Please turn with me in your Bibles to Ecclesiastes chapter 12.

No matter how old you get to be before you pass from this life, this life always seems too short a time. The Apostle Paul said in:

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, {outside of God’s Kingdom}redeeming the time.

Life is so very short. We think it to be long, but the older I get, the faster the years seem to go. The Apostle realized – as James said:

James 4:14 … what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes we read the words of the wisest man who ever lived outside of Jesus Christ, a man named Solomon.

Solomon asked God to give him “wisdom” so that he might rule Israel. God told Solomon (1 Kings 3:12):

“I have given you a wise and understanding heart. There was never anyone like you before, nor shall there be anyone like you after you are gone”.

That’s a fantastic promise! We think people like the late Steve Jobs were genius’, or the current Bill Gates. They are nothing compared to Solomon. Solomon was given divine wisdom and divine knowledge. If we should listen to anybody, we should listen to Solomon. Solomon looked back over his life, and offers words of wisdom to those who will hear. But having wisdom doesn’t mean you will act wisely. As Solomon writes, he tells us something that he wished someone had told him when he was younger.

Every Soul Will Be Judged By Its Owner

I said we’d start in Ecclesiastes 12, but the chapter divisions in our Bibles is a man made thing. The original scripture has no chapters or verses. The first Bibles to include verse numbers were printed in 1555 AD. We’ll start our context at :

Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Young people often wander off into foolishness. If you live to be an old person (like myself), you will look back over your life and wish there were certain things you had done, and certain things that you did not do. Life is a gift from God. The life you have – right now – is God’s gift.

In our world today people say, “It’s MY body, and I’ll do what I want to do”. It may be your body, but YOU belong to God. God said:

Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

It is human arrogance that makes us think that we “own” ourselves. I have heard tell of people who “sold their souls to the devil”. That is but a figment of the imagination.

Illustrate: If I were to walk outside and put a “for sale” sign on your car, would YOU let me get away with it? No, you would not. I don’t own your car, and I can’t legally sell your car. Only YOU can as the owner. God is the Author of life. God is the OWNER of every soul.
1 God owns the CHRISTIAN’S Soul:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

God bought your salvation with the Blood of His dear Son. You were REDEEMED from damnation and darkness to walk in the light of Christ. Peter said:

1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain {way of life} received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Christian, God paid for your salvation. He purchased you out of hell – a place you richly deserved and still deserve – by putting YOUR punishment on HIS Son. Because God has done this for you, and you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Scripture says:

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that YOU are God’s Temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

You, dear Christian, are God’s Church. You are “members of Christ” (1 Corinthians 6:15-16). God saved us so that He could:

Titus 2:14 … redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

The Christian is saved, not so that we can live for ourselves, but that we can live for Christ. Again,

2 Corinthians 5:15 {Jesus} died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Your life is a stewardship from God, dear Christian.

When our Lord Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary, what did the God-Man, our Messiah, say? Did His soul return to the dust, to the grave? No, but Jesus said:

Luke 23:46 (ESV) … Father, into YOUR hands I commit MY Spirit …

And Stephen, that precious Martyr Stephen we spoke of this morning, as he died he cried out:

Acts 7:59 (ESV) … Lord Jesus, receive my spirit

2 God owns the UNBELIEVER’S Soul:

But what of the unbeliever? Our God is the One Who …

Isaiah 42:5 … created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein

God is the Giver of Life. When a Christian receives Christ as Lord and Savior, possession of their soul does not transfer from Satan to God. If that were true, there would be NO HELL – and the Bible makes it plain that THERE IS A HELL.

If Satan owns a soul, then God has NO RIGHT to throw that soul into hell. God would be stealing from Satan if He took what Satan owned. All souls – even the atheist – belong to God.

When an unbeliever or a believer dies, the soul returns to God Who gave it. Solomon says this in a very poetic way:

Ecclesiastes 12:6-7 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

And the Prophet Zechariah says:

Zechariah 12:1 (ESV) … Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him:

The reason that God made unlawfully taking a human life a CAPITAL OFFENSE (Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:30-34) is because all life belongs to God. No one has a right to destroy that which God has created BUT God. God will judge all souls. God will judge His Children, those saved by faith in Christ.

