2 Tim. 1:18 “The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day…….”
These words are part of a prayer from the lips of Paul regarding a man named Onesiphorus.
It is right and it is good for us to pray for the physical health and for the spiritual health of each other (3 John 2). Over the course of my 79 years of life I know that many prayers have been raised in my behalf as it regards my physical well being and I deeply appreciate all of them. But, you know, the greatest prayer that can ever be uttered for any of us is the one that Paul prayed for Onesiphorus, namely, that we find mercy in that day. The fruit of mercy is eternal life (Jude 6). Understand, we seek and ask for the help and mercy of the Lord today. How much more is that mercy needed in that day appointed when he will judge us (Acts 17:31). Now, know this, if we are to have mercy in that day, we must seek it today as well (Heb. 4:16).
All of history moves toward that final day of Judgment (Heb. 9:27, Acts 17:30-31). If we learn to properly respect and fear that one hour of the Judgment and point our lives toward that one day, then our life on this side of eternity will be a successful one (Phil. 3:13-14, Phil. 2:12, Rom. 2:5-6, Rom. 14:12, Heb. 10:31).
On that day all races, all nationalities, all nations will be gathered together (Matt. 25:31-46, Rev. 20:11-15). On that day the books will be opened (Rev. 20:12). On that day judgment will be rendered by the great judge—Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 4:1) and he will judge according to his word (John 12:48). Heaven’s record of the lives of all mankind will be opened and every man will stand on his own record (2 Cor. 5:10). The Lamb’s Book of Life containing the names of the redeemed will be opened and if a man’s name is not written there, he is lost forever (Phil. 4:3, Rev. 20:15). I must pause here for a moment and ask, how do I stand, how do you stand today? Is our name written in the Lamb’s book of life? Where will we be in eternity. One day we will stand before the great judge and he will either say to us, come ye blessed inherit the kingdom or he will say, depart from me ye cursed. Which will it be, come or depart?
In reality, all of us are facing the sentence of life or death in that day. The life we live today will determine the answer in that day (2 Tim. 4:6-8, Phil. 1:21, Gal. 2:20).
Charles Hicks