A good word for Advent

This is from John Wycliffe’s comments on the Creed. What a good word for the Advent season. As we celebrate His incarnation, we must also ready ourselves for His return. What a sobering picture he presents. This is the backdrop for understanding grace.

I believe that He is to come, to judge the living and the dead. Here we should believe that the same Jesus Christ, very God and very man, shall come to the judgment in the same manner, and with the same wounds that he suffered and bare with him to heaven, and shall judge all mankind, both good and evil, according to their deeds.

That shall be a dreadful judgment, and a fearful Judge. For Christ, who shall be Judge there, is now meek as a lamb, and ready to bow to mercy ; but there he will be stern as a lion to all that are damnable, and judge according to righteousness. Before the stern Judge, beholding all saints, angels, and fiends, all men and women shall yield reckoning of all their living in earth ; of all the deeds that they have done; for what intent and to whose worship they did them; and not only of great trespasses, but also of those that seem small. For of each idle word man shall account there, as Christ says himself. Each word that edifies not the hearer turns into peril to the speaker. That is an idle word which profits neither the speaker nor the hearer. And since reckoning shall be held of such, much more and without comparison, harder reckoning shall be of sinful speech, as of backbiting, slandering, scorning, false accusing, lying, swearing, cursing, and licentious speech. Also man shall yield reckoning of all the thoughts of his heart that inclined to any sin. And not only shall we account for deeds done, which we should not have done, but also of deeds left undone, that we should have done. As those that have not done works of mercy to poor needy folk, nor given to them, nor lent to them, nor helped them in their suffering, as Christ shall reveal at the judgment.

Also of all the time that man has in earth, he shall yield reckoning, how he has spent it. Also man shall account there of all his worldly goods, how he got them, kept, spent, and lent them. Also of all powers of body, as strength, comeliness, swiftness, skill of body — in whose service these have been spent.

Also each man shall yield reckoning of the keeping of his own soul. Therefore God commands in the book of his law, that each man carefully keep his own soul. The father and mother also shall account for their children whom they chastise not ; as is expressed in holy writ, how Eli was punished for his sons, because he chastised them not, as he should have done. Also each pastor shall account for his people, how he taught them by living and by word ; as God says by his prophet, a great dread shall be at his judgment.

Of the multitude of accusers, man's own conscience, which is defiled with sin and not amended, shall accuse him, not secretly but openly. Also a man's own sins, which he would not leave, shall accuse him. Also holy writ shall accuse them that knew it, and heard it, and lived not according to it. Such shall bear with them the sentence of condemnation. Also God's creatures which a man has used out of measure and in sin, shall accuse him there, and be as ready to take vengeance upon him as they were before to serve him. The fiends also shall be ready there, accusing sinful men and women, for they, as traitors, enticed to the sin, and when the sin is done they will accuse man of it. And therefore in the book of Revelation the fiend is called accuser of Christian men. Also the benefits which men have received of God, who did not worship him with due service for them, shall accuse them, and be alleged against them. And the torment which Christ suffered in time of his passion, both wounds, cross, nails, and spear, shall accuse sinful men.

Therefore, all Christian people, consider this truth, and flee the unlawful lusts of your flesh, and covetings, and deceits of this deceivable world ; and believe ye and keep this firmly fixed in your mind, that Christ shall appear in the judgment, stern as a lion to wicked men's sight, and judge both the living and the dead. Of the great dread of that day God speaks by the prophet Joel. The day of the Lord shall be a great day of deliverance, a day of wrath, and of vengeance, of misery, of bitterness ; the day of complaining and of accusing, the day of dread and of trembling, the day of crying and of sorrow, the day of darkness and of mourning, the day of calamity and of bitterness ; a dreadful day of parting from God for ever.

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Joel 3:11-16
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

As I said at the beginning, this is the backdrop of grace. In the light of the Day of Judgment, how sweet grace appears! How wonderful forgiveness! And how necessary repentance.