The Judgment

I.          INTRODUCTION:

A.  SCRIPTURE READING:

II Corinthians 5:10  =  “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.”

B.        COMMENTS ABOUT THE JUDGMENT:

1.        Paul wrote in Hebrews 9:27, that is was “… appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

2.        Daniel Webster was once asked what was the most serious thought that he had ever entertained and his reply was --  “The judgment day when I must give account to God”.

3.        Would you rate this as one of the most serious thoughts you have had?

C.       CONSIDER WITH ME WHAT PAUL HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE JUDGMENT:

II.       DISCUSSION:

A.  IT  IS  OBLIGATORY – OR  THE  IMPERATIVENESS  OF  IT:

1.        “For we must …” =  II Corinthians 5:10.

2.        Some things are optional, but there are things that are imperative or that we are obligated to do with choice in the matter.

a.         To enter the kingdom (church) we must be born anew.

John 3:3  =  “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

b.         We must die.

Hebrews 9:27  =  “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

c.         We All must meet the Lord in judgment.

John 5:28-29  =  “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

B.        THE UNIVERSALITY OF IT:

1.        “For we must all …” = II Corinthians  5:20.

2.        Every one of us will give account of our lives at the judgment.

Romans 14:12  =  “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

3.        The whole world will be judged by God.

Acts 17:31  =  “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

4.        All nations of the world will be gathered before God.

Matthew 25:32  =  “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:”

C.       THE PURPOSE OF IT:

1.        “For we must all appear …”  =  II Corinthians 5:10.

2.        Each one of us will appear as ourselves:

a.         No one can stand in for us.

b.         There will be way to disguise  ourselves.

c.         Each one of us will appear before the Lord in our true character.

3.        The appearance is that each one of us will receive our eternal portion.

Revelation 22:12  =  “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

II Corinthians 5:10  =  “…That every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

D.       THE PLACE OF IT: 

1.        “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;  …”    =     II Corinthians 5:10.

2.        John while on the Isle of Patmos , saw the throne (or seat) of God and described it.

Revelation 4:1-5  =  “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.  And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.  And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”

a.         The throne of God, or God’s judgment seat is one of three things:

(1)      A throne of Holiness:  

(a)      “…He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:  …”  = Revelation 4:3.

(b)      Jasper was a stone of sparkling whiteness and purity.

(c)      Isaiah 6:1-3  =  “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”

(2)      A throne of Justice:

(a)      “…He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:  …”  =  Revelation 4:3.

(b)      The sardine stone was red and denoted the wrath of God.

Hebrews 12:29  =  “For our God is a consuming fire.”

(3)      A throne of mercy:

(a)     Revelation 4:3  =  “… A rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald….”

(b)      The rainbow was a manifestation of God’s mercy after the flood.

(c)      The soft, mild, restful color of green denotes mercy.

(4)      Therefore, the three aspects, or qualities of God’s throne:  Holiness, Justice and Mercy all manifest themselves in the judgment of the Lord.

E.        THE STERN FINALITY OF IT:

1.        The Judge is supreme, the decisions are righteous, therefore immutable and eternal  --  The rewards are for eternity.

Matthew 25:46  =  “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

2.        Seeing that we all are to appear before the judgment seat of God it should behoove us make adequate preparation.

Amos 4:12  =  “Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.”

3.        Sinners can prepare by accepting the Word of God and following it in faithful obedience of repentance, confession and baptism.

Acts 2:38  =  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

4.        Christians can prepare for their appearance at the throne by adding the seven graces and faithful living.

2 Peter 1:5-11  =  “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Revelation 2:10  =  “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

III.    CONCLUSION:

A.  THE JUDGMENT WILL BE AN APPOINTMENT THAT EVERY ONE OF US WILL HAVE TO KEEP.

B.   THE QUESTION TO BE ANSWERED IS:  WILL WE BE READY?

Back to the Top