In the end, we’ll all be judged. Those who do not know the Lord, whose names are not in the Book of Life, will spend eternity outside the Lord’s presence; those who do know the Lord, whose names are inscribed, will be eternity with Him. Beyond that, there is a second judgment. Suffering or glory will not be the same for everyone. Some will suffer less than others; some will enjoy more glory than others. Whatever the outcome for each of us, we know this with absolute certainty: God will be fair, just, and honest.
Genesis 18:25 (ESV): Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?
Romans 3:6 (NLT): If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world?
2 Corinthians 5:10 (GNT): For all of us must appear before Christ, to be judged by him.
ARE YOU READY to be judged by God for how you’ve lived your life?
I know I don’t relish the idea of being judged, even by the One who loves me the most and has assured me of His fairness.
Jesus tells us that at the end of our lives, every one of us will have to “give account on the day of judgment” for any careless word we have spoken (Matt. 12:36 NIV).
Yes, our rebirth through Christ (Rom. 8:1) means we have passed from death to life, but we still will be evaluated for our eternal reward. We are certain to feel remorse for jobs undone or poorly done.
While I console myself that my sins are covered by Christ’s shed blood on the Cross, I still know that a fair accounting of my life will find me coming up way short.
I most definitely want God the Father to see me through the sinless life of God the Son when He’s looking at me.
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WHEN GOD, OUR CREATOR, says He will judge us, He wants to know what we’ve done with the skills, talents, abilities, aptitudes, training, education, and experiences He’s provided for us so that we can carry out the commands of the Great Commission, which is to share the Good News of redemption through Christ.
We know going into this judgment that “no one is sinless,” and all of us have strayed from God’s straight line. Fortunately, He has assured us of His evenhandedness. The Bible tells us that “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11).
Even better, we know that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV), meaning that the redeemed of the Lord will not lose their salvation during judgment. Our judgment will be to determine our responsibilities and rewards through eternity.
Those who have been the most faithful will receive the greatest rewards.
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THIS CONCEPT OF FAIRNESS is so important that in American jurisprudence, great symbolic weight is given to the phrase “blind justice,” meaning the judge is rendering a verdict solely on the basis of the facts and the law, not showing prejudice either for or against the accused.
But human “fairness” often fails to be fair. King David, when scolded by the prophet Gad for his sin, proclaimed, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14 NKJV).
God’s judgment promises to be fair.
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WHAT, THEN ARE WE to make of this judgment that awaits us all?
Doesn’t this bring God glory as He redeems us despite our rebellion? He has given us the atoning blood of His Son to pay the debt for our sin, so that those who call on His name will be saved (Romans 10:13; Acts 2:21; Joel 2:32).
Isn’t this how He models grace to us, that as our sin increases, His grace increases “all the more,” as Paul says in Romans, “so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21 NIV).
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IN GOD’S TERMS, judgment is how a just God rewards those who have placed their faith in Him and deals with those who haven’t.
In the end, whether the person during his or her lifetime acknowledged God as Creator, He promises that “every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11 NIV; Phil. 2:10) in recognition that He is King of kings and Lord of lords, the Alpha and the Omega.
That means a just rendering of life on earth, completely fair. Those of us who have received His offer of life through His Son will rise to glory, while those who have rejected His offer will rise to remorse.
POSTSCRIPT:
IN HUMAN TERMS, this “completes the circle” or “ties up loose ends.”
Praise God that He has offered us life through Jesus Christ!
“The Lord is loving. You reward people for what they have done.” — Psalms 62:12 (NCV)
“He rewards people for what they do and treats them as they deserve. Almighty God does not do evil; he is never unjust to anyone.” — Job 34:11-12 (GNT)
“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” —John 10:10b (NKJV)
PRAYER
O Lord, our Heavenly Father, we are so grateful that You are a loving God as well as a just God. We confess our sinful hearts to You, O Lord, and ask Your forgiveness for our rebellion. Create within us a new heart: one of flesh, not of stone; one of compassion, not of selfishness; one of purity, not of lust. Lift our gaze, O Lord, above the boundaries of our individual orbits to see the wider world, the needs of others, the calling of Your hand to play a healing role. We know, O Lord, that You will judge us in the end, and we pray eternal thanks that You promise to judge us through the lens of Your Son, our Savior. For it’s in His mighty and precious name we pray. AMEN
LoveAndGrace 