Foundations, Part 8 - Judgment

Before we move on to our final foundation layer, let's recap:

• We found out that anything done in your own strength ("good" or "bad") is a dead work.
• We found out that living by faith means more than just "being saved"
• We found out that we are called to three baptisms: Water, The Holy Spirit, and Pressure
• We found out that God set up the laying on of hands as a way to transfer spiritual things from one person to another
• We found out that everyone is going to rise from the dead; some to eternal life, some to eternal torment

According to Hebrews 6:1-3, these issues are foundational to our spiritual growth!
Hebrews 6:1-3 "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits."

God calls these doctrines "elementary"....so shouldn't we have some sort of understanding of them?

The last of these elementary doctrines is eternal judgment. Before we go any further, let me encourage you not to be intimidated by the word "judgment". Judgment isn't necessarily a good thing...neither is it a bad thing. It simply means "to make a decision based on the evidence presented."

 - Judgement is how you can tell fresh fruit from rotten

 - This is how you make major purchases like cars and houses - you judge whether it's worth the price

 - Judgement is even how you decided to proceed with your earthly relationships!

This is just a part of life, you have to make judgments all the time!

The subject of eternal judgment begins with the Resurrection (which we discussed in our last post) and takes it a step further. Essentially, this teaching states that there will be eternal rewards and consequences based on the things we do in this life.

Two Thrones Of Judgment

When most people think of "eternal judgment", they usually lump everything together into a single event that happens at the end of someone's lifetime. The idea they generally have is this:
If you're a "good person", you get to go through the pearly gates and sit around on clouds playing harps.
If you're a "bad person", you end up around a table in Hell playing cards with your beer buddies.
Don't laugh....that's about as far as most people in America think about their own eternity.

The truth is, the Bible teaches eternal judgment very differently! You see, all of humanity will receive eternal judgment before one of two thrones. You will either stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ or you will stand before the Great White Throne.

Where will you stand? That all depends on one book....The Lamb's Book of Life.

This particular book is mentioned eight times in the New Testament. From these, we can see that someone's name is written there the moment they put their faith in Jesus. It's that faith that makes you an "overcomer" (1 John 5:4). And only the names of overcomers will be found in the Book of life (Revelation 3:5).

Understanding this - that as believers our names ARE written in that book - let's read about the Great White Throne judgment that occurs at the very end of time.
    "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.
    "And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things that were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hell delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
    "Then Death and Hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

This is not a judgement you want to take part in. Billions of people - male and female, young and old, from every century of earth's history - will be judged based on whether they believed God's Word or not. And everyone who isn't found written in the Book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever.

Thank God we've been given a way to escape this judgment! Thank God for the ink that was used to write my name in that book!
Luke 10:20 "Nevertheless...rejoice because your names are written in Heaven."

Not About Heaven Or Hell

We will not stand before the Great White Throne as believers. But does this truth mean that we won't be judged at all? No it does not...look at Paul's words (to believers) in Romans 14:10 - "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

All Christians throughout history...from Acts 2 until today...will stand before Christ for judgment. Since these are people who already have their names in the Book of Life, then we know this judgment is not about whether someone goes to Heaven or Hell. Everyone who appears before Christ is already on the way to an eternity with Him!

So what is the Judgment Seat of Christ about then? It's about receiving the rewards for what you're doing right now!

2 Corinthians 5:9-10 "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

Jesus made a very significant investment in you, my friend. He gave everything He had to bring you into the kingdom. And then - after you were brought into the kingdom - He gave you His grace to empower you to serve Him. Why? Because He expects results.

And whether that investment was profitable to Him or not will be revealed when you stand before His throne.

This isn't about fear of punishment...Jesus has already taken all of your punishment for sin upon Himself. This is about being rewarded for your service in this life (or about your lack of service and loss of rewards).

Will you, like the first two servants in Matthew 25:14-27, be found faithful stewards of the grace that He gave you to serve? If so - be prepared for rewards!

Or...will you be like the lazy servant who did nothing with the deposit his master gave Him? I pray this is not you, because it brings an eternal loss of rewards.

According to 2 Corinthians 5:9-11, this is the fear of the Lord. It's not about being afraid of Him. No, the Fear of the Lord is the knowledge that everything you say, do, or think will be judged before Jesus and rewarded. 

Hebrews 4:13 "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Romans 14:12 "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

We're going to give an account...I want mine to be a good one, how about you?