Scene at the Great White Throne Part II

I laid me down to sleep and behold I dreamed a dream.

God: “Well, Mr. Self Righteous, I see thou art finally here to give account.”

SR: “Well, oh yes Lord, I feel kind of strange – one minute I was on my way home from church and here I am standing before you in these filthy rags – sorry for not dressing any better.”

God: “Thou art dressed quite appropriately for the occasion. Thou hast always had those filthy rags on. Thou hast never realized it.”

SR: “Well, I don’t know how I missed it for I own a nice wardrobe and have never seen these rags before. I wouldn’t be caught dead in them!”

God: “Well, guess what? Thou has been caught dead in them. Hast thou never read Isa. 64:6? The problem is thou hast not been able to understand spiritual things – see I Cor. 2:14. Plus thou hast never realized that thou wert born dead (Eph. 2:1). So yes, thou hast been a dead man walking around filthy rags all your life.”

SR: “Well, ok Lord, if you say so. Now, Lord, what am I here for? This was not what I was working towards by no means.”

God: “Thou art here because in Psa. 51:4 and Rom. 3:4 I said I would give ye sinners one final chance to try to stand before me and prove to me what fine fellas thou thinkest thou are and how wrong I am. This is thy time so make the best of it.”

SR: “Well, Lord I just think my way of gaining salvation just made more sense.”

God: “Prov 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

SR: “Yes, but shouldn’t I get some of the credit and glory for my part?”

God: “Isa 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, and 1 Cor 1 Cor 1:29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 1 Cor 1:31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

SR: “But I can atone for my sins with my own sacrifice.”

God: “Thy blood is tainted with sin - my Son’s blood was mine - Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

SR: “You are pretty quick with those verses, huh?”

God: “I wrote the King James Bible – so I am somewhat familiar with it thank you.”

SR: “Now that you brought that up why did it have to be the KJV? Those AV translators were not inspired? And why did it have to be in English?”

God: “Thou art getting off the track here but this is thy time so I’ll answer. Those Anglican translators were no more inspired than Moses or Paul but what I had them put down was and I chose English because the world would eventually be an English speaking world.”

SR: “Yes, but the language is so hard to understand!”

God: “Don’t blame me, o thou sinner, for thy lack of study. Thou hast not complained about the Sports Page thou readest everyday or the magazines thou readest all the time dost thou? I’ve been hearing this argument for the last 50 years and it doesn’t hold water – no excuse. Many an uneducated folk never complained about it for 350 years but no all of a sudden your crowd has a problem with it. So, I guess thou desireth me to talk like thee instead of thou talking like me? Thou art just looking for a way out and to justify what you want to believe – it won’t work.”

SR: “Well, it appears that I may have lost my salvation and that is why I’m here now.”

God: “You see, this idea of losing one’s salvation is really a failure to understand true justification. SR, all you self-righteous sinners keep bringing up how you have kept the faith, haven’t sinned way your salvation, repented of your sins, haven’t walked away from the faith and all the other things you have done has wearied me now for centuries. Now, SR, I’ve got a busy schedule here and lots of sinners want their chance to show me what fine fellas they are too, so let’s move along. Now, one more time – why should I let thee in to heaven?”

SR: “Because I’ve kept the faith.”

God: “It wasn’t thy faith – thou failest to read Gal. 2:16.”

SR: “Yes, but I lived by faith.”

God: “Yes, but thou wert living by thine own faith – Gal. 2:21 says it is by my Son’s faith.”

SR: “I was faithful to church and read my bible, gave to the poor, partook of all the church ordinances, spoke in tongues, was baptized, prayed, debated on forums, and much, much more! Surely that should grant me something grace from you shouldn’t it?”

God: “I see thou hast never read Rom. 4:5. I see thou hast missed Tit. 3:5 - 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. Do you know what you really missed? You missed Christ. Thou hast been trusting in thine own efforts, thine own faith, thine own ways – thou hast never put thine complete trust in what my Son hast done for thee at Calvary. Thou hast listened to thy church too much – the scriptures were not thine authority.

God: “Where is Christ in all that?”

SR: “Christ? Oh yea, Christ opened the door but I still have to enter in – I mean, I have to do my part?”

God: “Are you telling me my Son’s work at Calvary was not sufficient? Art thou telling me that thou can add to his work?”

SR: “Well, yes, ah, well no, hmmmm, not sure – never heard that before. I had faith. I read in my bible that it was my faith in Christ that justifies! What more do you want me to do?”

God: “Well, I see part of the problem here – the bibles thou hast been reading are not mine. Thou hast been deceived into reading those modern bibles that came from Egypt. My Bible says the sinner is justified by the “faith of Jesus Christ”. See the difference? Christ’s faith is the one that justifies not thine own – thy faith could do nothing when it came to justifying. This is interesting – I never used to have to listen to sinners bring up these new versions until the last 50 years or so. Now, all I hear is about these newer versions. Even the old sinners that stood before me prior to about 1881 would declare the Authorized Version as my word but now these modern age sinners never bring it up except in a negative way. Besides I don’t like the way those newer versions attack the deity of my Son by making Joseph my Son’s father in Luke 2:33 and making my Son have a beginning in Mic. 5:2 plus about 500 other undoctrinal references. ”

SR: “Yea, that mean, ole’ AVBunyan used to harp on that all the time but he had such a bad attitude and he wouldn’t go along with the rest of us on these new versions!”

God: “Well, Mr. Self Righteous AVBunyan is not the issue the issue here. Thou art getting off the track again here.”

SR: “I don’t know what else to say – I’ve done all I know to do to get to heaven.”

God: “That has been thy problem – thou hast been trusting thyself and basically have rejected what my Son did for thee already. Thou hast been trying to add to His work at Calvary so therefore thou hast been relying upon thyself to get thyself into heaven.”

SR: “But what about that AVBunyan guy? Why does he get to go to heaven while I worked like a dog to get to heaven?”

God: “OK, let’s see. Mr. AVBunyan, why should I let thee in?”

AV: “Well, Lord as you know according to Eph. 2:6 I’ve been here since I was saved but back to your question – I’m here because Christ Jesus took my place at Calvary, did for my sins, was buried, and rose again for my justification and based upon they grace and mercy I am here justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”

God: “You see, Mr. SR how simple the gospel is – salvation is in a Person – thy salvation was in thee.”

So, the verdict is…. nothing has changed – Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

And then I awoke – it was but a dream.