'Caught Off Guard' Concerning Judgment

Talking about the final judgment seems to make people anxious. Many Christians wonder if God is going to bring up…that event from their past that they wish they could forget. Non-believers may be anxious because they don’t know what might be said. They might be made to feel guilty for their lifestyle choices or some event in their past. Whatever the case, Judgment Day is the day when, “I’m only human” carries no weight; it cannot be used as an excuse.

When judgment is discussed in the context of the Bible, most people know that something will be said about eternity, heaven and hell. Eternity is a difficult concept. Getting a clear picture of heaven...elusive. And, what about hell? There seems to be many definitions and ideas about hell; the most common (I think) may be rooted in Dante Alighieri's Inferno, not the Bible.

Recognizing that science cannot be applied to divine judgment, eternity, heaven and hell, some people just make the assumption that we’ll all be like the dog Rover; when you’re dead, you’re dead all over. Yet, such a conclusion is based on empty space. It is a made-up conclusion that ignores God. It is not based on facts because there are no physical facts to enter into evidence that would weigh in on the question of eternity or heaven or hell.

So, we are left with two simple options:

• Make up our own conclusions, or
• Consider information from beyond our natural world, i.e. the revealed word of God.

Whether or not the biblical descriptions of heaven and hell are taken to be literal or figurative, it is clear: Heaven is equated with bliss while hell is equated with torment. One other thing; both are eternal. The Bible talks about the lake of fire (hell) as the second death (physical death being the first death). There is never such a thing as a third death where someone simply ceases to exist. So, just remember, eternal bliss or eternal torment!

In the Bible, divine judgment is about God’s discernment and His ultimate separation of good from evil, the godly from the ungodly, the righteous from the unrighteous. He is not arbitrary in His judgment. Rather His discernment is based on His divine character. God IS good and righteous and godly. But that’s not all. Goodness and righteousness and godliness are all characteristics of the One who lives. God will ultimately make a distinction between those who are spiritually alive and those who are spiritually dead.

In an often overlooked verse, John 3:18, Jesus said that those who do not believe in the Son of God will be judged (i.e. condemned). It sounds like those who do not love God with all their heart and listen to His word will be condemned.

Jesus gave us a picture of the final judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. It sounds like those who do not love their neighbor as themselves will suffer eternal punishment.

Is it really that surprising that those who do not truly embrace the two greatest commands will not enjoy eternal bliss?

The Apostle Paul preached a sermon at Athens in which he stated that God no longer overlooks people’s ignorance. He declared that people everywhere should change their minds (repent) concerning Jesus, because “He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness” through Jesus. (Acts 17:30-31)

Don’t be caught off guard; God’s judgment is real. 

Anything different from God’s revealed word is just made up from empty space.


Mark Stinnett

August 1, 2021