An Appointment That You Must Keep!

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"It is appointed for man to die once, and after that to face judgment." Hebrews 9:27

There is an appointment upon God's calendar which no man can cancel, no power can prevent, no wealth can purchase exemption from, and no ingenuity can evade. It is an appointment with death! You may postpone a thousand engagements, break a thousand promises, and escape a thousand dangers; but this appointment you must keep! The day is fixed in the counsels of the Almighty, the hour is known to Him alone, and the summons will come when He pleases. Neither your reluctance nor your unreadiness will alter the appointed time. When God calls, then you must go!

How strange that men will make careful preparation for the smallest affairs of this fleeting life, yet live with scarcely a serious thought about the great eternity which lies beyond it! They arrange their business, insure their property, provide for their families, and plan for their retirement. They consult physicians concerning their bodies, lawyers concerning their possessions, and counselors concerning their earthly difficulties. But how few diligently prepare to meet their God! They prepare for everything, except that which is absolutely certain. They insure their houses against fire, yet neglect their souls against the everlasting fire! They fear the loss of earthly treasure, yet remain unconcerned about the loss of their immortal souls!

O deluded sinner, what madness is this! You know that you must die, yet live as though you could never die! You know that you must stand before God's judgment, yet conduct yourself as though you would never give an account of your life! You know that your days are passing swiftly away, yet spend them as though eternity were but a dream, and the warnings of Scripture were idle tales. What will you think of your present indifference, when the last sand has fallen through the hourglass of life; your pulse has ceased, your eyes have closed, and your soul has entered eternity?

Death is not the end of your existence, but the doorway into an unchangeable eternity. The grave receives the body, but the soul must appear before God. The undertaker may carry you to the cemetery, your friends may weep over your lifeless remains, and your name may be engraved upon a stone; but none of these things can settle the question of your eternal destiny. After death comes judgment!
The God whom you have forgotten, will summon you before His throne.
The Law you have broken, will testify against you.
The sins you have committed in secret, will be exposed before His all-seeing eye.
The excuses which silenced your conscience on earth, will be worthless before the Judge of all the earth.

How solemnly Scripture declares that God "will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Your outward respectability cannot deceive Him. Your religious profession cannot satisfy Him. Your attendance at church, familiarity with Scripture, orthodox opinions, and respectable reputation; cannot atone for a single sin. You may deceive your fellow men, and even persuade yourself that all is well, but you cannot deceive the omniscient God!

Let this question search your very soul: If God were to summon you into eternity today, then would you be ready to meet Him? Do not answer hastily. Do not take refuge in the fact that you have been baptized, that you belong to a church, that you believe certain doctrines, or that you have never committed some notorious outward sin. The question is not whether you possess the appearance of religion, but whether you have been born again by the Holy Spirit, brought to repentance and faith, and reconciled to God through the sin-atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

Have you ever been made to feel the exceeding sinfulness of your sin? Have you been stripped of your self-righteousness and brought to see that, apart from sovereign grace, you are guilty, helpless, and condemned before a holy God? Has Jesus become precious to you as the only Savior of sinners, or is He merely a subject of religious conversation? Is there evidence of a new heart:
  in your hatred of sin,
  in your longing for holiness,
  in your love for the people of God,
 and in your desire to obey His Word?
These things do not purchase salvation, but they are among the evidences of the saving work of God in the soul.

How terrible it will be to discover, too late, that you possessed a name to live while remaining spiritually dead! How dreadful to have lived beneath the sound of the Gospel, heard the warnings of Scripture, read the invitations of mercy, and yet persisted in unbelief until the day of grace was past! The foolish virgins awakened when it was too late to enter the wedding feast. Esau sought the blessing with tears, but could not reverse what had been done. And many will cry, "Lord, Lord!" only to hear those awful words, "I never knew you!" (Matthew 7:23).

Yet there is glorious hope for the guilty sinner who is brought to flee from the wrath to come! The Gospel announces that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners. He willingly bore the punishment due to the sins of His people, suffered in their place, and shed His precious blood to satisfy divine justice. The resurrection of Jesus declares His victory over death, and all who are saved by sovereign grace through faith in Him, possess the sure hope of everlasting life.

You cannot prepare yourself for judgment, by your own righteousness.
You cannot erase your guilt, by turning over a new leaf.
You cannot earn acceptance with God, through religious duties or moral improvement.
You must be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus alone! Flee to Him. Look away from yourself and your worthless merits, to His perfect righteousness and finished atonement. The Savior who receives guilty sinners today, will be the Judge before whom every soul must stand in that great day.

Christian, do not imagine that this appointment is a cause for dread to the redeemed. Your final hour may bring physical weakness, separation from loved ones, and the closing of earthly opportunities, but it cannot separate you from the love of God in Jesus. The Savior who redeemed you by His sin-atoning sacrifice, will receive you into His presence. Death may close your eyes to this world, but it will open them to behold the glory of the One whom you have loved above all others. For the believer, to depart and be with Jesus, is far better than remaining here in this world of sin, sorrow, and temptation.

The appointment is certain, but its date is hidden. You do not know whether you have years remaining, or whether your present day is your last. You may be young, strong, healthy, and full of plans; but death does not always send a warning before it enters. The next breath is a gift of God's providence, not a debt that He owes to you.
Therefore, do not presume upon tomorrow.
Do not silence the voice of conscience.
Do not trifle with eternity.
Do not postpone the great question of your soul's salvation.

Soon the world's business will be over for you. Soon your possessions will pass into other hands, your earthly ambitions will cease, and the pleasures that once captivated your heart will lose their power. Only what God has wrought in your soul will matter then. Only those who belong to Him, will enter into the everlasting joy of His presence.

Dear reader, the appointment stands. You must keep it. You cannot send another in your place, and you cannot appeal against the sentence of the omniscient and righteous Judge. Today, while you hear His Word, consider your ways. Seek the Lord while He may be found, and call upon Him while He is near. Beg Him to awaken your dead soul, expose your false refuges, and bring you savingly to Jesus.

Death is certain.
  Judgment is certain.
    Eternity is certain.
Are you ready?

"Prepare to meet your God!" (Amos 4:12)
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