- The Outraged Lamb

People might have imagined that the Lion of Judah had a measure of power and strength. But suddenly God reveals His wrath through the outraged Lamb. It is the Lamb who has been found worthy! It is the Lamb who is the Victor, the Overcomer! It is the Lamb of God, God’s eternal Son, into whose hands the Father has committed all justice and judgment!
What a great responsibility God has laid upon us preachers of His gospel and teachers of His Word. In that future day when God’s wrath is poured out, how are we going to answer? How am I going to answer? I fear there is much we are doing in the name of the Christian church that is wood, hay and stubble destined to be burned up in God’s refining fire. A day is coming when I and my fellow ministers must give account of our stewardship:

What kind of a gospel did we preach? Did we make it plain that men and women who are apart from Christ Jesus are lost?
Did we counsel them to repent and believe?
Did we tell them of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit?
Did we warn them of the wrath of the Lamb—the crucified, resurrected, outraged Lamb of God? With that kind of accounting yet to come, the question John hears from the human objects of God’s wrath is especially significant: “Who can stand?” (Revelation 6:17). Who indeed?

I reflect back to the evangelistic preaching throughout the cities of America by the famous Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday had many critics, but he plowed a deep furrow for God in the hearts and minds of sinful, lost men and women. In his meetings, Billy frequently used a song entitled, “The Great Judgment Morning.” We no longer hear it in our churches, and that does not speak well for our theology. Perhaps we have gone soft on judgment and accountability. Perhaps we have gone soft on our responsibility to the lost. But Billy Sunday told people they were destined to face the judgment of God. “The Great Judgment Morning” sung in his meetings told of one person’s dream of judgment morning when the great man’s greatness was no more and the rich man’s wealth had disappeared. All that remained was the haunting question, “Who shall be able to stand?”

I thank God that there is an answer to that question. Those who have quit their sin, who are clothed in Jesus Christ’s righteousness—they will be able to stand! The reason the kings and the great men, the slaves and the free men are in such terror is because they love their sin more than anything else. Sin is just too dear to give up.