Grace Will Expire
Unless There Is Repentance
Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them,
for God has shown it unto them.
Daniel 5 gives us an eyewitness account
of what happens to individuals and nations
when they fail to repent and trust God.
Ezekiel 18:20a The soul that sins, it shall die.
God Offers Grace Within A Time Frame
Genesis 6:3a And the LORD said,
“My spirit shall not always strive with man”
2 Corinthians 6:2b ...behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation.
We’re In Control
Let’s Party
Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a
thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded
to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father
Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was
in Jerusalem, that the king and his princes, his wives,
and his concubines might drink therein.
Daniel 5:9 Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his
countenance was changed in him, and his lords were dismayed.
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The first indictment. v22 He knew, so he had sinned
against knowledge. He sinned against light; it was not a
sin of ignorance. It was and still is a serious sin, for a
person who sits under the gospel of Jesus Christ in this
day, and refuses Christ. That is a flagrant sin of rebelling
against knowledge, the severest of sins.
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The second indictment. v23 He blasphemed God
23a And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord
of heaven... 23b He drank wine from the holy vessels,
and praised the gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood,
and stone, and did not glorify God.
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The third indictment. v23b He worshiped idols of gold,
silver. It’s the normal progression in an ungodly life:
We know the truth, we turn from it, then
In some way we blaspheme the God of that truth, then
We turn and worship some kind of false god.
They were so upset. They must find out what the message
was and meant—all must stop, until we have relief.
Something Crashed The Party
We Need Help
Daniel 5:11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom
is the spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father,
light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom
of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar
made him chief of the magicians, astrologers,
Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
In pops the queen, in the midst of all this excitement,
perplexity, and chaos, she says, ‘There’s a man
in whom is the spirit of the holy God. In him is light.
He has understanding, and insight; he has wisdom,
he can apply what he knows. He is the master
of the king’s advisors.’
Daniel stood alone when he was a teenager, when
he was a mature man, and now that he is an octogenarian
in his 80s, he’ll still stand alone. Daniel is not intimidated
by this whole ordeal, nor is he interested in being
a third ruler in the kingdom.
Prolonged Disobedience Doesn’t Lead To Repentance
It is so easy without God-honoring thinking, to believe
that we are in control of our lives. Because of that,
we just turn loose and live in whatever manner that
makes us feel happy in the moment. There is a live it up
party mentality, with no concern about what God says.
With that thinking and lifestyle, we soon end up in trouble.
Belshazzar had failed to repent
and is guilty on three counts.
Reality Check
Stop The Party
Daniel 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up and his mind
hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and
they took his glory from him. 22 But you his son, Belshazzar,
have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.
God’s Grace Expires
When There Is Infinite Disobedience
Daniel 5:27 Tekel: You have been weighed in the balances,
and found wanting.
Daniel says your number is up, you’re finished, no more chances.
We must not allow the humanism of the day to interfere
with our reception of God’s grace. So many say, I’m the master
of my fate, I’m the captain of my soul, I’ll decide what’s right.
I’ll do what I choose. Before they know it, their time is up,
their life is over, & their chance for God’s grace has passed.
Let’s all make sure that we are turning to God and
committing our lives to Him while His Grace is offered.
The Bible promises that those who put their faith in Jesus
Christ shall escape the wrath to come, and will be
delivered from the hour of tribulation. Don’t let God’s
grace expire; trust Him, love, and follow Him now.