It has been controverted variously as to whether or not judgment awaits anyone after death. It has also been doubted among many religions and faiths and creeds whether or not Christ Jesus will be the eternal judge even if there is judgment at all after death? Mocking Jesus on the cross, the people said in Matthew 27: 42; Mark 15: 31, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.
Jesus’ salvation was spiritual because all his healings, deliverances and salvation from sin to righteousness, from darkness to his marvelous light had spiritual foundation. So for those he healed, released as spiritual captives, he said to them in John 5: 14, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
Led by the Holy Spirit, we will conclude this topic by answering some of the questions that may help us to prepare for God’s judgment based on scripture.
Who will be the judge?
Christ Jesus will be our judge. John 5: 22 says, The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, so that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. He says further in John 5: 27 and he (God) has given him (Jesus) authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Jesus clarified his authority and said in John 8: 16 yet even if I judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. Paul said in Acts 17: 31 while God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” That man is Christ Jesus.
Paul also says the saints shall judge the world. He said in 1 Corinthians 6: 2-3, do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels–to say nothing of ordinary matters? Will we be among the saints or will we be judged? Jesus will judge with his Saints? Will we be one of the Saints?
What will be the nature of judgment?
Many have questioned if there will be one standard of judgment for everyone on the judgment day. Many have also questioned how God would execute judgment, if any? We begin to respond by saying that God is a perfect God and his ways are perfect, Deuteronomy 32: 2; 2 Samuel 22: 31; Psalms 18: 30.
Whatever criteria God would use on that judgment day shall be perfect as he is perfect. We are unable to comprehend God’s ways because God is not man and his ways are above our ways. The bible says in Isaiah 55: 8, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. However from scripture, he has given us some indications of his judgment:
It will be stricter for his teachers
James 3: 4 says not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. Those of us who mock and cheat on God must be very careful. Many of us are wolves in sheep’s clothing and agents or angels of darkness yet we parade ourselves as angels of light to mislead God’s children. We will receive our harsh reward because those who know better must perform better. We must live up to God’s standard of life as we teach others.
It will be based on our deeds
Paul said in Romans 2: 12-13, all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but he doers of the law who are justified. Obedience to God’s will is what Jesus wants, not merely hearing his word but doing what he says from our hearts willingly.
Jude 1: 14-15 say “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the 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.”
It will be based on our attitude towards others
Jesus said in Matthew 7: 2 for with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. We shall be subjected to our own standards by which we judge or treat others. James 2: 13 says for judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. If we are loving, forgiving, merciful to others and if we are faithful to God, he will extend the same courtesies to us on the Day of Judgment.
It will be according to God’s will
Jesus said in John 5: 30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. Jesus will apply the perfect will of God on the Day of Judgment. Jesus taught his disciples to pray saying, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6: 10. The will of God shall rule the Day of Judgment for we have already confessed same to happen. Do we always seek God’s will?
2 Peter 2: 4-9 say for if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hells and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment; and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he saved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on a world of the ungodly… then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. God will not spare us either.
It shall be without mercy
On that day, we will be desolate because it will be an individual affair. God will show hate to those who hate him and the enemy, the devil will laugh at us. Jesus said in Matthew 8: 12 the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” See also Matthew 13: 42, 50; 22: 13; 24:51; 25: 30. Luke 13: 28 says there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. It will be too late for salvation. The time to accept Jesus is now!
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, the righteous judge, please help us to be better servants in accordance with your will. Revive our hearts to embrace righteousness in our hearts. Let your will be our guide whilst the tempest lasts. Open our understanding to your truths to save our restless souls. In your holy name we humbly pray, Amen!!
