This week we will talk about the tenth and final gate of our prayer walk around our hearts and homes. We will briefly discuss the Inspection Gate. The Hebrew word for the inspection gate means "the appointed place."
Hebrews 9:27 reads, "It is appointed for man but once to die, and after that the judgment" -- the inspection!"
Restoring the inspection gate means restoring the understanding that one day we will all stand before God. This gate is a reminder that we must give an account of our journey in life. Many hearts and homes do not have this gate, so they tend to live shaped by iniquity (lawlessness) with a secular mindset (which is to have no regard for future consequences).
However, for the true disciples of Christ, who have established this gate, scripture encourages them by assuring them that the INSPECTION GATE, THE APPOINTED PLACE is where, according to First Corinthians 3, "....everyone shall receive commendation“ from God.
For true disciples, the inspection gate gives them a sense of hope and expectation for receiving rewards and the acknowledgment of their faithful service. 1 Corinthians 3:8, 3:14 reads, "8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward."
Did you know that the Bible mentions three different judgments? There is a judgment of unbelievers, a judgment of Believers, and a judgment of the nations. For now, we want to focus on the judgment of Believers.
Romans 14:10-12 reads, “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat…so then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
2nd Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
Let’s take a closer look at what the Judgment Seat of Christ experience will actually BE like.
1 Corinthians 3: 11-15 (NIV) reads:
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss, BUT YET WILL BE SAVED —even though only as one escaping through the flames.
However, for many of our friends and family, this isn't the judgment they will face. They will stand before God to be judged as unbelievers. This will be a horrible moment. That's why Carol and I are so intentional when it comes to personal and corporate evangelism efforts.
We realize that when it comes to sharing their faith, many Believers are very timid. That's why we are thankful for ministries like the Billy Graham Association, who provide various tools that make it very easy to 'break the ice' and share our faith.
In fact, this weekend we are helping you participate in their release of another My Hope film.
We are encouraging each of you to make plans to download and watch the film. Once you see it, you will know why it is so important that you share it with someone else. We will also distribute DVDs to you guys over the next few weeks. We urge you to participate in this effort, especially during the upcoming holiday seasons. (See icon below)
As a family, we're showing one of the My Hope films as part of our son's video game party with his old college buddies on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Our family has always been very enthusiastic about personal evangelism. We understand that when we stand before Jesus, HE will deal with each of us on the issue of soul winning and discipleship. We don't want to have to tell the Lord that we did nothing to increase His Kingdom influence in the lives of others.
SO HERE IS OUR SUMMARY OF THE INSPECTION GATE: Restoring the inspection gate means restoring the understanding that one day we will all give an account to God for our lives, including our lives after we got saved. We will answer to God about everything, including soul winning. SO LIVE LIKE YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GOD!
We’ve taken a journey from the sheep gate to the inspection gate and we’ve tried to present their symbolic meanings, their prophetic significance and their practical application. This completes our journey around the walls so that we can see the gates that must be restored in our hearts and homes.
---Chris and Carol Green
