There will be a Judgement Day. This devotional reading looks at justice for those who do not put their trust in Him
Nuggets
- We can be assured that Judgement Day will occur.
- We can be assured that all will be judged.
The title of this devotion is an interesting comment by Beveridge. That is especially true when we are talking about the surety of our salvation.
We just finished up the How Christ Doesn’t Lose Us series in the Surety of Salvation study. This devotion starts the last series of the study — Christ’s Care Over His People Reaches the Day of Their Resurrection.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the Habitual Holiness of Heart and Life theme, click the button below.
Here is a running list of nuggets for the theme.
Devotions in the The Surity of Our Salvation study
Here is a running list of nuggets for the study.
The foundation of this study is Beveridge’s sermon The Believer’s Safety
Resource
The headings are Beveridge’s words.
To Judge
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecc. 12: 14 ESV)
We can be assured that Judgement Day will occur.
There are a lot of verses in God’s Word that talks about Judgment Day. There will be rewards and punishment given out on that day.
- “It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him’” (Jude 1: 14-15 ESV).
- “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness” (Ps. 9: 7-8 ESV).
- “Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest. He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people: ‘Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!’ The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge! Selah” (Ps. 50: 3-6 ESV).
- “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened” (Dan. 7: 9-10 ESV).
- “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne” (Mt. 25: 31 ESV).
- “But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust” (Ac. 24: 14-15 ESV).
- “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done” (Rev. 20: 11-13 ESV).
The day is coming, and there is no One better to be the judging than God through Jesus. Only Jesus alone is worthy of being Judge because, as Manton said, He has wisdom, justice, power, and authority.
Resource
Barns told us how that can be. He wrote,
“As Son of God, He understands all the rights of the eternal throne, the requirements of law, and the demands of justice; and as Son of man, He knows the extent of our ability, the feelings of our heaths, and the state of our nature, and can, therefore, be a merciful, gracious, and just Judge in things pertaining to God and man.”
Resource
- “On that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Rom. 2: 16 ESV).
- “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son” (Jn. 5: 22 ESV).
We will be judged with equity and justice.
- “For God shows no partiality” (Rom. 2: 11 ESV).
- “But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another” (Ps. 75: 7 ESV).
- “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3: 28 ESV).
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (II Cor. 5: 10 ESV)
We can be assured that all will be judged.
Some disciples tend to think that we won’t be taking any part of Judgment Day. We will.
Our Judgment Day will be the separation of the sheep from the goats (Mt. 25: 34-46). God will determine if we are really a sheep or a Matthew 7: 21 person.
We will have to give an accounting for ourselves. “So then each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14: 12 ESV).
Even before that, we will need to stand at the judgment seat. “… For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God’” (Rom. 14: 10-11 ESV).
What is the whole purpose of this? It is to glorify God. “Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 1: 13 ESV).
If we miss the Judgment Day, we miss the grace that will be brought to us. We miss the revelation of Jesus as Bridegroom.
“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead” (Ac. 17: 30-31 ESV).
God has shown that He will judge the world. At a minimum, He judged Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). At a maximum, He destroyed the whole world in the flood (Gen. 6-8).
How many times did God destroy Jerusalem and allow His people to be carried off to exile?
God is not averse to judging His people.
God has been patiently waiting to bring His judgment. Ever since before Adam and Eve committed the original sin, God has been moving things to eliminate sin for eternity.
It has taken so long because God wanted to make sure everyone who will confess Jesus as Savior and Lord will do so.
We can’t forget what this judgment is all about. “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering — since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (II Thess. 1: 5-8 ESV).
The judgment is to decide if we are worthy of the kingdom of God. The only way we are worthy is when we accept Jesus as our Savior.
After salvation comes sanctification. That is where we gain God’s character.
Judgment is going to be all about character.
When I picture this, I don’t see this as being a long, drawn-out trial. There will be no evidence for the plaintiff and defendant.
We are just going to get a verdict.
Making the Connections #1
We don’t consider non-believers as God’s people. They aren’t— but they are.
Everyone is God’s creation. Only those who have but their faith and trust in Him is His children. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn. 1: 12-13 ESV).
Making the Connections #2
I have to process what Barns said. He wrote, “Conscience, influenced by the Holy Spirit, and resting on the inspired volume for theological information, points to the Day of Judgment for rewards and punishments to be distributed at the end of our probation.”
Resource
- Our conscience is the part of our nature that impacts our moral decisions as it points us to what is right and gives us pain or pleasure depending on the choice.
- It is the job of the Holy Spirit to be our teacher, our helper, an advocate, and a witness for God.
- What the Holy Spirit teaches us is God’s doctrine.
- Judgment Day is when rewards and punishment are handed out.
Let’s think this through. The Holy Spirit is more than just our conscience.
We have to be willing to be taught by the promptings of the Holy Spirit, guidance that is given as impulses. The Holy Spirit is involved in our total being and life, not just the areas in which we need comfort.
Listening to and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit brings about circumcision of the heart. When we are sanctified, there is evidence of the Holy Spirit working within our lives.
How Do We Apply This?
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Father God. Thank You for being the One to pass judgment on us. As our Creator and loving Father, there is no One better suited to it than You. Sanctify us so that we will have Your character when You judge us. Amen.
What do you think?
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