Will there be a final judgement? Who will be there? What will we be judged on?
Eternal Judgment - these words usually invoke fear. The majority of people across the globe believe there is going to be some form of eternal judgment. So, what causes the fear? Is it because we immediately think about the worst thing we’ve done in our life? Do we fear standing before a Holy God? Many Christians, maybe even you, believe that once we become a Christian, we will only get rewards heaped upon us by God.
We use the word “judgment” in many situations in everyday life and it doesn’t invoke fear or dread. Saying things like, “She used good judgment waiting on that decision,” or “In my judgment that house is too expensive.” So, is it the word “eternal” that causes the fear when put with “judgment,” thinking about something lasting forever?
Regardless of why, eternal judgment is not something we like to think about, and especially talk about. Whether we like to think about it or not, every idle word we speak, and every action will be judged. Whether a Christian or not, we will all be held accountable. Accountable – there’s another word that isn’t popular today. Again, I ask, why is this such a terrible word?
Some say that God is judging people for their sins now with the sickness they are suffering, destruction that comes by fire, weather, and other terrible things. However, the Bible, our life manual, is quite clear about judgment for our deeds. Things like sickness, tornados, and hurricanes are not listed as punishment, especially in the New Testament; but they are referenced in John 10:10.
As a matter of fact, eternal judgment is listed in Hebrews 6:2 as a part of the “foundation” or “elementary principles” of Christ. So, let’s take a brief look at what the Bible says about this uncomfortable, yet basic principle.
Will we stand before Christ for judgment? This question is clearly answered several times throughout the Bible. Romans 14:12 says, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” Again in 2 Corinthians 5:10 it says, “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.” Note that Paul, in both situations, is talking to Christians.
Even in Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus himself states that “men” will give account for every idle word spoken and references a day of judgment. There you go women…we’re off the hook. He further clarifies that by our words we will be justified and by our words we will be condemned. And Galatians 3:28 says, “there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” So, women, this includes us after all.
We know that because God is a just God, he cannot require us to face judgment on something we do not know. This is one reason we have the Word of God. It is the standard that we will be judged by, not our economic status, education accomplishments, how many church services we have attended or even the number of Bible verses we have memorized.
Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever oh Lord, your Word is settled in heaven.” The Hebrew word for “settled” is “nasab”. This word means to set as a standard or boundary. In Second Timothy 3:16, Paul states that the Word of God is given for correction and instruction in righteousness. God, in His great love for all mankind and in His desire that none should perish but come to repentance, gave us His Word; so that we would know the standard for which we will be judged one day.
In reference to the final judgment day, the Bible is concise. Paul mentions this day set aside for judgment in Acts 17:30-31 and Romans 2:11-16. The Apostle John actually saw the day in Revelation 20:11-15. He describes this as the Great White Throne Judgement before Jesus Christ (John 5:22). He states that both small and great stand before God as two books are opened and reviewed. They (all) are judged according to their works, and verse 15 says that anyone not found written in the Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire.
Some argue whether this judgment day is just for unbelievers, or, both unbelievers and Christians. Regardless, the bottom line is, be sure our name is written in the Book of Life and that our words and actions reflect the Kingdom of God.
This is why Paul states that this topic is considered an elementary principle. God is love and wishes that NONE should perish, “…but that all should come to repentance,” (2 Peter 3:9), and He tells us in First Timothy 2:4 that God “…desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
I have met many Christians that feel because they said a prayer and asked Jesus to come into their heart, that they are going to heaven and have nothing to worry about. They leave that service/revival/worship service and continue their life as it was before, believing that now God turns a blind eye to how they live and talk. After all, they got their ticket scanned and God is love and gives us grace, right?
You say you want authenticity and truth, so here is it; nowhere in the Bible will you find a verse that says all you have to do is repeat a few words and that makes everything good between you and God. Nor does the Bible say that repeating a “prayer” will remove you from having to stand and give an account for your words and actions.
Jesus himself said, why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not DO the things I have commanded you? (Luke 6:46) In First John 2:3-4 it says, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
It's important to note that there are several words Christians tend to glaze over in the Bible. Words like “all”, “no/nothing”, “every”, and “whosoever”. We challenge you to look for these words when you read the Bible and ponder what it is saying.
We’ve already looked at verses that show God is no respecter of persons; we will give an account for every idle word, we must all appear, etc. Whether you’ve said a prayer or not, you will still stand to give an answer. I apologize on behalf of all the preachers that have made Christianity a way to feed your self-serving life and made you think now you will be happy because you and God are good.
