OH HAPPY DAY, WHEN JESUS TOOK MY SINS AWAY!
Job 7:21a Why do you not pardon my offences and forgive my sins?
The consequences of sin are many in this life and in the life to come. Maybe the worse consequence of is the guilt that it brings. And for those that refuse to seek forgiveness of their sins through Jesus, I believe that the guilt of all their sins will be magnified in their mind and heart through- out eternity. In hell there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth for all there including Satan and the fallen angels. Jesus speaks of this in Matthew 13:41-43 when he said, “The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Hell will be a place that is absent of all that is good. The fruit of the Spirit of God will not be seen in anyone. Not one soul in hell will have any love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness or self-control. The image of God that everyone was created in will be removed. There will be nothing good in hell, and certainly not a place to be desired. It will not be a good time even for Satan or the powers of darkness. They will be in torment for all eternity just like everyone else. (Rev 20:10) While in hell they will not be in the exact presence of God (God's omnipresence), but they will always be aware his ever presence and how they can never again experience his blessings. (Psalm 139:7-2 & Rev 14:10) Their weeping will come from their immense sorrow in their suffering and knowledge that they will no longer have even the smallest amount of happiness they knew before. The gnashing of teeth will come from the great hate and anger they have for God and all that is holy. Everyone in hell will know exactly why they are there. There will be no excuses or cover ups. The stark reality of their sin and rejection of God’s forgiveness will always be before them.
I was once doomed for hell just like every other person, (All have sinned and fallen short the glory of God. Rom 3:23) but then I received the wonderful gift of forgiveness of God by having faith in the grace that Jesus’ atonement provides. II Samuel 14:14 tell us how God devised a plan, so that the banished might not have to remain estranged from him. I was so happy when I heard it. I certainly didn’t want to go to hell, but I wanted to go to heaven to be with Jesus! Even as a little boy I wished I could have been able to walk and talk to Jesus like the apostles.
When I turned sixty-five the Lord did a remarkable thing for me. One day while in prayer I was talking to Jesus about how much I would miss telling others of his love for them and loving his children, and he gave me a offer I couldn’t refuse! Jesus asked me if I would like my heart’s desire right now? At first I was taken by surprise thinking, “What is he talking about? Is he going to take me home to be with him?” Then in a soft voice with a smile attached to it he said, “What to come sit at my feet with Mary and John?” Tears rolled down my cheeks just as they are now, I said, “Oh yes Jesus! This is my heart’s desire! You have given me my inheritance early! I had become like the prodigal son's brother, only I chose to enjoy my inheritance with the father.
While Job lived and died too early to know of Jesus’ atonement, he heard it straight from Jesus when Jesus descended into the abode of the dead. (I Peter 4:6) I know that Job asked God to forgive him, and God blessed him richly as we see in job 42. But it took the atonement of Jesus to make God just in not holding any of us to the righteousness of God. It had to be a happy day for Job as it was for all of us that heard the Good News of Jesus salvation for the first time, but it became even happier when we received him as our Lord and Savior washing all our guilt away! It’s no wonder that the angels of heaven rejoice when one sinner is saved!
Prayer: Oh happy day, Oh happy day when Jesus took our sins away! Thank you Lord Jesus for coming to die for us on Calvary’s cruel cross, so we could be forgiven and be able to come sit at your feet! We love you Lord Jesus!
