Judgment, Not That Again!

by Lucian Thompson
Published June 22, 2006

You may have asked why I preach repentance and getting our lives in line with the Word of God so much.

Some of you may think that I sound like a broken record that keeps repeating itself.

You may be right in some respects. But, know this, I preach a doctrine that is not flawed and is of the Holy Spirit. Every word that has come from this pulpit is inspired of the Holly Spirit and backed up with the Word of God.

You know, it’s not easy to be a conduit for God’s Word. Sometimes you wrestle with what you are given to say because you know it may not be received in a joyful way. It may be downright painful and against your nature to tell people what God laid on your heart.

Preachers like to be loved, just like anybody else. Don’t want anyone thinking bad about us or having any ill will towards us. I don’t look forward to relaying a message God has given me, when I know it will strike like a heavy hammer in some hearts.

Trust me, I am not out to get you or anyone!

When God called me to this ministry; I made a vow that I would speak the Word of God as revealed to me by the Holy Spirit and I would be faithful to Him and this body. That is the hardest vow to keep I ever made… for the reasons I have just stated. But, keep it I will!

Why?

LOVE…for God and you!

Would you not take the keys from a love one who was about to drive intoxicated? Wouldn’t you run across traffic to snatch your child from in front of a speeding car or would you just stand there? Would you stay quiet when you saw someone about to back off a cliff?

Of course not!

Folks, there are some people intoxicated with this world! There are some people playing in the traffic! And there are some folks about to fall from grace!

We have to scream to the top of our lungs, “REPENT” for “JUDGMENT” is nigh at hand.

That’s right, Judgment is coming soon and some people, even some Christians, are going about acting like in the days of Noah; going about their business oblivious of their sins. So involved with the world that they have forgotten who they are and who Jesus is, and that Judgment is coming.

So many people seem to be confused about repentance and judgment.

Let me ask you a question, Can sin be forgiven without repentance?

Absolutely…Not! As a matter of fact…you must repent before you can ask to be forgiven.

You must recognize that you are sinning which brings the act of repentance and thus the need for forgiveness. It is a repentant heart that realizes you have come short of the glory of God. A repentant heart understands that God is Holy and God’s holiness demands justice. Sin cannot enter into Heaven. There is forgiveness for sin through Jesus and the cross.

So what about Judgment and why talk about it?

There is a ton of information in the Bible about Judgment and you can research many good studies on this subject on the Internet. Let me share one with you.

God wants people to understand the truth of the judgments to both comfort us and motivate us to Godly living. He wants those of us who have not trusted in Christ to understand the judgments; that this might motivate us to trust in Christ as our personal Savior because He bore the judgment for our sin in our place.

RO 2:5- 11 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.

6 God "will give to each person according to what He has done."

7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life.

8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile;

10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

11 For God does not show favoritism.

True Christians do not face the final judgment because Jesus Christ has borne our judgment by being made a curse in our place. We will be judged for our works that we have done living as a Christian.

This is called the “Judgment Seat of Christ” or the “Bema” Judgment. (See Romans 14:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:10)

Bema, in the Greek translation, indicated a platform where the victors were taken to receive their rewards. The Judgment Seat of Christ is not a place and time when the Lord will mete out punishment for sins committed by the child of God. Rather, it is a place where rewards will be given or lost depending on how one has used his or her life for the Lord.

On the other hand, there is The Judgment of the Great White Throne

REV 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

This vision of the Great White Throne describes the last and final judgment of history. It is an awesome and solemn scene and one, which should cause everyone to stop and think about the eternal implications of this future event.

For the non-Christian, the one who has never trusted in the person and work of Jesus Christ, it should cause him to want to search out the truth regarding Jesus Christ, to embrace Him in faith as the Savior from his sin and eternal doom.

For the Christian, the future reality of this event should cause deep concern because of the many (including some of our friends and relatives) who will face this throne of judgment because they never received the Savior by faith.

God gave us an escape clause.

John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.

18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Those who believe in Jesus will not be judged in the White Throne Judgment. Those who do not are judged already.

So, why has the Holy Spirit exhorted us to preach repentance and getting our lives right with God? Without the blood of Jesus covering your confessed sins, you are judged already. For the unbeliever this day will be a day of anguish and annihilation.

Let me read you some scriptural proof of these facts.

· Every soul that has ever lived must appear before the High Court of Heaven to be judged. (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Romans 14:12, Hebrews 9:27)

· By divine decree Jesus Christ has already been appointed the Judge. (John 5:22, Romans 2:16, 2 Corinthians 5:10)

· The eternal Law used in the great Day of Judgment will be none other than the law given by God through His servant Moses and magnified by Jesus.(Matthew 5:17-19, Romans 2:12-13, James 2:11-12)

· Every motive, thought, word and deed will be under close scrutiny in the Day of Judgment. In view of this we should take heed as to how we live.(Matthew 12:36, Revelation 20:12-13)

· The severity of the examination and the expectations of the Judge will be in direct proportion to the opportunities a person has had to learn and practice God's Law. "To whom much has been given, from him much will be required."
(Matthew 11:23-24, Luke 12:47-48)

· Judgment will begin with the Household of God (the Church). Unbelievers will be judged later. (1 Peter 4:17-18, 1 Timothy 5:24, Revelation 22:10-12)

· The Day of Judgment has already been fixed. We cannot hasten or postpone it. It has been fixed. (Revelation 14:6-7, Revelation 11:18, Acts 17:30-31)

· The sentences passed at the judgment will bring joy to believers who will obtain mercy for their sins. But unbelievers will leave the judgment in terrible anguish.(2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Hebrews 10:26-30, Matthew 13: 41-43)

· The first signs of the coming judgment are already apparent and their warning messages should be heeded by all before it is eternally too late. (Ezekiel 14:19-21)

· The only way to escape being condemned at the judgment is to seek mercy and forgiveness NOW; to trust and obey God NOW - before the decree goes forth. God's mercy, incidentally, is the only thing, which will enable repentant sinners - and this includes all the church - to rejoice on the Day of Judgment. But mercy must be sought before sentence is passed. (Zephaniah 2:2-3, James 2:13 (last part), Luke 21:34-36)

We will all be judged!

What we do now will determine which judgment we will receive!

Well, which will it be? We live or die by the choices we make.

Choose to live!

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