The ACTS 2020 November/December
THE MISSIONS OF THE TRUE CHURCH (II)
(3) To Execute Judgment
John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Since the coming of the spiritual true church of the latter rain, God has granted the power to judge all the nations to the true church. Prophet Isaiah said that God shall judge between the nations and rebuke many people on the mountain of the Lord and in the house of the God of Jacob.
Isa. 2:4UP He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people;
Joel 3:1-2 1For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.
The era of Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, was recorded in 2 Chronicles 20: 20-23. God had revealed to Prophet Joel that when He restores the kingdom to Israel in the last days, He will destroy the enemies at the Valley of Jehoshaphat (i.e. the valley of decision) that is in Zion. He will judge all the nations surrounding the holy mountain.
Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand:
We must understand that the spiritual church exists in a period where she has to judge all the nations.
Matt. 19:28 So Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples that judgment will begin at the time of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel where everyone including God’s chosen people will be judged. In fact, such judgment will begin at the house of God.
1Pet. 4:17-18 17For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18Now "If the righteous one is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?"
John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
God has committed the judgment of the last days to His sons.
1Cor. 6:2-3 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
Rev. 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
The vision recorded in this verse is just as what the Lord Jesus Christ had described pertaining to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, that God will sit on the throne and judge all the nations together with the saints whom He has committed with such power.
John 12:47-48 47And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
The Heavenly Father has committed all judgment to the Son, but the Son judges not but by the word of the Father, which is the gospel that was preached by the apostles. Such judgment is not by man, but by God through His children.
Rom. 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
Mark 16:15-16 15And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
God grants the power to judge to His saints. At the same time, it is also the time of opening the door of salvation to all the nations.
Will we be found guilty when we are judged?
It depends on whether one is willing to accept the gospel, enter the door of salvation and receive baptism. The Bible records of the beautiful feet of those who preach the gospel of peace. However, they will be a stone of stumbling to those who are disobedient.
Rom. 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
1Pet. 2:7-8 7Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone," 8and "A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense." They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
2Cor. 2;15-16 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
The saints who preach the graceful words of God and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ are just like the fragrance of Christ to God. This fragrance has different effects on different people, to the one the aroma of death leading to death but yet to the other the aroma of life leading to life. It is not the fragrance itself that causes the different responses from each person. Rather, it is their response or reaction that will lead them to be justified or condemned by the saints.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
(4) To Preach The Gospel To All The Nations
Matt. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
Col. 1:6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
The gospel of salvation of God concerns all the nations. As such, we ought to preach to everyone regardless of his religion or social status. God’s words are just. Hence, we should treat everyone equally, both good and evil.
Matt. 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Rom. 10:12-15 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 14How 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? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
God relies heavily on His preachers to preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. He wants them to proclaim His kingdom to the whole world.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
The preachers who have been sent by God are the ones who have to preach the gospel to the end of the earth. As such, they will need the guidance from the Holy Spirit, without which they will not have the ability to accomplish their mission. With the power of the Holy Spirit, their voices will spread to the whole world and their words will be heard to the end of the earth.
Luke 24:47-49 47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48And you are witnesses of these things. 49Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Preachers who do not wait for the power to come from above are not sent by God. What they preach cannot be considered as the gospel for only those who have received the promised Holy Spirit from the Heavenly Father can testify for Him and proclaim the gospel of truth to all nations.
Conclusion
Rev. 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--
The angel who preaches the everlasting gospel refers to the true church who preaches the true gospel of God. The true church is unlike the secular churches for she is unique and is not of the world. She comes from above with the mission to proclaim the everlasting gospel (which is different from those preached by the secular churches) to all the secular churches and the gentiles.
From the Holy Spirit Times – The Gospel of Salvation