Becoming a Christian is about true repentance before a Holy God for breaking His law. We must see this. It’s about seeing that you are in bondage to sin and have no way out and are continually breaking His law. Have you ever told a lie? Stolen anything, even something small? How about honoring your mom and dad? It doesn’t say this stops at age 8. If you break one of these, you are guilty of all, you know that right? The Bible is clear; the wages of sin is death.
We don’t pay sin with death; sin pays us with death. We were all born into sin. There’s no way out. So, there’s no way out of sin paying us death: eternal death. We must realize that unless the Holy, Just God provides a way, we will be eternally damned. Until we see this and come to repentance, we cannot accept the free gift of God. God’s free gift was sending His Son to receive the “wages of sin” on our behalf.
Jesus said it is only through Him that we can come to the Father. We must see our need for a substitute and accept His taking the payment for us. It doesn’t work unless we believe it is true for us. When we truly see this and accept what Jesus did, this is when the true change takes place. Our identity changes. Second Corinthians 5:15-20 talks about this. Accepting Jesus is about a change of lifestyle because we are a brand-new creation. It does not excuse us from judgment. It does, however, cause us to appear differently when God looks at us. Romans 8 and 2 Corinthians 5 goes into detail about this. We will cover that another time.
Let’s say a man and woman get married. Before they met, they may have dated many people. Their actions would have told others, “I am single.” However, after the ceremony of marriage, many actions should change. What changes do people expect to see?
Becoming a Christ follower is the same. Ministers don’t teach it much, but when a person gives their life to Christ, makes Jesus Lord, gets saved, whatever terminology you want to use, there should be a life change. Actions should change. Words should change.
Be sure you catch what I’m saying here. We do not change our actions/words to GET God to forgive us. (See Wade’s blog on repentance from dead works and faith toward God.) However, accepting His sacrifice personally and realizing He took the payment for our sin, is the ONLY way to be right before the Father. But when we come into Christ, that is when we begin changing our words, actions, thoughts, etc. because now we are free from the hold of sin. (Colossians 1:13 & Ephesians 5:8)
The book of 1 John talks a lot about this. He says in 1 John 3:8 that “He who sins is of the devil….it was for this purpose that the Son of God was made manifest, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” So, what Jesus did, allows us to walk free of sin and live holy, even as God is holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16)
There is a lot more to this, so check out our other resources and blogs, but back to our topic of eternal judgment. The key is choosing to believe what the Bible says about this is true for us, personally. This is the basic definition of faith: choosing to believe. Another word for believe is act.
If we believe our car has enough fuel (or charge) to get us home, we will drive past the gas (charging) station. If we do not believe we have enough fuel (charge) to get home, we will stop. Therefore, our beliefs are shown by our actions.
Salvation or eternal life is a gift made available to everyone. As a result of believing what Jesus did and receiving it for ourselves, the grace of God is made effective in our lives. Now again, this is available to every human being. But every person must choose. If we choose to believe/act that Jesus fully received payment for our sins, we know our name is written in the Book of Life. Those who choose to not believe, reject the gift of God, and are choosing to accept the payment for their sins – eternal death.
Nevertheless, we must still give account for every idle word and for our actions. Everything up to the day we accept Jesus’ sacrifice is completely wiped away: good and bad, because they were all dead works. This is why many people believe Christians will not go through the Great White Throne Judgment: because all their sins are gone. But nowhere in scripture does it say we won’t. As we said in the beginning, the Bible is the standard we will be judged by. We’ve already looked at the scriptures that talk about this.
This is why saying a “prayer” is not all that God requires as many preachers and many people believe. There must be life change. Just like a married man or woman should act and talk differently, so should someone who says they are a Christian. This is where the “Kingdom Identity” and “Kingdom Operations” come into play. Check out the rest of our website, YouTube Channel, and store to learn more.
So, while we are not arguing for or against Christians going through the Great White Throne Judgment, we believe we have made the important points clear:
1) Be sure your name is written in the Book of Life (For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NKJV)
2) Live a holy life; free from the sin you are no longer in bondage to. (This is what makes love complete for us, so that we may have boldness and confidence on the day of judgment, because just as he is, so are we within this world. 1 John 4:17 NTFE)
3) Guard your words. (Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 NKJV)
A few additional scriptures for further study: 1 Peter 1:17, 22, Romans 5:1, 1 John 5:18, Revelation 3:5
Connect with us as we develop our true identity anchored in truth so we can live out the Co-Missional life we’ve been called to.