Judgment Day

Intro

Last Sunday we talked about the return of Jesus

The only I prediction I made was that he was coming back… no dates!

One big idea was that all of Creation is waiting for the return of Jesus, which will initiate the fullness of the kingdom of heaven and the redemption of all things

This is the event that is the “beginning of the end”

One significant piece of this puzzle is what we call Judgment Day

I can feel you cringe in your seats! No one is overly comfortable with the idea of judgment (at least being judged personally)

And yet, by avoiding the topic, we lose sight of its importance and central role in our eternal hope

So, what does the Bible say about judgment? Let’s find out together, going back to John 5:24-29 (read passage)

Pray

Pillar: Jesus is the Eternal Judge

Because He has been given this task by the Heavenly Father

Refer to John 5:27.

Ties into the promise of the Messiah being God’s prophesied instrument of justice for His people

Again and again the Messiah is stated to be God’s agent to bring the whole world, not just Israel, back into the state of justice and truth for which God longs as much as we do. So the early Christians, who had concluded from Easter that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, naturally identified him as the one through whom God would put the world to rights. (N.T. Wright)

Because when He returns, He will judge the living and dead

Refer to John 5:28-29.

Last Sunday we talked about the return of Jesus, and how it would usher in the completion of the kingdom and our eternal hope

Part of this process is judgment: Jesus comes back as the eternal judge

Jesus returns -> resurrection -> judgment -> eternal destiny

The teaching of Christ in John 5 (along with other passages) points towards a judgment day

Show a picture of Terminator; No, not THAT judgment day!

Show a picture of Jesus on the Great White Throne; Okay, much better

Yet out of our fear and uncertainty, we avoid talks of judgement

When we do so, we miss out on some vital information on our eternal hope

Pillar: Judgment is Good News

Judgment is good news: Because God rights all wrongs

Cf. Psalm 98.

This happens on a cosmic scale:

All of Creation longs for this redemption (seas roar, rivers clap their hands, hills sing for joy)

Creation -> Fall -> Redemption

New Heaven and New Earth (the earth will be renewed)

There is also justice for all the wrong and evil that goes unpunished on earth

EVERYONE desires for evil to stop and for justice to be served

Abuse, murder, human trafficking, genocide, theft… we all want it to stop

And the righteous judgment of God promises to do just that

Share the story of two people at a holocaust museum

The good news of God’s judgment is also personal

You have been wronged; you have suffered; you long for justice (not just Creation)

Scripture teaches that we are to give up ideas of getting even and leave it in the hands of God

Cf. Romans 12:19-21.

Our role is clear: Give up on trying to get even, and instead repay evil for good

Trust that God will sort it out in His perfect justice; these wrongs will be made right

Judgment is Good News: Because the Judge is full of grace, mercy and forgiveness

Many have fallen away from the faith because they have settled for a caricature of God as judge:

Someone who takes delight in tormenting souls for eternity just because they didn’t say a certain prayer or accept a certain worldview

This is NOT the character of God or His judgment; a caricature or falsehood

Instead, the character of Jesus is one that does NOT wish to condemn anyone

Cf. John 3:16-19.

Jesus has not come to condemn the world, but to save the world

Highlight how this is possible through the atoning work of Jesus on the cross

There is only self-condemnation; a rejection of salvation offered freely out of a love for the dark

Simply, we are asked to trust Jesus as our judge (and the judge of others)

I would want NO ONE else to fill this role

Jesus has the knowledge, the justice, the mercy, the forgiveness, the compassion, the understanding, the holiness, the eternal perspective to know what to do

Talk about entrusting the wedding rings to Karen ASAP; she was the one organized and mindful enough to look after them

So let Him be the judge!

Do not judge yourself; ask for forgiveness

Do not judge others; Jesus will perfectly do so out of His boundless love and perfect justice

Judgment is Good News: Because it paves the way for us to be in the presence of God without threat of evil or sin

Evil, sin and death must be permanently dealt with in order for us to be fully in the presence of a holy God forever

See these steps in Rev. 20 and 21:

At the judgment of Jesus on the Great White Throne, Death and Hades are destroyed

Cf. Revelation 20:11-14.

Death is… dead! This is good news!

It paves the way for our experience in the New Heaven and New Earth

Cf. Revelation 21:1-4.

A reminder: death is no more because of the judgment of Christ

Because of this, we will dwell with God and there will be no more mourning, or crying, or pain

So do not shy away from an important understanding of our hope: Judgment is good news

Pillar: Judgment is a Warning

Because everyone will have their works judged one day

This means EVERYONE; believers and unbelievers

Cf. Romans 14:9-12.

Wait, aren’t we justified by faith in Jesus? What do you mean we still encounter judgment?

One chronological explanation: Judgment of faith (immediate) vs. judgment of works (after the return of Jesus)

The future judgment for believers could also be a matter of rewards; not a matter of punishment

It’s critical to understand that this judgment is a judgment of works, not of faith. Our works do not affect our salvation, but they do affect our reward. (Randy Alcorn)

One theological explanation: We are certainly justified by faith; it gives us the assurance of how our future judgment will go

Justification by faith is what happens in the present time, anticipating the verdict of the future day when God judges the world. (N.T. Wright)

No matter which framework we choose to understand it, the takeaway is the same:

We are saved by grace, through faith alone in Jesus Christ

Our works matter (both good and bad), and will one day be revealed before the judgment seat of Jesus

So live in assurance, but also live purposefully in obedience

Because everyone whoe name is not in the book of life will receive judgment on their own merit

Look at the next verse in Revelation 20:15 (read verse)

Book of life = Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ

Jesus intercedes on our behalf at judgment; we are declared justified because of what He has done

Not in the book of life = judged on our own merit

Works are laid bare, and the end result is that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God

The end result is described as being “thrown into the lake of fire”

Remember the symbolism of Revelation; we will expand on Hell next week

As with any warning, ALL warnings of judgment are designed for REPENTANCE and REDEMPTION

Cf. 2 Peter 3:9.

The goal of a warning is to stop someone from doing something harmful

Talk about a warning track in baseball; refer to SBF softball experience

We are not to celebrate warnings of judgment, but to allow them to move us to share the Good News of Jesus with others

There IS a book of life! There IS a saviour who desires nothing more than to offer you forgiveness and mercy! There IS a path to repentance and a chance to confidently look forward to your eternal future

All of this is offered through faith in Christ, and Christ alone

Conclusion

Do not forget that the future judgment of Jesus is truly good news

All wrongs will be made right! Death and sin will be destroyed! You can trust in Jesus as the perfect judge, full of justice and mercy!

Do not forget to heed the warning of future judgment, either

If you are a believer, remember that your works matter and will one day be revealed

If you are not yet a believer, remember that salvation is found in grace through faith in Jesus Christ

Today, your name can be written on the book of life

Pray