God Will Judge His Born Again CHILDREN

Solomon said – let’s read it again:

Ecclesiastes 11:10-12:1 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and PUT AWAY EVIL from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. 1 REMEMBER NOW THY CREATOR in the days of thy youth…

God will judge ALL souls. The Apostle said:

Romans 2:6-8 (ESV) … {God} will render to each one according to his works:

to those {Saved} who by patience in well-doing seek for glory

and honor and immortality, {God} will give eternal life;

BUT for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth,

but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Let’s talk of the SAVED first. God saved you and left you on this earth for a purpose. Work for God!

The saved will have their works examined at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Our souls are saved from hell, because we honored God by receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. We shine for Jesus as lights in this present darkness. If you are saved, God has changed your heart. He has changed your WANT TO. The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 3:23 And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

The Judgment Seat of Christ is a judgment where God examines how we have used our stewardship, our lives. Our lives belong to Him. Did we honor Him? The Apostle said:

1 Corinthians 3:8-15 every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

The “fire” at the Judgment Seat of Christ will test the works we did for the Lord. When Paul explained this to the Corinthian Church, they refused to process it. So God caused him to write to them a second time saying:

2 Corinthians 5:9-11 Wherefore we labor., that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

You, dear Christian, belong to God. Your life is a stewardship from God. One day we shall stand in front of Him and have our stewardship judged. Did you act as the

Matthew 5:14 … light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Did you …

Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

God will reward that. Solomon reminds us to serve God while we can.

I love the way that Solomon talks of advancing age.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-2 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

This is so amusing! As we get older, “evil days”, the Hebrew raʿ, “grievous” or “sad” days come. No one lives forever. Our bodies are designed to return to dust, and our souls to the Lord Who made us. Inside of me right now is a sixteen year old boy stuck in the body of a 600 year old man! We can’t do what we used to do. As we we get older, our EYES get weaker. The “the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars” become “darkened” to us. What else happens as we age.

Ecclesiastes 12:3-5 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble,
{your ARMS get weak}
and the strong men shall bow themselves,
{your LEGS, the STRONG MEN get weak}
and the grinders cease because they are few,
{your teeth fall out}
and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
{your EYES go dim}
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;
{you can’t stand LOUD noises. A bird tweet wakes you up}
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high,
{you don’t want to stand on a ladder}
and fears shall be in the way,
{and you get more and more worried and fearful}
and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden,
{you used to be able to lift much, but now a grasshopper is too much}
and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

We who are saved should take care to serve the Lord while we can. There will come a day when our strength will wear out, and we will not be able to serve the Lord. Serve Him while you can, for your works will be judged.

But what of the LOST?

God Will ALSO Judge His Salvation Rejecting CREATION

My time is running out. Let’s look at the last two verses:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

To those who have rejected the Messiah, who will not honor God nor acknowledge His great gift of life, to these another judgment comes. This is a Great White Throne Judgment, a place where God will judge all Christ rejecting souls.

The person who has rejected Christ and lived without regard to their Creator, is a person who has robbed the Almighty. This Throne does not judge WORKS, but judges SOULS.

Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

There is no redemption, no hope for those who leave this life without Christ. You may rob God of His rightful possession while you walk this earth. You may march, and scream “My Body, My Life” as you shed the blood of the innocent. You may reject God’s design in creation. You may be hateful. You might even get away with murder, the taking of innocent life, while you are on this earth.

But Judgment Day is coming.

The soul will return to God. If you have not given yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ, if you have not received Him by faith, then you have no hope. Your next stop is judgment, and fire that will not destroy but trap. God is holy, and He will bring every work into judgment. What should you do to “work the works of God”? You should do as Jesus said:

John 6:29 … This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

May God lead you to Christ’s side this very day. Amen and Amen!