May 9, 2024 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Hello, friends. In our previous video we looked at what the Bible has to say about a judgment going on in heaven and books of remembrance and record that are being reviewed. Although the teaching of the judgment is certainly biblical, the idea of our lives being reviewed in the courts of heaven can seem overwhelming. After all, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, NKJV).
Today, however, we are going to see why the judgment is good news for all who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.
In the judgment scene described in Daniel 7, we read “the court was seated, and the books were opened” (vs. 10). It is in this setting that Jesus is standing as our Advocate, pleading in our behalf. In 1 John 2:1 we read, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
And in the book of Hebrews we read, “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us” (Heb. 9:24). “Therefore,” we are assured, “He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).
In the book, The Great Controversy, we read this vivid description of what takes places during this time:
“As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated” (The Great Controversy, p. 483).
And then, we read this incredibly good news: “All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be account worthy of eternal life” (The Great Controversy, p. 43).
You see, friends, through the marvelous grace of God, when we confess and repent from our sins, God forgives us and writes “pardoned” by our names, as if we had never sinned. This is incredibly good news!
The Bible affirms this wonderful promise. In Isaiah 43:25 the Lord declares, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake: and I will not remember your sins.” And in Revelation 3:5, Jesus says, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
On the other hand, however, while Jesus is pleading on our behalf, Satan, is accusing us before God, reminding Him that we are sinners. Ellen White describes the scene vividly:
“The great deceiver has sought to lead them into skepticism, to cause them to lose confidence in God, to separate themselves from His love, and to break His law. Now he points to the record of their lives, to the defects of character, the unlikeness to Christ . . . to all the sins that he has tempted them to commit, and because of these he claims them as his subjects” (The Great Controversy, p. 484).
But, praise God, it does not stop there! Continuing on, we read:
“Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith, and, claiming for them forgiveness, He lifts His wounded hands before the Father and the holy angels, saying: I know them by name. I have graven them on the palms of My hands. . . . And to the accuser of His people He declares: ‘The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan . . . is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ (Zechariah 3:2).”
Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, Jesus longs to save each one of us! He knows we are sinners in need of a Savior, and He knows we cannot save ourselves. This is why He invites us to come to Him just as we are, without delay. He gives us the incredible assurance that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NKJV).
Friends, the topic of the investigative judgment is vital for us to understand. It is much bigger than what we can cover in these short video messages. So, I want to encourage you, if you have not already done so, to download your free copy of The Great Controversy today at the URL shown at the bottom of your screen [Insert: greatcontroversyproject.org]. In chapter 28 of The Great Controversy, titled “Facing Life’s Record,” you can read more in detail what the Bible teaches on the investigative judgment and how we can have the assurance of salvation today.
May the Lord bless you as continue studying these important teachings as we draw closer and closer to the end of time. I invite you to pray with me just now.
Father in Heaven, we are so grateful that Jesus, the Son of God, our Redeemer, our wonderful Sanctifier, our justifier, the one who is the one who works in us to become more and more like him, is the one who is pleading our case before you. We thank you that on our names we can see pardoned because of the blood and grace of Jesus Christ. Thank you that we can face life’s record because we place ourselves completely in the hands of Jesus. Thank you for hearing us in this prayer. In the precious name of Jesus Christ our Savior. We ask all of these things. Amen.