his works. God has a complete record of every moment of every person's life. Lastly, I want to talk about the book of life, because really that's the one that most of us know about. Here in chapter 20, it says in verse 12, So the book of life is discussed in a number of places.

Turn to Exodus 32, 32 through 33. So here it talks about a book that we're in and then blotted out of. In Psalm 69, verse 28, it talks about Daniel 12, verse 1, Here again, it talks about a book. In Revelation, it gets a little more specific. In Revelation 3, verse 5, There are two viewpoints on the book of life. Is the book of life a record of people ever been born, and if you reject God, your name is blotted out? Or is the Lamb's book of life recorded when you are saved? Some people argue the point to say that before the foundation of the world, God wrote every person's name down that would be born, signifying that salvation is available to all. I don't know how you believe, but either way, no unsaved person's name will be in this book.

So there are four things to note about the book of life. It is the absence of one's name, not one's good works that dooms a person. So it's not your works that are in the book of life.

It's your name. Evil works are not the issue. Many of the earth's greatest sinner's names are recorded in the book of life because they accepted God's offer of salvation. You need to remember that. This is all about grace.

It's not about works. Those whose names do not appear in the book are cast into the lake of fire. All names found in the book were written before the judgment day.

There is no record of names being recorded on that day or after. So this is the passing of the sentence. You know, the sentence is hell. If your name is not written in the Lamb's book of life, you're going to be cast into the lake of fire. That is the passing of the sentence, and the sentence is hell. But now I want to talk about the stipulations of the sentence, because just like there are different degrees of judgment at the judgment seat of Christ, meaning some are going to have gold, some are going to have silver, some are going to have precious stones, and some are going to have wood, hay, and stubble.

Even though they're all saved, their works are going to be in different categories. Not everyone's experience in heaven will be the same. So as it is in heaven, so it is in hell. Not everyone's experience will be the same in hell. Each sinner's punishment will be fair because God is a righteous judge.

So don't take me wrong. Hell is going to be awful just to be there. Hell is described when there's agony in this flame, it's where the worm never dies, they're weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Overall, I think it's just the pure separation from the presence of God that is going to be the worst part of it. But there are different degrees of hell. There are going to be different stipulations of that sentence in hell to different people according to their works. The Bible talks about hell a lot. Let's read Matthew chapter 11, 20 through 24. And he's talking about cities that he's been to that will not repent.

This is very strong language. So when you think about Capernaum, most of Jesus's miracles were performed in Capernaum. And you listen what type of wretched people Sodom and Gomorrah were and what type of judgment they suffered. It's saying it's going to be better for Sodom and Gomorrah in that day than it is for Capernaum.

Why? Our judgment is according to our revelation of Christ. The Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon and the godless cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would have repented had they seen the miracles of Jesus.

You got to remember the time in which they lived. The Holy Spirit did not dwell within them. They did not behold God incarnate. To behold God incarnate is very different than hearing a prophet. Capernaum had been exalted to heaven by being privileged to have the Messiah to live there. Also to have, well really the majority of his miracles performed there.

With that comes a greater responsibility and a greater judgment. Five out of ten miracles that are recorded in Matthew are in Capernaum. Like I said, judgment is equal to our revelation of Jesus Christ. And only God knows that.

In Luke 12 42-48, I want to read this also. And the Lord said, And a lot of people use this verse all the time. Saying to much is given, much is required. And it's about money. Thinking that people with money are going to be judged differently. It's not only money. It is the revelation of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and what you're doing about it.

It is related to our works. Those that have money, it's going to be related to how they utilize it. For the glory of God. For the knowledge of Christ, it's going to be how do you act on it. For the revelation of the will of God, it's whether you're obedient or not. To much is given, much is required. That applies in all of our lives.

Rich, poor, simple or smart. Some will be held more accountable than others and some will be punished more severely. God's judgment is fair. It will be based on what the servants know of God's will.

That is not to say that if we are ignorant, then we will have an easier time. We are admonished to know the will of God. That is on the Christian as well as for the sinner. First, for the sinner, we are to accept him. And being in hell is enough. But even knowing more or what is given more and rejecting him on top of that will be worse. The general principle in this is that the more we have from God, the greater our accountability is before God.

