Since disciples have repented and Jesus paid the penalty for all of our sins, we won’t have a judgment day, right? This devotion looks at several verses to answer that question.
Nuggets
- When we look at Revelation 20: 12 through the lens of Hebrews 9: 27, we see it is talking about all mankind.
- At the judgment, books will be opened to determine everyone’s individual verdict.
- The verdict will either be rewarded or repaid.
Devotions in the What I Believe series
Devotions in the End Times category
Judgment Day Focus
Will Disciples Have a Judgment Day?
In the last devotion, we looked at instances where the Israelites received judgment for their angering God. We did touch on the final judgment.
For the most part, New Testament references center on that final judgment. Yes, Jesus does prophecy the destruction of the temple, but that is also a prophecy about the final judgment.
What we are going to look at in this devotion is that final judgment and how that will affect disciples.
Let's Put It into Context
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines judgment day as “time of God’s punishment and refining of the evil in the world, especially of the final, history-ending time of eternal judgment.”
Resource
Are Disciples Invited to the Judgment?
There is some debate as to whether or not disciples are going to have a judgment day. It is argued that, since our sins have been forgiven, we get to skip judgment, pass go, and collect eternity.
John 5: 21 and 29 are used as evidence for that thought. “And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants” (Jn. 5: 21 CSB).
Well, to me, it reads everyone will be raised from the dead by God to exist through eternity. It doesn’t qualify who “… raises the dead and gives them life …” (Jn. 5: 21 CSB) are.
We know there is a subset that “… the Son also gives life to whom he wants” (Jn. 5: 21 CSB). Those who have chosen Jesus to be their Savior will be given eternal life in heaven rather than eternal death in hell.
Jesus will give life to those who have ABCDed. That is the only criteria He uses. He doesn’t give eternal life on a whim.
However, that verse doesn’t address how or when that will occur.
“Do not be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come out — those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn. 5: 28-29 CSB).
I am sorry. I am just not seeing it. If this speaks to no judgment for disciples, to me, it also speaks to no judgment for the condemned. All it is talking about here is the dead will be raised and separated.
Don’t get hung up on the terminology wicked. Non-believers are identified in Scriptures by the terms wicked, dead, cursed, and evil. That is because they are following Satan, the evil one.
Alexander argues that there will be three resurrections.
Judgment #1: Awakening of the dead
Judgment #2: “… a department of the same spiritual resurrection”
Judgment #3: A general resurrection and judgment.
How I read that is Judgment #1 and Judgment #2 will be the rapture (so some may consider that just one resurrection). Judgment #3 will be the grand finale. That goes along the lines of First Thessalonians 4: 16-17. “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (I Thess. 4: 16-17 CSB).
To me, there has to be a point where the sheep are separated from the goats. That is a judgment. I say that especially in light of Matthew 7: 21. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 7: 22 ESV).
Those thinking they are sheep but end up in the goat’s line will think of it as a judgment.
For the sheep, this judgment isn’t going to be a biggy. I see it as us stepping up, Jesus calling “Mine,” and we head right.
But let’s look at some other Scriptures to see what we can see.
All Must Appear
“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)
Revelation 20: 12 says, “I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne …” (CSB). Everything in this verse hinges on who the dead are.
Remember, death has three prongs:
- Physical death
- Separation from God
- Spiritual death
The original sin “killed” us all because it separated us from God. We are going to be separated until the judgment — even though we are made spiritually alive at conversion.
I know. I made that clear as mud. We were spiritually dead. We ABCDed, so now we are spiritually alive. But we are still separated from God because He is in heaven and we aren’t. That will be fixed one of these days.
When we look at Revelation 20: 12 through the lens of Hebrews 9: 27, we see it is talking about all mankind. “And just as it is appointed for people to die once — and after this, judgment” (Heb. 9: 27 CSB).
That makes Romans 14: 12 crystal clear. “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14: 12 CSB).
I see this as Judgment #3. It is going to include everyone.
Check the Books
“I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books” (Rev. 20: 12 CSB)
At the judgment, books will be opened to determine everyone’s individual verdict. Not all of the books are given names and their content identified. Because of that, there has been a lot of speculation as to what the content is.
- Morrell identified the books that are opened as the books of memory. No, God didn’t forget anything that has happened. I see this more as an official record of what happened.
- Morrell also felt we each will have our own individual books of what happened in our lives.
- Talmage broke those down into several different books. One was a book of tears. Otherwise, how would “they that sow in tears shall reap in joy” (Ps. 126: 5 KJV) be fulfilled?
- Others were books of good deeds and unforgiven sins.
- If there is no book of good deeds, there would be no documentation for the “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat …” (Mt. 25: 35 CSB), etc. list.
- We sin daily. We would have to be constantly praying asking for forgiveness to get to heaven all forgiven.
- Talmage wrote that the book of privileges will contain “… so many strivings of the spirit, so many sicknesses when we vowed return, so many sacraments, so many death-beds, so many accidents, so many escapes, so many warnings, so many glorious invitations of a crucified Jesus.”
- We really want our names to be written in the book of life. Wells wrote, “And if our names be written in this book of life, then the law of life is written vitally in our souls.”
The Basis of the Verdict
“I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt. 12: 36-37 CSB)
The verdict will be based on whether or not we’ve ABCDed. The sheep’s list of accomplishments will be used as evidence of the D part of disciple’s lives.
Goats will not get into heaven only on the D part. They must have completed the ABC part. But then they would be sheep, not goats.
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
The verdict will either be rewarded or repaid, which we’ve already talked about. We said that depended on what creature we are. If we are a sheep, it will be fine. If we are a goat, it won’t be pretty.
Either way, it will be determined by what we have done in our lives. “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done” (Rev. 22: 12 ESV).
But we sometimes we think little things — like idle words — will be glossed over. Not so.
Melvill explained why nothing is really insignificant. He wrote, “It cannot be a small thing to disobey God, though it may be a small thing in which I disobey Him.”
We talked about that a long time ago. We like to think there are good sins and bad sins. That way we can think we aren’t totally bad or we are not as bad as Tom, Sally, or Elaine.
Whatever the sin, the root is our sinful nature against our spiritual nature. We are disobeying God’s laws and commandments regardless if we are lying, stealing, or murdering someone.
But this verse focuses on idle words. Beecher gave us a list of what idle words entail. They are the following:
- Tattling.
- Tale-bearing.
- “Slang” conversation.
- Boasting.
- Swearing.
Making the Connections
What all this tells me is there is going to be a judgment day, even for disciples. No, God is not expecting us to be perfect. He is expecting us to be forgiven and sincere.
We must wholly trust in Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer. We must be seeking His Will and doing our best to follow it.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We’ve been asking these questions all along so we can prepare for when we are asked to defend our beliefs. Here is the worksheet again. How would you describe who gets invited to the judgment and the basis of the verdict?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
I know. This is my stock answer — because it is.
We have to be seeking God. We have to been buried in the Word, totally focused on God so that we can withstand all of the temptations Satan sends our way.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
If we aren’t, it will be easy to get tripped up with the idle words. If we don’t love others God’s way, it will easy to gossip about them and point out to others where they have messed up. Throw in jacking up our pride in comparison, and we are way off course from where God wants us to be.
We also have to watch the words we use. God calls us to be different from the world, not using the same coarse language. I know. It is easy to let it slip in. We need to imitate God, instead.
Bottom line is we need to continue to ask for forgiveness of our sins. We need to be prepared for Jesus’ return.
Father. Lord, we are watching for Jesus’ return. Help us to seek You daily. Forgive us of our sins. We patiently wait for the day we can see You face to face. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
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