The Time of Your Sojourning
Notes
Transcript
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
We’re All Sojourners!
We’re All Sojourners!
Sojourner – “a temporary resident”
Everyone is “a temporary resident” of this world.
The Earth is our temporary home (Heb. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; Rev. 20:11).
10 And:
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
11 They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;
12 Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.
The Body is our temporary dwelling (2 Cor. 5:1; 1 Cor. 15:53, 54; 2 Pet. 1:13, 14).
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
Because we are all sojourners, we must…
Pass our time here in fear.
Mindful of our works.
Calling on the Father.
Passing Our Time Here in Fear
Passing Our Time Here in Fear
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;
Fear – phobos, “fear, terror, reverence”
Not “fearful terror” (cf. 1 John 4:18, 19).
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Reverential obedience to God (Heb. 11:7; Gen. 6:22).
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
There is only “terror” in disobedience (Matt. 10:28).
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Let us pass the time of our sojourning here in obedience to the Father so we can be without the terror of hell! (Heb. 12:28).
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
Mindful of Our Works
Mindful of Our Works
We will be judged for our works.
Without respect of persons.
Acts 10:34, 35; Rom. 2:10, 11; Col. 3:25
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
11 For there is no partiality with God.
25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
There are only two kinds of works:
Works of the Flesh (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 2:3).
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Good Works (2 Tim. 3:17; Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:14).
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
There are only two judgments (Jn. 5:28, 29; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 25:31-34, 41, 46).
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
41 “Then He 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:
46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
There is only one way to determine what kind of works we are of (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Tit. 2:11).
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
Calling on the Father
Calling on the Father
The Call is much like the Love (1 Jn. 4:19; Rom. 5:8).
19 We love Him because He first loved us.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Likewise, we call on Him because He first called us (Jn. 6:44, 45; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14).
44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We call on Him by obeying His call (Rom. 10:13, 14; Acts 22:16; Acts 9:14; 2 Tim. 2:22).
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’
14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Are you passing your time here in the fear of the Lord?
Are you passing your time here mindful of your works?
Are you passing your time here calling on the Father?
THERE IS ONLY ONE ALTERNATIVE!