So think about that. Because there's a lot of people that preach and that believe that you're going to hell and that's it. And every person has the same consequence in hell. But I don't believe that the child molester and the axe murderer who had a depraved consciousness is the same experience as the one who followed their own conscience, lived a fairly good life and rejected Christ. Again, both their judgments will be awful because hell will be an awful place. Let's move on to the punishment at the great white throne judgment. And again, we're talking about the judgment of sinners. In Revelation chapter 20 verse 14, Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.

This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Let's go to Matthew chapter 25 verses 41 and 46. 46 says, And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

And 41 says, Then he who will also say to those on the left hand, depart from me. You cursed into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Eternal punishment in hell is taught. Jesus spoke three words about hell for every word he spoke about heaven. Remember I said a few minutes ago, there's a lot of real estate given in the New Testament about hell compared to heaven. Jesus wanted to get that out there to make people aware, to make the right decision and to accept his gift of salvation.

Out of our compassion for our fellow man, we should warn them. Hell has its own purpose. And many people think it's just for punishment and that is a large part of it. But hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin. Hell is also a witness to man's responsibility.

The fact that he is not a robot or a helpless victim, but a creature able to make choices. God does not send people to hell. They send themselves by rejecting a savior.

And I want to go over this one more time because I think we're living in a time where we are evading responsibility and making excuses for the depravity of man. Hell is real. Jesus Christ talked about it three times more than he talked about heaven. Hell is a witness to the righteous character of God. He must judge sin because he is righteous, because his son came and gave his life.

There is a requirement to that and is a requirement of us accepting that gift or rejecting it. Hell is also a witness to man's responsibility. The fact that because there is a hell means that he's not a robot, he's not helpless, he has a conscience and he has an ability to make decisions in which man will be held accountable for. And lastly, God does not send people to hell. They send themselves by rejecting the savior. So if there's anyone lost in your family, I compel you to warn them in a loving way. Because I think sometimes we turn people off by preaching hard hellfire and damnation, which I think that has its place. But in a loving way, knowing that Christ came as their way of redemption.

I hope this helps those preachers that are out there that are listening or those teachers that are out there listening or those family members that are praying for their lost loved ones. That we can mimic the work of Christ. And he tried to reveal himself as that Messiah, as God incarnate, as the way, the truth and the life.

So that no man could get to the Father except by him. For those of you that have been following along with us in Revelation for so many months, we are getting into the home stretch. Talking about chapters 21 and 22, which will bring us to the end of Revelation.

We've technically spent a year in prophecy. So I hope you've learned a lot. I have learned a lot.

I've enjoyed our time together and going through these books. The tone of Revelation really changes in the last two chapters. Now believers really get to see, when we talk about the everlasting hope, what the everlasting hope is really about. And I don't know about you, but that excites me. The fact that Jesus Christ is coming back again and is going to establish his kingdom here on earth.

Without that, there is no hope. So I'm just so excited to really get into these two chapters to really give the believers encouragement. So that you know that the everlasting hope will come to a reality and that you'll get to see what it's like. So let's get into Revelation chapter 21 and I'm going to read verses 1 through 8. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Look, God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them, they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new. Then he said, Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

He said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars, they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis and thank you for listening.

Until next time. You've been listening to the weekend edition of Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis. Truth Matters is a ministry of The Truth Project, a North Carolina based ministry dedicated to teaching biblical truth and sound theology to those inside and outside of the church. If you'd like to listen to these messages on demand, go to ProjectTruthMatters.com and click on the podcast link. Dr. Davis is also available to speak to your ministry group or church function. She can be reached by email at CherylDavis at ProjectTruthMatters.com. Or if you'd like to send a letter, the address is Project Truth Matters, Post Office Box 159, St. Paul's, North Carolina 28384. You can hear Truth Matters devotionals on weekdays at 8 20 a.m. and 5 20 p.m. Until next time, let's all work together to teach a biblical truth to assist, equip, edify and encourage one another and bring the gospel to the world. Because truth matters. This is the Truth Network.